We have been shooting video of our listings for just about a year now. We have made a TON of mistakes and learned from most of them. Here is our top ten list of things we wish we would have known a year ago:

1. Think, Elevator Pitch-Attention is a valuable commodity so brevity is essential. We follow a simple rule of thumb when creating a property video. We dedicate about 30 seconds of footage to the area and 90 seconds per 3,000 square feet of home. Videos should scale in proportion to the size and scope of the home.

2. Use a Tri-Pod- On my first couple of video shoots I didn't want to deal with the hassle of lugging a tri-pod along to the shoots. When I got back and started editing, my real estate videos had that "Blair Witch Project" feel. The camera shook, even when I thought I was panning smoothly. The lesson I learned was, Always use a Tri-Pod.

3. Area info- Make sure to include a little background footage of local amenities. Relocating buyers are buying the home and the area. This kind of area background also gives you some credibility as an expert in that specific area.

4. Get Close-Show some textures and surfaces. Stuff like counter top bull noses, tile, fixtures etc...

5. Have a Tour Guide-Our experience has taught us that viewers tend to stick with a video longer when there's someone leading the way. It can be voice over or someone actually leading the viewer through the home. Have a host either voice over or interview. If you interview don't spend too much time on the host this tends to eat up a lot of valuable time.

6. What to shoot-Get all the big rooms, the outside and the yard

7. Give them a hook-When buyers look at homes they usually identify them by a dominant characteristic or something unique "The Green Carpet House" or the "kitchen island with the red vegetable sink house". Dictate the dominant feature you want them to focus on, try to find a couple of truly unique things about the house and make those the focus.

8. Appeal to the Ears-I like background music, even if it's cheesy, OK especially if it's cheesy. Music sets a mood and it makes transitions flow a little better. Just make sure the level is appropriate, don't make the background music the focus.

9. Don't be afraid to go Ken Burns-Still image slide-shows masquerading as video get a lot of flack in video circles. Having said that, I think one of the best tools in a real estate video production toolbox is the "Ken Burns effect" this is a technique that uses panning and zooming effects to give a still photo some motion. Sometimes stills just look a lot better then video, if this is the case by all means, use it.

10. Easy On The Transitions-Transitions are a great tool. They are especially effective at giving the viewer a sense of moving to a different time or place. Be careful to not overuse the transition effects in your editing software.

I hope this helps!

Provided by Joe Boylan: http://www.springshomes.com