At a time where people are a bit more conservative in spending time outside, one option to consider for real estate companies and developers is creating a virtual walkthrough for potential home owners. This real estate brands a good pivot in terms of digital marketing, as well as gives clients a good idea of what the property is about beyond photos, which enhances the experience prior to a future onsite visit.

I was commissioned by Metro Star Realty and we produced a virtual real estate tour with a host. The purpose was to guide the viewers into the house as if they were actually getting toured around. This gets the clients immersed, which remotely creates a good sense of what they could potentially own.

You may also view the video on Facebook.

During the creation of this video, it’s worth noting a couple of factors to be mindful of:

HOST
While a walkthrough without a host is more than enough, featuring a host that could very well represent the property, development, or the market is definitely an upgrade. It not only gives the video a more personal approach, but also creates a sense of warmth for those who are viewing the tour.

SCRIPT
Be sure to have a script prepared prior to the shoot. Having it way beyond the shoot date helps the host prepare and visualize the walkthrough by heart, even without being there. This helps the host adjust more efficiently upon arrival on the property. Should a script be unavailable beforehand, a prompter, by simple means of a tablet could help the host onsite.

AUDIO
It should be noted that the audio, especially of the host’s, needs to be clean and free of noise for a good auditory experience all throughout the video. Good visuals need to be accompanied by good sounds. I used, and would recommend, this Saramonic lavalier microphone set.

DETAILS
Both exterior and interior details matter. Be sure to be mindful of the way things are finished up, making sure there are no unwanted dirt, smudges, or any type of clutter which may become an eyesore.

FURNISHING
Whether the property is furnished or unfurnished is something you should play with. It’s either filled with furniture you should use to emphasize the space, or it’s an empty playing field where you need to make good use of great camera movement.

LIGHTING
An illuminated home is an ideal warm home. It’s ideal to use the lighting fixtures within the home if available, but be sure to bring extra lights and reflectors, just in case you need them – even if it’s as small as the Aputure AL-M9, which I used for the bathroom.

WEATHER
It might be overlooked but weather plays an important part here. Needless to say, it needs to not rain during the day of the shoot, so be sure to check the forecast. Further in, both a sunny and a cloudy day can contribute a good role in enhancing your shot.

Hopefully these tips could help both the production side as well as clients in getting better insight on how they could help each other in creating a better walkthrough video.

As always, have fun with the shoot!