Kickass Real Estate Video On A Budget

Real estate video is key when it comes to reaching more people and closing more deals. Where exactly should you start though?

Video is key to reaching more people and generating more business.

However, there’s one huge misconception I see all the time.

That being the idea that you need a professional studio and expensive

camera to make a quality video.

All you really need is your smartphone and a little creativity to

DOMINATE YOUR MARKET!

Want To Skip Ahead check out these resources from Easy Agent?

The Power Of Video

The $100 Real Estate Video Budget

What Does A $1200 Video Setup Look Like?

The Power Of Video

Driving traffic to a landing page and getting more clicks on your posts is one thing.

Video is the most effective way to establish TRUST with digital prospects.

We talk so much about the various way to increase conversion and grow traffic but at the end of the day…

PEOPLE ONLY DO BUSINESS WITH YOU IF THEY TRUST YOU.

You see this guy right here?

 

He has his own hair product line and I buy from him monthly.

I’ve never met the guy nor have I ever read one of his blogs.

So what was I willing to click a link and pay him money for his product?

Because I’ve seen every one of his videos and I TRUST HIM.

This is especially true for larger ticket items….LIKE HOUSES!

Video helps ease what’s referred to as cognitive dissonance.

Which is essentially the concern viewers experience before they feel validated in giving you their information.

Start By Introducing Yourself

If you’re not sure how to start making video create a 30-60 second introduction.

Our friend Erik did just that and he’s bringing in leads DAILY.

The $100 Real Estate Video Budget

The reason we’re writing this blog is because lots of people have asked about my specific studio setup.

However, admittedly I was a little worried about showing you guys the equipment I use.

I really don’t want any of you to get discouraged or feel like it’s not plausible for you to do the same thing I do.

If you’re just starting (which I know is the case for a lot of our viewers) stick with your smartphone.

This real estate video was taken by an agent in Philadelphia, our friend Steven Hartner.

 

 

I think this is a perfect example of the quality you can produce using nothing but your smartphone.

And to help you guys gradually improve the quality of your video…

I thought I’d add some cool (affordable) tech for you to check out!

$20-$30 is all you need to take your content from BLAN…to…BAM!

Better Audio

Still using the on-camera mic?

Consider a lav mic for much better sounding audio.

The IK Multimedia iRig Mic Lav $49.99 (Phone ONLY)

http://amzn.to/2mKAY92

 

 

The Boya By-m1 3.5mm Electret Condenser Microphone $19.99 (CAMERA/PHONE)

http://amzn.to/2lnjJd7

 

I added two mics here so you would have some options depending on what you’re comfortable spending.

The iRig mic is solely for smartphones, while the Boya lapel mic is for camera and phone.

If you don’t like the idea of having a cord involved you could get a shotgun mic.

 

If that’s that route you choose however you’ll have to stay closer to the phone when filming.

Rode VideoMic Me Directional Microphone for Smart Phones $59.99

http://amzn.to/2letH2d

Better Real Estate Video

Now, smartphones naturally have a pretty narrow field of view.

So if you want to experiment with adding external attachments I’d pick up something like…

The AUKEY Ora iPhone Camera Lens $39.99

http://amzn.to/2mU9HTc

 

This next cost effective upgrade is perfect for you avid Snapchat users.

Mpow Selfie Stick $15.99

http://amzn.to/2n41CMx

 

I think a good selfie stick can help you get a lot out of your picture and videos.

This one comes with a button on the handle that allows you to activate your camera via Bluetooth.

The downside to this is that you need to charge the selfie stick.

Now, if you’re like me, that’s a problem ( I would never remember to charge the damn thing 😭).

If you already have a selfie stick pair it with this Bluetooth remote.

CamKix Bluetooth Camera Shutter Remote $7.49

http://amzn.to/2mxyAAI

 

Can I be totally honest with you guys?

Talking about tech like this is ridiculously fun, one more item and we can move on I promise.

Arkon iPhone Tripod Mount $19.99

http://amzn.to/2n47HZj

 

This is a like the baby cousin to the tripod I use for all my vlogging.

This provides you with a lot of flexibility if you’re constrained to filming with your smartphone.

What Does A $1200 Video Setup Look Like?

Here’s a picture of the filming setup I’ve used for every EAP video I’ve done

 

I have two umbrella lights, a ring light, my camera, and some red paper.

The camera and ring light we’re the most expensive part of my studio setup.

The only reason I need a ring light is because I film in a pretty dark room with little natural light.

 

These umbrella lights were only $60 for the pair and I would highly recommend picking some up.

You can’t always film video out and about (believe me I’ve tried) so you’ll need additional light.

Here’s the exact pair of lights I use, the link is right below the image if you want to pick up a pair.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005FHZ2SI/

 

As for the BEAUTIFUL red background that I use I got that from http://www.michaels.com/ I got a roll of paper for $8.99.

I couldn’t find a link on their site to the exact roll I purchased but any color will work I just cut out a long strip and then pinned it to the wall.

Here’s the tripod I use as well, it’s not great but it gets the job done and that’ss all that matters.

 

I can’t find a link to this tripod either but I do have a link to the one I using just before this and it’s only $20 at Target.

My Camera And Mic

This is what my setup looks like when I’m on the go and in the studio.

 

I use the Canon 70D DSLR as my main shooter, the two biggest reasons, the flip out screen and the autofocus.

When I’m filming and moving around I can’t afford to have the camera struggling to keep the image crisp and clear.

The lens I use is a Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM SLR Lens, great autofocus and a wide field of view.

Though if you’re not planning on doing much vlogging I’d suggest using the more affordable 24mm pancake lens.

 

Finally, the mic I’m using is the Rode VideoMic Pro Compact VMP Shotgun Microphone

If you’re curious about this specific camera and how it performs outside of my studio environment you can check out some of the EAP vlogs

Both of these videos were filmed using this exact setup.

 

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