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How Do I Make a Virtual Tour of an Apartment?

To become an expert virtual tour creator, you need to choose a virtual tour software that’s easy to use and produces quality videos. Next, you’ll want to ensure you stage the unit and check that the lighting is good in the unit. Pro tip: Open the curtains to get more natural light. Lastly, use a stabilizer or wide-angle lens, so you’re video doesn’t turn out shaky!

Continue reading below to learn more about apartment video tours. If you found this information helpful, subscribe to the Realync newsletter to learn more!

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Apartment Video Tours

If a picture tells a thousand words, just imagine what an apartment video tour can do. Research suggests that while a picture is worth a thousand words, video is actually worth 1.8 MILLION words. Add to it, that today’s consumers love videos and you have a recipe for success for your multifamily community. Consumers are more savvy than ever before and expect to view their future purchases through online—and desire to do so via videos. And those purchases that they’re looking to view online includes the apartments that they are searching for. Thanks to today’s technology, searching for apartments for rent online has never been easier. Getting to actually tour and experience those properties though is a different story. A lot of the multifamily industry still pushes for or even mandates in person touring in order for consumers to see their exact unit. Are video tours part of your online marketing plan? If not, keep reading!

While in person tours will always be the preferred means of interacting with a prospective resident to showcase your community, get to know the prospect, and show them their potential future home, it can also be one of the biggest inhibitors to getting a deal done and lease signed. Today’s consumer is searching online for your space and wants to find/interact with as much content and information as possible on their own before having to interact with a leasing professional. Video tours have become the perfect rich media means of providing unit specific, floor plan specific, and amenity specific tours for prospective residents. Quick, DIY multifamily videos are all that are required to effectively streamline your apartment touring process.

Nothing is making DIY video for onsite leasing and property management professionals than Realync. Realync is multifamily’s only Fair Housing compliant video leasing and engagement platform that allows multifamily professionals to easily create and edit videos of their properties and instantly make them available for sharing, all from just their iPhone or iPad. All you need to create, host, and share these Realync video tour experiences is what is in your purse or pocket at all times. There really are no barriers to making video tours a part of your apartment leasing or marketing strategies with Realync.

Apartment Tour Video

Creating a quality apartment tour video using your mobile device is easier and more effective than you might think.

Today’s consumer is suspicious of professionally taken videos that are too highly produced and may be covering up for flaws or problems in the apartment. The type of content that is working and winning with today’s consumer is the self-produced, DIY video that shows the space as it really is. It instills trust and transparency into the process where other rich media like 3D tours or the highly produced production videos simply don’t instill the same level of trust.

While it is literally as easy as pulling out your iPhone or iPad and hitting record (or opening the Realync app then hitting record), there are definitely some key things that you can do to take your unit and floor plan tours to the next level and ensure they still do look very good. Here are 10 tips for creating a property video tour that makes it look good while keeping it real:

