Having a video of your property helps get your rental home noticed. In fact, according to research by Matterport and other companies, property listings with virtual tours get clicked on 40 percent more often than listings without virtual tours. Even more importantly, properties with virtual tours get 95 percent more phone inquiries and 65 percent more email inquiries.
You can create a terrific video just by using your phone, but there are some things you’ll want to keep in mind as you film.
Make Your Video Unique
Make sure your video shows off your rental in its best possible light. In addition to cleaning and staging the rental, there are other things to consider before filming.
Find the property’s best features.
If you recently remodeled the kitchen, for example, highlight those granite countertops and high-end appliances. Perhaps you purchased this rental property because of its fantastic location next to a lake. Don’t shoot the video and forget to include the lake! Maybe your rental is in an award-winning school district or within walking distance to a university. Perhaps your rental has an amazing backyard with a spectacular deck. Does it have unique historical features? Make your property stand out by highlighting what makes it special.
Pay attention to lighting and time of day.
If the day is overcast, your video may turn out a bit dark and gloomy. Choose a sunny day, and try to film during the “magic hour” – right after sunrise or just before sunset. This is when the sun isn’t too high and you’ll have a nice glow.
To make sure your video tour shines, Apartments.com Architectural Photographer John Williams suggests taking pans (3-5 second clips) of your rental, following the natural flow of the house. “As long as you film the property as though you are walking through it, the video should be simple to edit from one clip to the next. Be sure to capture a few shots of the amenities on site, such as pools, gyms, tennis courts, etc.”
Create a Title
What do you want to convey about your video? It’s a good idea to include things like the number of bedrooms or the location. You want your title to be specific: “Video Tour of a Three-Bedroom Rental Home in Memphis,” for example, provides all of the information you want to convey in a succinct title. It also helps to add a short description:
House for Rent in Memphis with Video TourTake a tour of this three-bedroom, two-bath rental home in the heart of Downtown Memphis.
Add an Intro and an Outro
“If you have a high resolution image of your logo, use that as an intro/outro with your information on it,” John suggested. “No more than 10 seconds for both of these, with the intro being about five seconds.”
Consider including your business website or your professional email address. Avoid giving out your personal information, even if you plan to keep the video private. You may not want to give out your home address or private phone number, even to your renters.
Captions
Some renters may be viewing your video with the sound muted, so having captions will give them the information they might otherwise miss if you are providing commentary throughout the tour. You Tube adds captions that can be edited, or you can find an online video editing service to add captions (many of these services are free).
A Call to Action
A call to action (CTA) is exactly what it sounds like: a short sentence or phrase at the end of your video to motivate potential renters to take action. This can be something as simple as saying, “Contact me to rent this home today!” A popular format to remember is “do this because this will happen.” (Call me now to start living your best life in your dream home!) If you are offering a move-in special, this can also be an effective CTA: Call now to get a 10% discount on your first month’s rent!
Show Off the Neighborhood
Give your potential renters a sense of what their lives will be like living in your rental home. Video of nearby shopping areas, parks, and the neighborhood itself will provide a sense of the lifestyle they can expect. Consider taking video of special events, as well, if any are taking place. Things like the local farmer’s market and festivals will help build excitement and motivate renters to reach out to you.
During the Editing Process
John stresses, “Do not oversaturate the video if you decide to add some color to it. Cell phones do a really good job at reproducing colors.”
You’ll want to edit your video to be two minutes or less. “Remember: the shorter the video, the better,” John said. “Your audience is looking at several listings. The quicker they can see what they need to, the better. One to two minutes, tops.”
John explained how they shoot video to further simplify editing. “We shoot both left to right and right to left in one shot, but we only use one direction in a single clip. If I shot every room left to right, the video would be one continuous circle, always going from left to right. We would get dizzy. So, we go left to right and right to left so that each clip can go in the opposite direction from the previous clip.” John recommends following a pattern: “Intro clip, left to right. Living room clip, right to left. And so on.”
Music
While you might want to include music in your video, be careful about what you select. “Music choices … this can be very subjective,” John said. “It should be generic enough that anyone could listen to it. It may not be exciting, but don’t use music that you didn’t license. There are plenty of sites that offer royalty-free music for free.”
Traits of a Memorable Video
Memorable videos tell a story. They capture the viewer’s imagination. When you are making your video, keep potential renters in mind. If you were the renter, what would you want to see? Don’t rush through the video. Take your time as you film each room. You can narrow the video down during the editing process to get it to the desired two minutes or less. The story is the flow of your home from the neighborhood, to the front yard, and through each room in a natural progression. While your video should be comprehensive, you don't have to include every detail. When you list your property online, you will have the chance to highlight and expand upon other unique features of your rental.
If you have someone who can film you, consider putting yourself on camera. Just as you’d walk potential renters through your home in person, walk them through virtually. Don’t over-explain every feature, but point out the highlights and let your renters see some of your personality.
