Shoot better video on your phone: 7 tips for REALTORS®
“Some films are slices of life, mine are slices of cake.” – Alfred Hitchcock
Hitchcock may be onto something here. Some agents are up and running with video, creating “slices of cake” (i.e. helpful, engaging content) for buyers to enjoy, but others are having a tough time making video work in their marketing strategies.
The good news is that you don’t have to be a video pro to add more life to your online listing information. With the right tools, you can add video to your stories with minimal investments of time and energy by using the video camera you already have in your pocket or purse: your smartphone.
Get started with these tips for creating videos using your phone:
1. Plan your shoot
Take some notes on your phone during your walkthrough of the property. Identify the home’s key features. Then sketch out a plan that walks potential buyers through the home in a way that highlights the key features. Think about which aspects of the home would look best in photo or video format, and sequence each scene in your story using a numbered list.
Next, use your smartphone to take photos and video clips that you can use to create a visual story for the home. If the home has something like an incredible great room with high ceilings, a sleek open-concept living room & kitchen combination, or wide spaces that are difficult to capture in a single photo, consider using video to capture the space. Exterior features like scenic views, pools, and landscape features can all benefit from video.
On the other hand, you may just want to use standard photos for smaller rooms or less dramatic features. If the laundry room is small, but nice and functional, there’s really not a need for video. A single photo will probably do.
TIP: Shoot photos and videos horizontally.
2. Avoid shaky shots
Keep it steady! As hard as we try, it’s difficult to shoot a stable video while holding your phone out in front of you. When shooting video or taking photos on your phone, “tuck your elbows into your sides and hold the camera tight to your chest to stabilize shots.”
3. Consider lighting
Good lighting enhances the property and its features. Make the home look inviting and natural, not overly produced and flashy. Here are some tips:
- Take pictures and record video scenes on a sunny day if at all possible, but avoid harsh, direct light.
- Avoid backlighting.
- When shooting outdoors, make good use of natural light. Photographer Danny Winget says “[t]he easiest way to overcome lighting issues is to shoot outdoors, where even a cloudy day produces enough ambient light to keep your video crisp and colorful.” When capturing photos and videos of the home’s interior, get a lot of light into the room by using lamps and windows.
- Maintain lighting consistency among the scenes of your story. Avoid jumping from a light scene to a dark scene, or vice versa. This can disrupt the viewing experience.
TIP: Check out this helpful article on How to Make Professional Video with Your Smartphone.
4. “Oh no, I’m at 10%!”… charge your battery
Avoid the frustration of having to make a second trip to the property because you forgot to charge your battery. As you’re planning out your next video shoot, make sure that your phone has enough charge to get the job done. A car charger or a portable back-up battery pack for your phone can be a life (and video!) saver.
5. Make room on your phone for video content
Do a quick check of your phone’s storage before arriving on site for your photo and video shoot. It’s easier to go through your current photo, video, and app collection before you’re on site rather than having to decide on which family videos to delete when you’re pressed for time. There’s nothing worse than shooting a great video scene only to lose it because you’ve run out of storage space.
6. Create a visual story
After your shoot is complete, put your photos and videos together, edit them, add effects, music, title screens, branding, and transitions using storytelling software. With a platform like Paradym, all this can be done from your phone.
Want to see how Paradym can help tell your story online? Let’s set up some time to chat!
7. Get the word out!
Once your video is complete, share it! Your phone may have the ability to share your videos directly to social media, or use automation software to automatically distribute your video to social media.
Using your phone to create real estate marketing videos can be a quicker and easier process than you may have thought. Why not plan your next listing story with video in mind?
Need some more video ideas? Check out 15 essential marketing videos every real estate agent should create.
Additional Links:
The Best Tips on How to Make Professional Video with Your Smartphone