10 Video Tips to Replace Home Showings in the Covid-19 World

Video is a great way to help sellers sidestep our ‘stay at home” rules that have suspended open houses and private showings here in New England.

If your marketing budget doesn’t stretch to a high-end 3D virtual tour or a professional videographer, then you can produce your own video with a smartphone and still make a powerful impact in the market.

As your agent, I’d be happy to do the honors, but if you fancy the challenge, here are some tips to win over potential buyers:

1. Restrict your video to no more than two minutes. Buyers might click away if the walk-through drags on. Short is sweet.
2. Use a selfie stick to keep the device stable.
3. Plan the video. Are you going to shoot it as a landscape, which works best on the property portals such as Zillow or Realtor.com. Or, are you marketing heavily on social media, such as Facebook, where portrait videos work best? Maybe it’s best to shoot videos for both environments. Your real estate agent will offer the best advice on this.
4. Decide the route your tour will take. Are you going to begin at the gate or the front door? And where are you going to finish
5. Highlight the best features – the ones you and your agent believe will turn the heads of prospective buyers. If it’s the kitchen or swimming pool, then don’t waste precious seconds on the downstairs toilet.
6. Let in the light. Open your curtains and blinds. Test for the most attractive angles to film. Avoid back-lighting. You want the light to fall on the rooms and the home’s best features.
7. If you’re adding commentary, script out what you want to say. Not everyone will have the sound turned on, so add subtitles. There is free software that can add these.
8. Video when it’s quiet. You don’t want next door’s lawnmower as your soundtrack.
9. Don’t forget the outdoor areas. The garden and entertaining area are often important to buyers.
10. Tidy up. Hide your personal items, as these never make a good impression. You want prospective buyers to picture themselves living in the property, not focus your domestic habits. Put your “unique art” away, too. Again, it distracts from the sale.

Depending on your skill level, you may feel your agent is best placed to create the video and add commentary. Ask them how they would approach the project, and where they believe it should be posted to maximize the sales potential.