Video is no longer the future for real estate – it is the NOW for real estate. If video isn’t a regular part of the marketing plan for your multifamily community, you are already behind and risk being completely lost in the shuffle. 

It’s true that video can be intimidating, just like anything new. But at the same time, is video really that new? People should have a baseline understanding of what it takes to record a video and understand how that video can be used for their multifamily needs. Many leasing agents still do feel ill-equipped to showcase their properties using just a mobile device though. If you haven’t made the leap to video yet, it is time to jump on the video wagon and can do so with just a few tips and tricks that will help any multifamily property stand out from the crowd.

  1. Don’t let fear or insecurity get in the way

Many multifamily marketers before have let the idea that they have to be a “professional” videographer stand in the way of video being an asset for them and their communities. Well, STOP DOING THAT. Trying new things can, of course, be a little unnerving. But keep in mind, Steven Spielberg dropped out of college. And he’s one of the best videographers (directors) out there – even without traditional education. Obviously, creating videos for your multifamily community and directing the next blockbuster are a litttttle different. But the point is that professional training isn’t necessary to find success using videos for multifamily leasing and resident engagement purposes. Progress is better than perfection. Staying at it, and learning as you go is all that’s needed. Practice will make perfect, but only by jumping in and doing it.

  1. Keep it real and personal

To layer onto the prior point about not needing to be a professional, today’s audiences neither need, nor want, a video produced to perfection. Take a look at the highly sought after Millennial and Gen Z generations. Millennials prefer brands that champion transparency and share their values. Gen Z takes it even further – they value real over anything else and hate photoshopped or misleading ads, posts, or content. Small mistakes like accidentally catching yourself on camera in a mirror are completely acceptable. Own it and wave to the camera! Viewers want to see your team’s personality come through, so let it. Nothing is more genuine or real than that. Also, don’t worry about slight shake or only being able to do minimal editing. Again, today’s prospective residents will value the realness of it over too much polish and perfection. That realness and genuine quality is critical to instill trust and transparency into a potentially overwhelming process. In return, these demographics will open up to your teams like never before. 75% Millennials and Gen Z are willing to share personal information in exchange for a personalized experience

  1. Show more real estate

Pun intended. When creating a video, no matter what its purpose, make sure to record it in landscape mode. This quite literally shows more real estate. It really is as simple as turning your device sideways. Look at any screen out there. Theater screens — landscape. TVs — landscape. Computer screens — landscape. Even with smartphones, if you see someone watching a video, they most likely will be hold their phone sideways to watch it. Filming in portrait mode will not only limit how much of the room you can showcase without panning, but you also run the risk of making the space look smaller. On top of that, if someone is watching your portrait-shot video on a computer or larger screen, it will be a tiny video filling just the center 20% of the screen instead of filling the entire space. Click through the below images to see just how powerful filming in landscape vs portrait (and maybe even adding a wide angle lens) can be: 

RE_Portrait

Portrait Mode

RE_landscape

Landscape Mode

RE_lens

Landscape + Wide Angle Lens

RE_view portrait

Portrait Mode Viewing on a Computer

RE_view landscape

Landscape Mode Viewing on a Computer

  1.     Keep it interesting

Be honest with yourself… would simply walking through your property recording one long video without any additional captions, commentary, or music really capture your interest and instill excitement about the property? Video is one of the best ways to communicate a message and engage with prospective residents. Use it as such! Convey messages. Get creative with how you showcase your community and amenities and what it would be like to live there. Don’t be shy about adding some royalty free music to the background or speaking to your viewer while recording the video. Nearly everyone hates to hear a recording of your own voice, but that’s one of those things that it is what it is. Prospective residents will hear your voice over the phone or in person anyways, so be yourself and let your personality shine through. Use vocal commentary to point out special features or explain why something is the way it is. Want to get really personalized? Create a video calling out your prospect by name and personalizing it to them. Talk about differentiated level of service! 

  1. Invest in your videos

Shooting quality videos today literally requires nothing more than a smartphone or tablet. It is as easy as tap and go. And while genuine, real, transparent video is highly desired by today’s renters, there are still things you can do to provide the highest quality real experience possible. By having a higher quality video, your prospective residents will be able to focus on the property rather than the video itself. How do you achieve this next level of video quality? First, invest in a solution that gives your team a shared platform for recording, editing, storing, and sharing their video content. Having videos produced on personal devices does not do anyone any good. They’re saved locally, hard to share, and unedited. Obviously, Realync comes to mind as a cloud-based solution that delivers just that (and so much more). Next, check out some affordable add-ons for your smartphone or tablet that can truly take your videos to the next level. These are much easier and more affordable than you may think. Wide angle lenses, anti-shake gimbals, and plugin microphones are completely within reach for anyone these days. We cover all of those and provide our insight on the best ones to pursue in depth here.


Still uneasy? That’s good! Consider it pre-show or pre-game jitters. It means you take your job seriously and want to do it well. Take these tips and tricks to heart, practice, and be ok stumbling a little. You’re not going to be producing feature-length films, you’re showcasing your community to someone that may want to live there. Be real, be yourself, and it will work out!

While the above tips and tricks are great for setting a foundation and getting started with video, we’ve put together some best practices for tactically how to best showcase and record a video of your multifamily unit. You can check out that video from Rachel and the Realync team here: watch now!