Time and again, we have shared how important video is to multifamily marketing and leasing efforts — even resident engagement. It is one of the most effective and easiest ways to draw in qualified leads, convert said leads, and keep them happy as residents. But, for many leasing and marketing teams, a large video production budget just isn’t in the cards. And that is just fine because, in many cases, it may not be the best choice for reaching your target audience.
Just because genuine, real, transparent video is easy, affordable, and highly desired by today’s desired target audience of renters, there is still no reason not to provide the highest quality experience possible. With a few small additions and accessories, any multifamily professional can produce a quality video using nothing more than their smartphone or tablet that will resonate with prospective buyers and renters. Simply having the right accessories on hand can make a world of difference in raising the bar on the quality of video.
We have shared a list of simple add-ons for iPhones or iPads before that can help take videos to the next level. Technology continues to innovate, grow and change though. The good news is that Realync understands that and have yet to stop testing new devices for you and your teams! The results of those tests? An updated list of new favorites to enjoy! Here are our latest favorites:
Anti-shake Gimbal
Stabilizing your mobile device when recording a video can be the difference between an amazing video and sub-par footage. People are simply incapable of being perfectly still and smooth when recording without any assistance and video will always pick that up. The good news is that new, battery operated anti-shake gimbals are designed to fix just that. These mounts produce production-quality anti-shake and can rocket the quality of your videos to the next level. These pieces are truly a must have for creating polished videos on your own.
Even with new products hitting the market, our favorite is still the Zhiyun-Tech Smooth-Q. It still stands as the smoothest, easiest to operate, and has proven to have the best longevity for us, as well as the best price on the market. It’s designed specifically for smartphones only though. We unfortunately have yet to find an even halfway affordable option for a gimbal that works with iPads. But the hunt continues! Stay tuned.
Wide Angle Lens
When filming any real estate, truly capturing the space and showcasing the full dimensions and flow can be an extremely important factor for prospective renters and buyers. To get the full look and feel, a wide angle lens is necessary. Our loyalty has been with the Olloclip for a while, BUT, just like LeBron jumping from Cleveland to LA, we are jumping to a new team when it comes to lenses. The switch has been made from Olloclip to Pixter wide angle lenses.
Not only do the lenses have a much improved viewing area with zero bending or fisheye on the image, but they are also universal across any device because of the clip setup for the lens. Meaning, leasing agents can use it with any iPhone or iPad instead of needing a special lens for each one. Oh – and that means each model of iPhone as well. The only downside is that these lenses need to be shipped from Europe. The good news? Realync buys these in bulk for our enterprise clients, so let us know if your team is interested in one!
Microphone
What was that? Speak up a little bit. Unclear, distant, muffled or windblown audio has the potential to RUIN a video. And, unfortunately, the built in microphones on mobile devices just don’t cut it. The Realync belief on microphones continues to be, the simpler the better. External microphones will exponentially increase the quality of audio when creating videos with a mobile device, but they do not need to be expensive or fancy.
The iRig Lav Mic is the current favorite and is used here religiously. It’s simple, compact, captures quality audio, and plays well in conjunction with other accessories being used on a mobile device simultaneously. If you need to go with wireless for your filming, we have also had great success with the Samson Stage XPD1 Wireless Lav Mic. Not only is it one of the best prices on the market for a wireless lav mic, but with a simple USB to lightening converter, this works perfectly with any iPhone or iPad.
Protip – when using an anti-shake gimbal, be leery of the microphones that clip on to the phone as they can really throw off the weight distribution and balance, or get in the way of the gimbal. The two we noted above both work well in conjunction with the SmoothQ gimbal and have been extensively used in that setup.
If you are interested in or have any questions about any of the above equipment, reach out to sales@realync.com. We’re happy to provide our insights or put an order through for you. We are always looking to make multifamily video easier and better, so stay tuned for our next update to see if any of the above items change the next time around or if we continue to stay tried and true.
Until next time…keep it real!