Phone video tours by homeowners are a selling point. Here are some tips

Film maker David Varley’s latest innovation proved to be prescient. He devised a piece of software called efilm, which enables agents to email property videos out to clients and, just before lockdown, he added a video upload facility.

This allowed homeowners, landlords and tenants to film their own properties on a mobile phone and to send the video quickly and easily to their agent’s email. Thanks to clever software, it arrives hosted and ready for marketing. The footage can be added to property details on agents’ websites, on portals and on social media. It can also be sent via text message and customised email to would-be buyers and renters.

“Estate agents were stuck when lockdown was announced. They could not go out to value properties, nor could they video or photograph properties, so efilm was perfect. It allows homeowners to film their property and send it to their estate agent.

“Mobile phones have reached epic proportions in terms of video quality. You can now shoot 4k videos on them. Add a selfie stick to bring balance and you have the perfect low cost property filming solution.

“We’ve had hundreds of sellers shooting their properties on their phones and sending them via efilm and the quality is generally very good. We are now up to 20,000 viewings on the videos every week online and the other day we had 83 viewings from Delaware USA,” says Leeds-based David, a former TV cameraman and director who now runs Home on Film, which specialises in virtual viewings and creating area specific movies revealing the amenities in various locations.

Even though estate agents are now allowed to visit, value and photograph homes for sale and let, while observing strict social distancing rules, the new efilm facility looks set to become a staple.

Along with the software, David has also produced a “How to Film your Property with a Mobile Device” guide with useful tips to homeowners on how to capture their properties on video.

“We have had agents from all around the UK sign up for efilm and they and their clients have found it simple and easy to use,” he says.

“When videos are uploaded they go straight to the property details on the agents’ websites and on the portals such as Rightmove, Zoopla and Onthemarket.com.

“There is no need to cut and paste links to software so that saves time and the result is that within minutes of filming a property, the videos can be live and available for buyers and renters to view. We are also working on a live stream option.”

For a small extra charge, agents can have their films professionally edited and can add branding and voiceovers. A spin-off benefit of allowing the vendor or landlord to play at being Steven Spielberg is that collaborating on film production has brought about increased camaraderie between agents and their clients.

But the biggest surprise for the Home on Film team is the success of the running commentary that many homeowners give while shooting a mini movie of their property.

“We encourage this in our how-to video guide because it adds a personal touch and it’s surprised us that this has now become the most engaging aspect of the films,” says David.

“People talk about the property but they also talk about happy memories they have of it. They talk about the location, the local school, shops and cafes. You don’t get that from photographs or the average virtual tour.

“As a result, it’s encouraged agents producing their own videos to add interesting and thoughtful commentary.”

For details visit www.homeonfilm.com

Here are some tips from David Varley on creating a sales video for your home:

*Plan your route round the house before you start filming. Leave all the doors open and switch the lights on in all rooms before you start.

*Don’t be tempted to film upright, always landscape, holding your phone horizontally with the camera/video lens at the top.

*Use a selfie stick with your phone as this will keep the shot steady and help the video to flow.

*Start at the front of the property and continue to film the ground floor, out into the garden if you have one and then upstairs. If you have a great view of the countryside or the garden finish with that.

*Don’t film every room, concentrate on the main/best features, especially in larger houses.

*Don’t just talk about the house or state the obvious. Mention what you love about your property and talk about the local schools, walks, countryside and local amenities.

*Films should be two to three minutes long and it has to be one continuous video not multiple clips. Viewers generally won’t watch for longer than two minutes.

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