  1. Planning: first walk through the apartment and to familiarize yourself with all the rooms, the lighting, the corners, etc. You may think you know all of this at your community, but mapping out your path for recording will help make it an easy recording process.
  2. Stage the Space: we’re not talking about furniture here. Some simple things need to happen before you hit record. Turn on all of the lights. Ensure the toilet seat is down. Pick up any trash or debris. Open all blinds on the windows. Turn on ceiling fans if you have them. Make sure the space is looking its best whether vacant or staged with furniture.
  3. Record in Clips: This is one of our absolute top tips when creating apartment tour videos! Do not record one long continuously clip of you walking through the space in one take. Break up your recording into individual video clips going room by room by room. This eliminates the in between walking and an unnecessary amount of panning. It also allows you to pick your pan point and simply stand & pan for a shot of a room versus having to walk through it. Standing and panning slowly will always look better, be more focused, and help your prospect see the entire space in that one shot. Once you have all of your clips, you will need to edit the clips together. That is a cinch with the Realync platform and allows you to do it instantly right on your phone or tablet.
  4. Start at the Front Door: When it comes to your first clip, start outside at the front door. Stand outside the apartment door and start the video showing the front door and unit number. Then continue to walk slowly inside. This will give the viewer an idea of how it will look when they enter their apartment. End video clip.
  5. Living Room: Find a corner of the living room that allows you to pan left to right or right to left to show the size of the room. Make sure you record the front door, so the viewer can see the room from another view than when they first entered. If you record facing an exterior window, you may get lens flare, so maybe try to keep all-natural light from doors and windows behind you when shooting. End video clip.
  6. Dining Room: Start the clip from a corner of the dining room. Pan left to right, then slowly walk or pan toward the kitchen. We say “slowly” anytime we mention panning. It may seem like you’re panning slowly, but go even slower. Trust us…it’ll come through on video better that way. End video clip.
  7. Kitchen: Start recording from a location that shows the entire kitchen. Slowly walk or pan into the kitchen, showcasing special features, like an island with seating, expansive countertops, backsplash, beautiful light fixtures, dishwasher, and storage. If there is a pantry or other cabinet space, open the doors prior to recording so viewers can see inside. While panning through the kitchen, don’t be afraid to do a slow downward and upward pan to show lower areas and cabinets as well. End video clip.
  8. Hallways Leading to Other Rooms: While we recommend trying to minimize walking when recording, it is good to still show transition areas throughout the unit in order for people to be able to understand the overall flow and progression from one space to the next. Start the video by showing a space that is already recorded to orient the viewer (the living room for example), then progressively pan / walk from that space through the hallway towards the next room that you will be recording. End video clip.
  9. Bathrooms: Start the video outside the open bathroom door and slowly pan across the space showcasing the vanity, sink(s), mirror(s) and cabinet space. Then pan to the shower, tub, and toilet showing any special details like tile, shelving, windows, etc. End video clip. You really have two options when it comes to catching your reflection in the mirror. First, you can start your shot low to avoid reflections then slowly pan to the right or left while rising upwards with your shot, think a diagonal upward pan. Depending on the position of the mirror and bathroom layout, this can be very effective for not capturing your reflection. If it’s really not possible, then just own the shot. Smile and wave and keep on panning to showcase the space. This is a real, authentic tour, so own it and keep on touring.
  10. Bedrooms: Start the video from a corner of the bedroom and pan left to right or right to left. Showcase any special details like a walk-in closet, elaborate windows, great views, ceiling fans, sitting area, etc. If the room is near the bathroom or has an ensuite master bath, pan towards the bathroom end that clip, then showcase the bathroom in the style mentioned above. Have an individual clip or two showcasing the closet space as well since that is something most people care a lot about. Open the doors to the closet and capture the space the best that you can. End bedroom clips.
  11. Patio/Balcony: Even if the view from the patio or balcony is not spectacular, it is still something prospects will want to see. Make the most of it and shoot this video clip during the day to take advantage of the natural light. Start outside the door and pan over the balcony/patio space itself to show how big it is and what all could fit on it, then slowly pan across the view to showcase what the prospect will see while enjoying their outdoor space. End video clip.

If you’d like to learn more about video tips, tricks, and best practices, check out this video and toolkit put together by the team at Realync!

Apartment Advertising Video

Videos rule in any marketing plan, that includes the real estate industry.

While billboards and 2D public apartment advertisement efforts may have worked for some time and may still work in certain markets, today’s consumers are not only savvier than ever, but are bombarded with more ads, content, and information than ever before. Your apartment hunter is looking for you online, so creating a flat advertisement video is an absolute best practice and recommended to effectively share your message.

Did you know that websites that include video are 57 percent more likely to appear higher in search results? Meaning more prospective residents will find you! And when they find you, your micro apartment advertisement videos are the easiest way to convey the message that you are looking to get across. Studies show that viewers retain 95% of a message when consumed via video versus just 10% via text. So if you are looking to get eyes to your website, then get your message to stick, then video is for you. One more fun stat for you—the average visitor to a website only stays for 48 seconds, but when a video is included on their website, that time on site increases to more than five minutes. That is more than 10X the time that you have to engage and communicate with prospective residents on your community website solely because of video.

