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What to Shoot
Put yourself in the position of a perspective buyer and show the home in a way that showcases its most outstanding features.
Obviously, the exterior and the way it is situated on the lot is a big factor. Buyers want to know if it's attractive. Does it have a garage? A large porch or deck? Does it sit on a hill or is it level? Can you see the neighbor's homes? How many trees are on the property and where are they located? Is there a view of the freeway in the backyard?
You also need to look at the amenities: a spacious yard, a large two story foyer, master bedroom, hot tub, cathedral ceilings, walk-in closets, a dream kitchen, a three-car garage....?
Lastly, there is the physical location. Is it close to a freeway, shopping center or a school? What is the neighborhood like? Are the houses close together or is there space between them? Are they set back from the street, or 10 feet from the curb? How is the town positioned in relationship to larger cities? The seacoast? Satellite imagery for your video is readily available and can help position the home within the community.
As a realtor, you know buyers look for all of these things in a piece of real estate. You'll want your video tour to answer these questions.
Begin with the Exterior
Start by shooting the property with a wide, establishing shot. Position your video camera across the street from the home to get a nice wide shot. This establishing shot provides the buyer with a "first impression", as well as giving them a perspective as to the lot, the position of the home on the lot and the general lay of the land. To make the shot as flattering as possible, try shooting on a nice, sunny day. A grey, overcast day sets the scene for a horror movie, not a home tour.
Remember that real estate is by its very nature three dimensional, and you are not taking still photos of the home. Homes have four sides, so it's always helpful to try and show all four sides of the home, which is easy to do. When you shoot your establishing wide shot, shoot from an angle to include two sides of the home as opposed to the flat front.
Of course, the backyard is especially important, because it can't usually be seen from the street, yet they are almost like a room within the house because a family may want to spend a lot of their time in the backyard.
If the home has special exterior features, such as a deck, patio, hot tub or solar panels for power, be sure to include them as well. You might choose to focus on them in detail a little later, but by showing them up front you can pique your viewer's interest. Remember to only focus on amenities that are actually included in the sale of the home, such as hot tubs, elaborate children's swing sets and play areas, etc.
Inside the Home
As far as interior amenities, you need to be sure to give buyers what they want! Show them the obvious rooms. Bathrooms are a given and difficult to film sometimes, but in the case of an opulent or large bathroom, it's a selling point and you need to be sure to at least show a glimpse. A basic half bath is a toilet and a sink - not always necessary or easy to film. It goes without saying to make sure the toilet seat is CLOSED!
Use wide shots, close-ups and camera movements to create a sense of space for your viewer. A slow pan of each room will establish the big picture, allowing the buyer to get a feel and sense of the size and shape of a room, and walking THROUGH the rooms shows how it may relate to other adjacent rooms.
It's important to include certain elements in your shots for perspective. Of course, furniture always helps with a spacial reference in a room, but these days many homes are vacant - then what? Shooting slightly down so the viewer can see the contrast between the walls and the floors, doors, closets, etc. help to give a sense of the size of an empty room. Just showing walls straight on tends to blend into one big beige hole with no clue as to the actual size. Sometimes including a person in the room offers perspective as well. Maybe show the agent walking across the room and opening a closet door or a window?
Some amenities are worth focusing on with a little more detail, such as fireplaces, hardwood floors, upscale appliances, wine coolers, elegant granite countertops, columns, cathedral ceilings, skylights, details in hardwood floors, etc are highlights that demand additional attention, and should be pointed out whenever possible. For example, shoot a wide shot of a dining room, followed by a close-up of the leaded stained glass window. By actually walking around through the house, you give the viewer and actual "feel" for the layout of the home, just as if they were personally touring the house. Of course, you MUST have a wide angle lens on your camera or all you will be focusing on are furniture pieces, not the actual room. Buyers aren't buying furniture!
Location, Location, Location
We know this is hugely important in real estate. Is the street wooded with mature trees lining the streets? Is there conservation land and a river behind the home? Can you see a view of the city skyline from the master bedroom window? These need to not only be shown, but highlighted to the buyer, as these are major selling points for this particular location.
By showing the immediate area, the viewer gets a feeling for the neighborhood as well. Maybe there's a convenience store on the corner? A train stop down the street? Is it located on a quaint side street or a busy main street? Whether it's a selling point or a negative, it IS a reality, and that's what people want to see. That busy main street will NOT magically change into an idyllic side street just because you visit the home in person.
A real estate video tour tells a story. A story of the home and the benefits of LIVING in that home and the lifestyle it can provide. But buyers don't just buy a home, they buy a community, so you need to tell a story of the community as well! If time allows, I always like to include 30-45 seconds of community shots... schools, parks, the downtown area, shopping districts. For buyers relocating from another area, this is extremely important as Wichita, KS looks very different from Dallas TX or Beacon Hill in Boston. You want viewers to get a sense of 'knowing the neighborhood", regardless of whether they currently live there or have never visited. It makes the buyer vicariously feel like part of the community, which ultimately, is a big part of what they're buying when purchasing a new home.
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Fabulous.
I didn't get any audio. Was there audio?
I hate sound coming out of my computer but I unmuted to see this. Nothing.