Long gone are the days of advertising rentals with a set of photos and a short written description on Craigslist or Zillow. As social media has become so ingrained in our lives, landlords are turning to platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube to promote their rental properties with walkthrough videos.
Many landlords assume they need to hire a professional videographer and editor to film a decent walkthrough video of their rental. This isn’t the case. All you need is a smartphone and social media accounts where you’ll post the video.
The next question landlords have is whether taking the time to film a rental walkthrough is worth it. The answer is yes. Apartment listings that contain a walkthrough video get more page views than those with just photos and can decrease vacancy time. That’s a major win for landlords.
In this post, we’re walking you through exactly how to film and post a rental walkthrough video on major social media platforms. Follow this guide, and you’ll see vacancy rates drop, receive more high-quality tenant leads, and maximize your rental property’s ROI.
Pre-Production and Filming Essentials
You don’t need a professional camera setup to film a rental walkthrough video. Below is exactly how to prepare and film your video.
Set the Scene
When filming a rental walkthrough video, you want to showcase the property’s best features. Make sure the space is clean, well lit, and tidy. This is what will make people stop scrolling and watch the video through to the end.
Another tip is to make sure you create a smooth path to walk through the property while filming. This will ensure a seamless and engaging video while also showing potential tenants how spacious the layout can be.
Filming a Rental Walkthrough Video
You don’t need much to film a rental walkthrough video. All you’ll need is a phone that can record a video vertically (any iPhone or modern smartphone) in a 9:16 aspect ratio (the standard format for social media videos).
When filming, hold the phone steady at chest level and walk slowly through the property. Angle the camera to capture different areas of important rooms, such as the living room, kitchen, bathroom, and bedrooms.
If you want to make the video look more professional, you can use free editing apps like CapCut to add transitions, music, a voiceover, or text. This isn’t required, but it can be helpful.
Related: The Technologies Every LA Landlord Needs to Maximize Income
The “3-Point Walkthrough” Sequence
An effective format for a rental walkthrough video contains three points:
- Entryway: Start at the front door and walk into the entryway to give a natural sense of arriving home.
- Living Area and Kitchen: Move smoothly into the primary living spaces and the kitchen, focusing on the layout and appliances.
- Key Selling Points: End the video showcasing closet space, updated bathrooms, assigned parking spots, or outdoor spaces.
This walkthrough sequence provides viewers with a thorough overview of the property and its key features.
Writing Captions That Convert Views to Applications
While the walkthrough video does most of the heavy lifting, titles and captions are what will get viewers’ attention and communicate important information.
The “Skimmer-Friendly” Headline
On the very first line of your caption, put an easy-to-skim line containing the most important information about the property. It should include the location, rent, and number of bedrooms and bathrooms.
For example, you can use a format like this: For Rent in San Marino | 2 Bed/1 Bath | Parking | $2,750/mo
The Essential Specs Checklist
Under your headline, put a list of the property’s features and move-in information. It’s best to avoid dense paragraphs here, like you would write a rental description on listing websites.
An example of a specs checklist might look like this:
- 750 square feet
- September 1st move-in
- 1 Garage spot included
- Small pets allowed
- Updated energy-efficient appliances
- Washer/dryer included
- Central heating and AC
- 3 blocks from Metro Rail stop
In a simple list, viewers know exactly what the apartment offers that they cannot necessarily see from the video.
The Direct Call to Action (CTA)
The last piece of text to add to your caption is a direct call to action. This serves as instructions for viewers on how to inquire about the rental, schedule a showing, or request an application.
For example, a powerful CTA could be: Comment “TOUR” for more information. Then you can contact everyone who comments on the video (or set up automated responses, which we’ll explain later).
Platform-by-Platform Upload Guide
To get the most views on your rental walkthrough video, you’ll want to upload it to multiple social media platforms. Here’s exactly how to do that.
Instagram and Facebook Reels
To upload your rental walkthrough video to Instagram and Facebook Reels, follow these steps:
- Open Instagram
- Tap + and select Reel
- Upload your 30-60 second video
- Add a low-volume trending audio track and mute the original video
- Set a high-quality cover image, usually the kitchen or main living room, with a text overlay like Apartment Tour
- Add your caption and local hashtags such as #ApartmentHunting #ForRent
TikTok
To upload your rental walkthrough video to TikTok, follow these steps:
- Open TikTok
- Tap + and select Upload
- Add on-screen text overlays highlighting the property’s features and specs
- Use the voiceover tool to narrate features as you walk through the unit (optional)
- Add trending audio and mute the original video
- Tag the specific neighborhood location and publish
YouTube Shorts
To upload your video to YouTube Shorts, follow these steps:
- Open YouTube
- Select Create Short
- Upload a video that’s under 60 seconds
- Put the property title and neighborhood in the Short Title
- Place the full application link or CTA in the description
Lead Management and Follow-Up Strategy
Once your video starts receiving views and interested tenants, it’s important to have a lead management and follow-up strategy.
Set Up Instant DM Auto-Replies
To save time, you can use auto-reply tools like ManyChat to contact potential tenants. This works well when your CTA is to comment on a specific word, which will trigger a message with next steps for scheduling a showing or submitting an application.
Respond to Inquiries Immediately
If you choose to respond to inquiries manually, it’s important to do so immediately. Studies show that if you wait more than 5 minutes to contact a lead, the conversion rate drops by 80%, which is significant. Therefore, setting automated replies can help you retain more qualified leads and rent your property faster.
Fill Vacancies Faster with Inveserve’s Advanced Marketing and Management Techniques
Advertising your rental property is just part of managing your investment. While rental walkthrough videos are extremely effective, the follow-up, leasing, and maintenance can quickly turn into a full-time role for landlords.
That’s where Inveserve Corp can help.
Our team of expert property managers will fill vacancies quickly with advanced marketing techniques, perform thorough tenant screenings, and coordinate maintenance and repairs to protect your profits. Additionally, we will ensure your property complies with ever-changing local regulations in California.
Are you ready to decrease vacancy rates while maximizing your rental property’s ROI? Request a free rental analysis from Inveserve Corp to get started.
If you found this article interesting, make sure to read How to Maximize Income on Multifamily Properties in San Gabriel Valley, CA next!