When it comes to using video to drive engagement and drive traffic to your community websites, it can be most effective to create multifamily video ads on social media and prominent websites where you know your prospective residents are visiting. On social media in particular, posts and ads with videos get shared 1200% more than text and photos combined. Posts with video get 48% more views than posts without as well. If you aren’t using video advertisement for your multifamily community, you may be missing out on reaching and converting a very large segment of your target audience online. In today’s world, the key is breaking through the noise with the type of content that consumers are searching for and engaging with. And right now—it’s video! If you need more inspiration, do some research to find apartment advertising ideas, apartment ads examples, and apartment complex ads that seem compelling to you and your buyer, and then consider how you can apply video to those ideas.

Best Apartment Videos

We keep it real at Realync. Our company’s number one core value is that real is what life is all about and that bleeds through everything we do — from providing a real-time touring platform to focusing on real estate and being real and transparent in all we do. Our platform allows onsite teams at multifamily communities to create some of the best apartment videos on their own simply by using their mobile device. The result? Authentic video tours that can be viewed at your prospect’s convenience.

The best apartment video tours today don’t require fancy, expensive cameras, camera crews or camera equipment. Using the Realync app on a mobile device, you can host clean, professional tours connecting with prospective residents in real-time. It’s just the leasing agent in the driver’s seat and prospective residents along for a personalized journey.

So what makes a DIY video great? Here are some tips to making the best apartment tour videos on your own:

  1. Get a Gimbal: This simple tool keeps your video slow and steady, and your video smooth. When you walk and move around with your mobile device in your hand, the footage can be shaky. An anti-shake gimbal is designed to help you keep your phone, and therefore the camera, steady creating a smoother video experience. Simply attach your phone to the gimbal and it will stabilize the camera as you walk.
  2. Get a Wide Angle Lens: The lenses of old would fisheye the view and make it look distorted at the detriment of the actual experience. Today’s wide-angle lenses are drastically improved and can open up the viewing area while recording exponentially. An add-on lens will help capture the area you are recording and minimize the need for additional panning. Highly recommended.
  3. Shoot in Landscape: To get the best video footage, always capture videos in the landscape or horizontal position. Not only does it literally show more real estate, but if you look at the majority of devices that your video will be viewed on (smartphones, laptops, tvs, etc.), the best orientation to fill the biggest portion of the screen is landscape.
  4. Consider a Microphone: If you’ll be speaking while recording your apartment video tour, consider purchasing a microphone that can work in conjunction with your mobile device. While the audio won’t be bad simply using your iPhone or iPad, a simple boom mic or lavalier mic can exponentially amplify your voice and improve the audio for your video. Even if you aren’t speaking while recording, a microphone will also help your voice over should you add one when editing your recorded clips together.
  5. Shoot In Natural Light: The best apartment videos are taken during the day. Even with the natural light from windows or doors shining in though, turn on the lights throughout your space. The whole point of your video is to showcase your apartment community in its best light, but that’s not possible if people can’t see the space they’re touring. One small tip, try to keep windows and natural light behind you while recording to avoid lens flare and help the camera to best focus on your space.
  6. Edit Clips Together: Instead of taking one continuous video, take short clips of each room and then using Realync software, edit them together for an authentic apartment video tour.

Interior Design Videos

Apartment tour videos aren’t just limited to units. You can use your DIY videos (created on Realync) to also highlight the wonderful features, designs, and amenities of your community as well to help viewers picture themselves in the space.

There are many online examples of how to decorate and stage an apartment, but remember, your video tour isn’t supposed to be like an Ikea video full of furniture and home accents, it is a video to encourage the viewer to visualize their things in the space and make them want to live there.

