Knowing how to make a real estate video tour in 2020 is, as most of us know, a must. Take a look at real estate video marketing statistics from 2019 if you need proof. But, in today’s market, knowing the how is only part of the battle. You need to create a video that stands out and makes your target audiences take notice. 

You may be thinking, “Sounds great. But you know how much apartment videos cost, right?” It can be expensive, sure. Especially if you hire a pricey agency. But it doesn’t have to be. You can create something great and stay in your budget with ease. 

While most multifamily professionals know that a video tour is necessary, they aren’t all equipped to find success with apartment videos for marketing or leasing. So what exactly do leasing professionals that are finding success with video have in common? What are they doing differently to stand out? 

Do the Prep Work 

Fail to plan and you plan to fail. That old adage stands true here. It’s true for nearly all forms of marketing and it’s definitely true for multifamily video marketing. The first thing you need to do is plan how to shoot a real estate video. That means everything from ensuring you have the right video leasing platform to the right equipment and key video tips as well. Is there something going on in the community that day that you’ll want to avoid? Or, conversely, want to capture? How are going walking through each unit to showcase it best?

We also recommend planning for how you’ll use the video to market and lease your property appropriately. It’s not nearly as hard as it seems and we have plenty of resources to guide this specific step. Just remember that some forethought here will save you so much time and a headache later on.  

Know How You’ll Record

Not surprisingly, one of the most important parts of how to make a video tour that stands out is the actual recording. Consider taking a real estate videography course, there are plenty available online. Some are even free! Or look at free real estate video templates. You can learn the basics about real estate video editing and real estate video settings that will make your videos shine.

While it’s no longer necessary to purchase the highest quality camera and lenses, there is some basic equipment that can significantly help take the quality of your apartment videos to the next level. If you’re curious about equipment, check out our post about what equipment is good to have. It includes things like anti-shake devices, wide angle lenses, a microphone and more. All of these things will create a better, higher quality video without taking away from the authenticity. But, we definitely don’t want to give anyone watching motion sickness or distract with bad editing. 

Create Good and Useful Content 

It may go without saying, but in the world of creative, self-shot videos, make sure your content is engaging and interesting. While a walk through tour or overview of the community is fine on it’s own, don’t be afraid to get creative with your apartment videos. This doesn’t mean you need to script a full feature film or comedy, but think about having your residents or team get involved to add a human element and let the personality of your community shine through. Consider highlighting members of the staff that residents will engage with regularly. There is certainly no shortage of good real estate video ideas, especially funny real estate video ideas too. So, keep an eye on real estate video trends and make sure your content stays fresh and interesting. 

Think About Social Sharing 

There are so many ways to record and share your real estate videos for Facebook or Instagram or YouTube. Multifamily apartment videos for marketing can get a lot organic traction on social media for little to no cost. Don’t believe us? Scroll Facebook for 10 seconds and you’ll very quickly see exactly what makes up the majority of most timelines on social media these days — self-shot, DIY videos. It’s what consumers are used to seeing and is how they look to engage with brands. And that includes your multifamily community! Social media allows you and your team to get the word out about your community in a way that gets views. In terms of real estate video marketing ideas, it doesn’t get any better than that. Do-it-yourself, affordable, authentic, and placed where consumers are aggregating to engage with exactly what you are putting out there.

Don’t just focus on the pre-recorded though. Social media platforms offer various live features that can also mean hosting live videos to engage with prospective residents as well. Traditional real estate video marketing services would charge an arm and a leg for that sort of thing. So, if you’re looking for how to make a real estate video tour that will have legs, make sure to share and engage on social media! 

Offer It Live 

One of the best tips for how to make real estate videos stand out from the crowd? Make sure you can give a live video tour option. You can hire a high end real estate video marketing agency or buy real estate video packages. But, will that get your prospective residents what they really want? Probably not. Today’s prospects want to see a real, authentic view of their potential new home. The best way to show that, and to personalize the video to their needs, is to offer a live virtual tour.

With a real estate video platform like Realync, you can walk a prospect through the property and host the entire live video tour using nothing more than an iPhone or iPad. You’ll be able to personalize the video to each individual prospect’s needs and answer questions on the spot. What that doesn’t mean, however, is skipping all the above steps! Make sure you’re still prepping, planning, and recording accordingly. 

Ready to start prepping, planning, and recording? Let’s get started.


This may all seem like a lot to keep straight. But, it doesn’t have to be. Using a proper video leasing software like Realync that is built for multifamily touring can make all of this a much easier process. Not only can you have all the equipment you need with just an iPhone, but you can host live video, save and share recorded videos quickly and easily, and, most importantly, track it all to ensure that you get those leases signed.

So, how to make a real estate video tour that will stand out from the crowd? Use Realync!

Until next time…keep it real!