How to film a listing video tour on your phone
A good listing video is short, starts with the price and the best feature, and moves through the home one room at a time. Here is how to plan it, say it and film it in one visit.
Step by step: record part by part
- Split the script with # lines. Start a line with # to begin a section: # Hook, # Tip, # Call to action. Under More, choose By section.
- Record one section at a time. ClippCut records the first section and stops at its end. Fluffed a line? Redo just that section; the others stay as they are.
- Review them as one video. Review plays the sections back to back as a single video, with captions running across them. Save it as one MP4.
Plan before you film
- Pick the one feature buyers will remember: the kitchen, the yard, the view. It goes right after the hook.
- Choose four or five rooms, not all of them. A 60-second video has room for about one sentence per room.
- Walk the route once without the camera, so you know where you'll stand and which way the light falls.
- Turn on every light and open every blind. Phones handle bright rooms far better than dim ones.
What to say
Start with the place, the size and the price in the first two seconds: “Just listed in Oak Park: three bedrooms, two baths, $425,000.” Then show the best feature, walk through the rooms with one specific detail each, give the square footage and recent updates, and finish with how to book a showing. The new listing script follows this order with blanks for your details.
Describe the home, not the people you imagine living there. “Fenced backyard” and “walk to the park” are facts; who the home is “perfect for” can run into fair housing rules. See the fair housing checklist.
Film it room by room
- Load the script in ClippCut and choose By section. Each # heading (Hook, Best feature, Walk-through, Details, Call to action) becomes its own take.
- Hold the phone at chest height, or use a gimbal. Keep the prompter strip short so your eyes stay near the lens.
- Record the hook at the front door. ClippCut stops when you reach the last word of the section, so you can walk to the next room.
- Stumbled? Redo only that section. When every part is done, Review plays them as one video.
Before you post
- Check that the address and price in the captions match the listing.
- Say or show your name and brokerage. Many states require the brokerage in advertising.
- Get the sellers' OK, and leave out anything personal: family photos, mail, the alarm panel, valuables.
- Save 9:16 for Reels, TikTok and Shorts, and 16:9 for YouTube and the listing page (every shape from one take is Pro).
Questions
How long should a listing video be?
For Reels, TikTok and Shorts, 30 to 60 seconds. A longer walk-through of two to five minutes suits YouTube or the listing page. Record the long version by section and use the best parts for the short one.
Should I be in the video or just film the house?
Being on camera for the hook and the call to action builds trust and makes the video yours. In the rooms, you can turn the camera around and talk over the footage.
Do I need a gimbal?
No, but it helps for walking shots. Moving slowly and holding the phone with both hands close to your body works well too.
Last updated .