If you are looking to showcase the interior designs and amenities of your community, keep in mind these tips to creating your apartment interior design video, using Realync software:

  1. Make sure the apartment is clean. Remove all furniture, vacuum the floors, wash the windows, etc. There’s no beating the fresh vacuum lines in the carpet!
  2. While you may think the main focus is showcasing the furnishings, design, and amenities, always start your apartment design videos from the front entrance of the unit or amenity space and slowly walk into the space for your first shot.
  3. Take your time while recording. You may feel like doing simple pans through the space, but don’t be afraid to get artistic with your shots. Adding a slow rise or fall to your shot, or flowing past a decorative centerpiece on the table is a great way of showcasing the key features within your space. Make sure that you’re focusing on what is truly different about your space—oversized windows, ornate fireplace, granite and tile, large closet space, garage, patio, deck, landscaping, etc. As you record these features, you can also include deeper descriptions in the audio so the viewer can hear and see what the apartment’s key design elements are like.
  4. Audio isn’t your only option for calling out features—make use of captions in your videos! When creating your video, keep in mind that you can place creative callouts on the videos as well to showcase key design elements and features. Pay special attention to your font colors though to ensure that your captions can easily be read.

Apartment Video Quotes and Sayings

One of the biggest things to keep in mind when creating your own DIY apartment video tours is to let your teams’ personality and community’s personality shine through. Don’t create stagnant videos that don’t actually portray what it would actually be like to live in your community.

Personalization in multifamily leasing is important and what you say in your videos is an excellent way to make your apartment tour shine. Prospective residents want an experience when apartment hunting and the experience that they want is a real one. As you can see in the most effective apartment complex marketing ideas, you should let your personality shine through and maybe consider adding some catchy, fun apartment quotes and sayings in your apartment tour videos:

  • Modern Living in the Heart of the City
  • Ready for Move-In. Ready for You.
  • Spectacular Views, Convenient Location
  • Spaciousness at Every Turn
  • The Lifestyle You Want and Deserve
  • Convenient, Luxurious Living
  • Where Convenience Meets Luxury
  • Everything You Need and More
  • Love Where You Live
  • Location, Community, Quality Living. It Starts Here!

While you may think some of those sayings are corny, it’s important to think through your video tour copy before you start recording and consider changing up your slogans and sayings from season to season. Consider apartment slogans for fall for example, specifically when the season comes around.

Why Apartment Video Tours Matter

We’ve run through a lot of various tips, tricks, best practices, reasonings, and more for why your onsite teams at apartment communities should strongly be considering and using do-it-yourself video.

Whether it’s for apartment marketing, apartment leasing, resident engagement, apartment maintenance, or more, video can be your team’s best friend and streamline processes that have stayed stagnant for decades.

Think outside of the box, pick up your phone or tablet, and get recording. It really is that easy!

If you’d like to learn more about multifamily apartment video tours and the Realync video leasing solution, contact sales@realync.com today! Our team has made video an enterprise strategy for apartment communities all around the world and is excited to share what video can do for you.

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    Speed Up Lease Up

    by providing construction updates and showcase your space without having to do hard hat tours.

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    PRE-LEASE OCCUPIED UNITS

    by ‘showing’ them without having to physically tour the space by sending pre-recorded videos.

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    CONVERT A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF YOUR LEADS INTO LEASES

    when you receive notifications when prospects are viewing videos to cater your follow up.

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    SPEND LESS TIME TO CLOSE EACH LEASE

    by removing roadblocks and barriers in the leasing process.

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    INCREASE SIGHT-UNSEEN LEASING

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Improve Community Engagement

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    PROMOTE YOUR PROGRAMS BETTER

    via pre-recorded videos by linking via social media or internal apps.

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    DECREASE MAINTENANCE REQUESTS

    by creating maintenance videos.

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    REINFORCE COMMUNITY RULES

    by receiving notifications when residents are viewing videos to know who has seen a message and who hasn’t.

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    REDUCE REPETITIVE QUESTIONS

    because consumers retain 10% of a message when reading it via text, but 90% of a message when viewed in a video.

More Than Software

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    with one set, standardized process and platform.

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