Key Takeaways
Prospective tenants expect to preview properties digitally, and high-quality video tours help rentals stand out, increase engagement, and reduce vacancy time.
Thorough cleaning, minimal staging, and resolving maintenance issues are critical before filming to present the property as move-in ready.
You don’t need expensive equipment, but steady footage, good lighting, high resolution, and clear audio are essential for a professional result.
Film in a natural order, use steady movements, proper framing, and intentional transitions to help viewers understand the layout easily.
Potential tenants want to digitally preview homes before scheduling an in-person showing. As a result, video tours have become one of the most crucial tools to meet this expectation.
Through a well-produced video tour, prospective renters can understand the condition, scale, and layout of a rental property in a way that pictures alone can not achieve.
Creating a great video tour involves crucial components that shape how the unit is perceived, such as lighting, framing, facing, presentation, and narration.
If the video is poorly executed, it will reduce interest from potential tenants. However, a great video will generate more inquiries and reduce vacancy time.
In this article, PMI Prime Property will outline best practices for filming a great video tour for your rental property.
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Why Video Tours are Crucial in Rental Marketing
Unlike still pictures, videos will show viewers how large or small the area feels, how natural light moves through the unit, and how rooms connect.
This will help potential clients set accurate expectations and minimize future misunderstandings during the lease process.
Video tours also help to widen marketing reach. When narrowing their choices, busy applicants, relocating professionals, and remote tenants may heavily depend on video content.
Compared to other properties with only pictures, those with high-quality video tours usually stand out on social media and listing platforms and generate more engagement.
Prepare the Property Before Filming
The level of preparation determines the quality of a video tour. Filming the property should never commence until you present it in its best condition.
Thoroughly clean every area of the rental unit before filming. Ensure that there is no debris, smudges, or dust on appliances, windows, floors, countertops, and fixtures.
Viewers can be distracted by even minor clutter, and that will reduce the perceived value of the property.
For vacant units, you can use minimal staging to define spaces. Make the room feel more inviting without being overwhelming through subtle decorative elements and neutral furnishing.
Personal items should be reduced to maintain a professional appearance if the property is occupied.
When there are visible maintenance issues, it reduces interest. Ensure that the following are intact before filming:
Plumbing fixtures are clean and free of leaks.
Walls do not have visible damages.
Doors and cabinets open smoothly.
Light fixtures are functioning.
The video tour should show that the property is ready to be occupied.
The quality of the video significantly depends on lighting. For that reason, ensure that you turn on all interior lights even if you are filming during the day.
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Choose the Right Equipment
A great video tour does not require expensive setups. However, professional equipment may enhance quality. The most important features to consider when making a great video tour are clarity, stability, and sound quality.
With modern smartphones, you can record high-definition videos that are suitable for rental tours. Ensure you do the following if you are using a smartphone:
Clean the lens.
Set the video resolution to the highest available quality.
Hold the device horizontally.
Although dedicated cameras may provide additional control over exposure and focus, they are not strictly mandatory.
One of the most common mistakes in amateur video tours is shaky footage. You can significantly improve visual smoothness by using a tripod, gimbal, or stabilizing mount. If done deliberately, even a slow, careful handheld movement can suffice.
For video tours with narration, ensure clear audio output. Minimize background noise and record the video in a quiet environment. Use external microphones to improve sound quality. If other conditions are controlled, a clear smartphone audio may do the work.
Plan the Video Tour Flow
To ensure that the video tour is successful, it should follow a logical sequence that reflects how someone would naturally walk through the property.
Begin the video tour at the main entrance and move room by room in a consistent order. Some common approaches include the flow below:
Entry, living areas, kitchen, bedrooms, bathroom, and additional spaces.
Ground floor, upper floors, and outdoor areas.
If you randomly skip between rooms, it will confuse viewers and make it difficult to understand the layout.
Ensure that transitions between spaces are intentional and smooth. Viewers will maintain spatial awareness when slow pans and steady movements are used. It is disorienting if movements are rapid and turns are abrupt.
Use Professional Film Techniques
How you hold the camera has a significant impact on how viewers perceive the property. For that reason, you should do the following:
Hold the camera at chest or eye level.
Use wide-angle views but avoid excessive distortions.
Frame each room to show full width, key features, and how it connects to adjacent areas.
Ensure slow and steady movement.
Briefly pause in each space for viewers to mentally process the layout.
Intentionally highlight unique features in each area.
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Final Thoughts
Attention to details, planning, and understanding how potential tenants assess rental properties remotely are some essential aspects to consider when filming a great video tour.
Video tours allow potential tenants to see the property before tours, which can grow interest and allow out-of-town applicants to apply.
If you want more information on how to film a great tour video of your rental contact PMI Prime Property today!
