With in-person showings being limited in some markets due to the coronavirus outbreak, we are using technology to do what we do best: helping buyers and sellers transact real estate simply and affordably.
For sellers, we are recommending that you create your own video walkthroughs to help buyers envision themselves in your home. If that sounds scary, read on. Thanks to high-quality phone cameras and a helpful app from Zillow, you already have everything you need to do a great job showing off your home.
Here’s how you can record your own video walkthrough.
Getting ready
All you need to take a walkthrough video is an iPhone. Unfortunately for Android users, Zillow hasn’t made the walkthrough features available to you just yet. If you don’t have access to a iPhone, ask your agent to discuss other options for recording a video.
As with taking your own photos, start by getting your home photo ready. Declutter, depersonalize, and turn on all the lights.
Download the Zillow iPhone app.
Zillow has a few different apps on the App Store, but the main Zillow app is the one you’ll need. If you don’t already have it installed, click here to download the app for your iOS device.
Claim your home and add a video.
In order for Zillow to let you upload a video, you need to claim your home as your own.
First, search for your address on Zillow.
Tap the (…) button in the top right corner of the screen to bring up the options menu.
Tap “Claim Your Home”
Sign in or create a Zillow account.
Verify that you are your home’s owner.
Tap “Not now. Just take me to my home.”
Toggle to Owner View to modify your home’s information.
Tap the (…) button in the top-right corner of the screen.
Tap “Take Video.”
Turn your phone to landscape mode to start recording your video.
We recommend starting at the front door and going room by room to give viewers a feel for the flow of your home.
Record a short clip (5 – 10 seconds) of you panning around the room. Move slowly! Tap the red button again to stop recording your clip.
Review your video to make sure it looks good. You can re-record as many times as you want. Once you are happy with the video, tap Keep to save and move on to record another clip.
Start in the same room you were last in and record another clip moving to the next room. Continue the process with several more rooms. You don’t need to show the entire house, but try to cover the most important rooms, including the kitchen and master bedroom.
Any interested buyer will want to see more before putting in an offer, so think of this video as an ad for your home, rather than a full tour. Avoid unfinished spaces or anything that doesn’t photograph well.
Once you’re done with all of the rooms you want to show, tap Done.
Preview your entire video, then tap “Upload Video” to upload to Zillow. Don’t worry, this does not make your video publicly visible or list your home.
Share Your Video with Trelora
Once the upload is complete, you’ll receive an email from Zillow with a preview link.
Forward this email to your agent, and we’ll take it from there! Once you’re ready to go on the market, we can publish the video on your listing to help buyers see your home, while they are safely distancing in theirs.
Questions?
We know that creating your own video can be intimidating, and we’re here to help.
Feel free to reach out to your agent with any questions, whether you’re having trouble with the app, or just need advice on the best angles to show off your home. Our team and their thousands of deals of collective expertise are always just a call, text, or email away!
Zack Sulsky is Trelora’s Chief Product Officer. Zack joined Trelora in 2017 and has helped lead the company from its roots as a local real estate disruptor to a growing national brand. In his role as CPO, Zack is responsible for customer experience, product, and technology. Prior to joining Trelora, Zack was cofounder and COO at Edify, a Techstars- and NSF-backed startup in educational technology.