Donna Erf • November 10, 2022

Investing in rental properties is one of the most effective ways to earn extra income. However, to be successful with your rental property investment, extensive marketing strategies must be in place. 


Nowadays, most residents looking for a home to rent go online to browse available listings. The availability of advanced technology makes it easier and more convenient for both rental property owners and prospective tenants. 


In the past, interested tenants were satisfied with just looking at pictures of the listing to see if a particular rental home appeals to their taste. However, there are more creative ways to showcase your rental property than just uploading high-quality images to ensure that it attracts the best tenants. 


These days, landlords also use rental home video tours as part of their property marketing strategy. As a landlord, incorporating virtual video tours of your rental property can help increase your chances of getting it rented. 


Using video tours can generate more leads because most potential tenants want to get a clear visualization of the property first before they decide to see it in person. It’s worth noting, however, that using a virtual property tour should be done correctly so that it will generate the results that you wanted. 


There are different ways to create virtual rental tours. Some property owners hire professional videographers to film a virtual tour of the rental home. However, this approach can be expensive. 

Person in the foreground holding up a film slate in front of two people in the background

If you don’t have the budget for this, you may opt to take your own video tour yourself using your high-resolution smartphone camera. When done correctly, it will generate the same results as hiring a professional videographer.

Benefits of Using Rental Video Tours for Your Rental Home

If a picture speaks a thousand words, then a short video is worth a million. Nowadays, people prefer to see all aspects of a rental property without having to visit it in person. If what they see in pictures and videos interests them, then they will definitely schedule a visit. 


Here are a few reasons why you should consider adding video tours for your rental property listings:



  • To stay ahead of the competition: Using video tours for your rental property listings makes you stand out among your competition. People looking through online listings are more likely to stay longer on your listing if you have more to show. The longer the prospective renter stays, the higher the chance they will give you a call.
  • To attract a wider pool of tenants: Uploading video tours in your listing allows those who don’t live locally to view the property. If a prospective tenant is moving from a different state and doesn’t have time to view the property in person, the video tour is the closest thing they have to see what the property really looks like.
  • To engage the viewers: One great advantage of video tours compared to still photos is that with videos, viewers will get a chance to interact with the rental home. Virtual home tours allow renters to explore the property and visualize themselves living in it.
Person looking through settings on a DSLR camera

Tips for Filming an Effective Video Tour of Your Rental Property

If you plan to create a DIY rental home video tour, all you need is a DSLR camera or a smartphone with a high-resolution camera and a few lighting fixtures. Here are some useful tips to help you film a good virtual tour of your rental home:

1. Create a Personalized Rental Virtual Tour

The goal of filming a video tour is to let prospective tenants visualize themselves residing in the rental home in the future. You want to attract renters and encourage them to submit an application. 


When shooting your video, make sure to stage every room so that they will look appealing. Get your property ready to rent by cleaning any messes and get rid of unnecessary objects that may be an eyesore in the video. Create an experience that is close to an in-person property showing to intrigue your viewers and keep them interested.

Film with Natural Lighting during the Daytime

You don’t want your home to look like a haunted house, so make sure to film your video tour during the day when there is sufficient natural lighting. You want the property to look bright and inviting. However, beware of strong sun rays that may make your video look too overexposed. 

Person with glasses working at a desk on their laptop in front of a brick wall

If needed, use lighting equipment when filming your video to ensure that your rental home looks well-lit but not too washed out. When shooting a video, use backlighting and avoid filming directly in front of the light. You don’t want to overshadow the room or what you’re trying to capture. 

3. Edit Your Videos Using Video Editing Software

You need to edit your video clips and images and put them together to create a great story for your rental home. Using the right software can help you connect your video clips and images, add a few filters to improve the lighting and colors, and even add audio. This will help provide a better experience to your viewers.

4. Manage Your Audio

If you plan to narrate during the tour, it’s best to record the audio separately and add it to the video during the editing phase. A voiceover is better than talking directly while filming the video because this allows you to record clear audio without background noise. 


If you don’t plan to narrate in the video or add more context to the clips, you may opt to add music instead. Make sure to remove the background sound of your video during the editing phase.


Other important tips to remember:


  • Always record in landscape mode.
  • Limit zooming in using the zoom feature of your phone because this can create a shaky, low-quality clip.
  • Keep your hands steady while filming and make sure your finger doesn’t cover your lens.
  • You can add images within the video to highlight certain areas of the home.

Bottom Line

Filming a video tour for your rental property is a great way to improve your listings and attract more prospective tenants. If you don’t want to market your property on your own, give the experts at MTD Property Management a call today!

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