How to Create a Video Tour to Show Off Your Commercial Property

Real estate is visual—people want to see the space before committing to buying or leasing it. A video is one way to quickly gain the attention of many potential customers for your CRE (Commercial real estate) space and help convert prospects into clients...

        Many commercial real estate property seekers turn to the internet to find available options for their needs. Brokers and agents should make sure their listings are well-portrayed online to capture these leads. Grabbing the attention of a potential buyer or renter of your available real estate is made easier by creating an eye-catching video tour of the property. If you want to be relevant online then you need to produce great content. Content like videos, blogs, vlogs, podcasts, PDF’s, or even cute cat memes. Whatever best helps you deliver value and connect with consumers online. A real estate virtual tour video is another piece of content for you to be able to share across multiple platforms online. But most importantly people love to view real estate online, and if you have a great video they will watch it.

Looking for commercial real estate (CRE) space can be a daunting task, with numerous websites listing various properties, all with their own unique characteristics. Making your site stand out among the competition is important. Providing a real estate video tour of your CRE space could help.

While most potential clients will ultimately want an in-person tour of the property before making a final decision, a video tour can encourage them to make the effort to visit the physical property. To make the most of this digital marketing opportunity, the video should accurately and effectively convey the property and its features.

Does video sell real estate?

Real estate listings with videos receive 403% more inquiries than those without video, according to the online marketing site Quick Sprout. Real estate is visual—people want to see the space before committing to buying or leasing it. A video is one way to quickly gain the attention of many potential customers for your CRE space and help convert prospects into clients.

Videos provide an interactive method for online shoppers to view your property. They also enable out-of-town prospects to view the site. Nearly half of the real estate professionals surveyed in a 2018 study indicated that they intended to use videos as part of their marketing plan, according to Boston-based real estate technology company Placester.

How do you shoot and edit real estate videos?

Creating a real estate video tour of your CRE space does not require prior experience or expensive video equipment. Creating the video can be accomplished with just a smartphone or tablet. An inexpensive tripod for your phone can be purchased if needed. Video apps are available to help with editing and adding special features such as text and music.

One factor to consider when filming is being conscious of lighting. Avoid shooting directly into light or in front of windows. Also, make sure the camera is in focus. If the budget allows, hiring a professional videographer is an option.

Getting Started with Gear and Videographers

Step 1: Prepping the Home & Basic Video Structure

This is the basic structure for any video…

1. Intro
2. Body
3. Outro

Step 2: How to Shoot the Exterior of a Home for Video

The establishing shot will consist of…

1. Front Exterior Shot from the ground or with a drone.
2. The Intro given by the REALTOR.
3. Highlight any establishing features.

Step 3: How to Shoot the Interior of a Home for Video

For about 90% of our real estate videos, we shoot and edit the interior of a home following this progression of rooms.

1. Front Entry of home to the Living Room.
   2. Living Room to the Kitchen.
   3. Kitchen to any other Living Rooms on the first floor and dining room.
   4. Master Bedroom and Bath.
   5. Additional bedrooms, bathrooms, and bonus rooms

Step 4: How to Edit a Virtual Tour Video

Editing videos takes 2 to 4 times as long as it does to actually shoot it, and the real magic comes together in the editing stage.

The general rule you want to follow is: Keep the momentum driving forward.

How long should a real estate video be?

In this digital age, many people are accustomed to quickly gaining information. Real estate video tours should include all relevant details in as little time as possible. They can vary in duration, but research has shown two-minute videos are ideal for keeping viewers engaged.

Where should I post a real estate video tour?

Many CRE listing websites offer users the option to post a video tour of the property. Real estate videos also can be posted on social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. YouTube is another key outlet. YouTube is one of the largest search engines and its content typically ranks high on Google searches.

Real estate professionals also can directly target their contacts by including real estate video tours in emails.

When sharing your video, be sure to include a link back to your website for people to gain more information about the available space. Keywords also should be included, such as the property type or neighborhood.

Here are some tips for creating an effective video tour of a commercial real estate property:

a. Showcase the property’s exterior, as well as the interior. Potential clients want to see the building’s unique features and amenities inside and out.

b. Show viewers in various ways space can be used or set up. For office space, this might include viewing it as a collaborative space or a more traditional office layout.

c. Highlight the CRE space by showing what it looks like at night and during the day.

d. Provide some video and a description of the available property’s neighborhood and nearby amenities.

e. Use a voiceover to communicate what potential clients are seeing in the video. Write some notes of what you want to say before you start recording.

f. Consider using a video app to help add personal touches such as music or text to your CRE video tour.

g. Include client testimonials in the video. This can be done by adding quoted text or as a voiceover.

Making an extra effort in marketing your property can pay off in the end. Although more traditional marketing methods such as phone calls and print advertising still are effective ways to reach potential customers, digital marketing should not be overlooked. A video tour can heighten potential clients’ experience and quickly capture leads, ultimately converting property seekers into clients.