Recommendations For A Winning Cinematic Video Tour For Real Estate During Covid-19 Pandemic

1. First and foremost: base all your video planning on the idea that it needs to be in-depth and cover all key aspects of the home. The goal is for the video tour to replace or delay the need for in-person showings. 
2. Write out a script (in advance of your shoot date) that carefully details all features of the home, to serve as a virtual tour guide, taking the viewer by the hand leading them through the home.
3. Make sure your script calls out the best and most attractive selling features of the home within the 1st minute of reading (calculate your timing by actually reading the script out loud). You want to win a buyer's interest as quickly as possible. Features worth mentioning could be anything from the brand name appliances, the upgraded crown moulding, to the brand new hot water heater. Reminder, the goal here is to replace or delay the need to see the property in person.
4. Send your videographer your script in advance so they are prepared. Ask that they pay extra close attention to the details while shooting the property. Have them capture the details mentioned in your script with a tight lens - not the wide angle lens they use for the general room shots (which are still important, by the way, for establishing context). Yes, if the new hot water tank was worth mentioning in your script, it should also appear in your video briefly.
5. Don't be afraid of letting your video run a total of 3-5 mins long. In normal times (pre Covid-19 that is) the average length of video someone would watch on the internet was around 1 min long (or 1.5 mins max). People typically lose interest by 1.5 mins. However, as people have more time on their hands at home these days, the running length is not as great of a concern. This point especially rings true if we are still talking about the comparison between Matterport. Can you tour a 3 storey home on Matterport fully in 1 minute? No, but with video, you can show all the important features of a 3 storey home in 1 minute.

My Home Viewer shoots cinematic video tours for real estate agents across Southern Ontario. Normally a members only booking company, they are now open for bookings publicly in an effort to help as many realtors as possible during the Covid-19 pandemic.

To make a cinematic video tour booking, visit: www.myhomeviewer.com or contact: info@myhomeviewer.com and be sure to ask about the "extended shooting coverage" upgrade for in-depth videos as per this article!