How to Film a Great Video Tour of your Rental

Marketing a rental property isn't just about writing great ad copy, its about the visuals too. But you don’t need a massive budget to shoot a tour of your rental. All you need is your smartphone and some advice from a specialist in the property industry.

From our years in the industry, the team at McKenna & Vane Property Management has put together a few tips that would help landlords in this endeavor.

Use Landscape Mode

Most people tend to take videos use portrait mode as that is the natural way people hold their phones. But these videos tend to look unprofessional and offer a poor experience overall. In addition, portrait mode also makes your house and the interior thinner.

We recommend that you use landscape orientation for your videos. From our experience, this orientation makes your internal spaces look larger and gives the viewer a good estimation of the room sizes and can show off any amenities you have.

In addition, you are able to capture a larger area in landscape mode reducing the need to rotate the camera from one side to another.

Light the Room Appropriately

You don’t have to buy artificial lighting to make your room look great. Using natural lighting is easy and readily available. Early in the morning or late in the afternoon is the best time to shoot since the sun’s rays will be streaming in through your windows.

You can regulate the amount of light you need with your blinds or curtains. In addition, always ensure that the sun is on your back to get the best photos.

Add Some Audio

While a picture is worth a thousand words, narration or commentary can lure in a potential renter. A voiceover would be ideal to bring attention to any new appliances you just installed or the amenities that you offer.

If you are concerned about possible background noises, you can choose to add in narration later on during editing. You also don’t have to say anything, there are plenty of places you can download free music to use for marketing that can improve your videos.

Steady the Camera

A potential tenant can only appreciate the finishes of your rental property when the video is steady. So, we at McKenna & Vane Property Management have a few tips that may serve you well:

• Brace yourself against a wall.
• Hold your arms (and camera/ phone) close to your body. This reduces the effect of the equipment’s weight on your arms.
• Instead of turning with your arms, rotate the shot by swiveling your torso.

You could also consider renting or purchasing a tripod stand if you want to take your camera work to the next level.

Avoid Using Zoom

For those using smartphones to make their video tours, you may feel the need to use the zoom feature. But zooming is not the ideal solution as it may cause blurriness and makes the video look unprofessional.

A simple and more appropriate solution is simply closing the distance between you and the subject item. This maintains the clarity of the footage.

Edit Your Videos

Editing your video is a must, even if you're a beginner. The raw footage you have is far from the professional and clear product that you see on YouTube and Instagram.

You might be thinking that editing is costly and time consuming or that you need to hire an editor. But as it stands, there are several easy-to-use applications that we recommend.

• Splice: This application is free to use for anyone with an iPhone. Not only is it easy to use but it also offers use access to thousands of songs that you can incorporate into the video.
• iMovie: If you recorded the video using an iPad, this is the application that you should consider during the editing phase of your video. Little or no experience is required to be a master in using iMovie.
• VidTrim: As the name suggests, the application offers a chance to Android users to easily edit videos from the comfort of their smartphones. The application also has a partnership with YouTube, allowing you to easily upload the final footage to the social media platform.

Include a Call to Action

Also known as a CTA, this is a statement in the final part of the video that provides an interested tenant with information on how they can reach you. The CTA can be done as part of the video and also as a pop-up, with your phone number and email.

Bottom Line

In today’s evolving market, using digital strategies is a must to remain competitive and offer convenience to potential renters.

Having a well-made video, however, is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. You also need to market it, screen potential tenants, prevent property damage and manage your rental on a daily basis.

Specializing in Howard, Carroll, Frederick, Montgomery, and Anne Arundel Counties, McKenna & Vane Property Management is a full-service property management company offering comprehensive property solutions to landlords in the area.

We have a well of experience managing single-family homes, commercial properties, multi-rentals, and homeowners’ associations.

Ready to enjoy the full benefits of Maryland property leasing? Get in touch with us today and receive a quote for our property managementservices.