Guide
Neighborhood video for real estate: film one area and answer one question
Updated
A neighborhood video shows what it is really like to live in one area. Unlike a listing video, it keeps working for months and reaches buyers before they choose an agent.
In short
- A good neighborhood video covers one area and answers one question, such as prices or the commute, in about 90 seconds.
- Neighborhood videos keep working for months, while a listing video is old news once the home sells.
- The most useful topics are the price range, the commute, parking, where people meet and where the area ends.
- Under US fair housing rules, you describe the place and never the people who live there.
- A phone and a clip-on microphone are all the equipment you need.
Neighborhood video vs listing video
A listing video sells one home. A neighborhood video answers a question people keep searching for, so it keeps working.
- People who search an area by name often have not chosen an agent, or even a town, yet.
- When they are ready to buy or sell, they have already seen you explain the area.
Listing video vs neighborhood video
Most views
- Listing video
- In the first days on the market
- Neighborhood video
- Month after month
Who watches
- Listing video
- People already looking at homes
- Neighborhood video
- People still deciding where to live
After the sale
- Listing video
- An old post
- Neighborhood video
- Still useful
How people find it
- Listing video
- In their feed
- Neighborhood video
- By searching the area's name
| Listing video | Neighborhood video | |
|---|---|---|
| Most views | In the first days on the market | Month after month |
| Who watches | People already looking at homes | People still deciding where to live |
| After the sale | An old post | Still useful |
| How people find it | In their feed | By searching the area's name |
How to pick a topic
Choose one area and one question per video. A video called "Moving to [your city]" tries to cover everything, so nobody remembers it.
- The honest price range for each home size, in numbers, is a strong topic. Refilm it when prices move.
- The commute is best filmed, not described: walk from the front door to the station with a clock running.
- The street everyone asks about, and how it differs from the one two streets over, makes a good video.
- What is changing, such as a new building, road works or a new shop, keeps the video timely.
- Every area has a downside, like hard parking. Saying so makes viewers trust the rest.
- Five areas with the same question each make a set that people can watch back to back.
This is the whole editor
Highlight a phrase and a clip lands on those exact words. No timeline, no keyframes, no layers.
An example 90-second neighborhood video
Here is one video about prices in one area, from the first line to the call to action.
What to say, and when
| Time | What you say |
|---|---|
| 0:00 to 0:10 | The area and the question: "What does a three-bedroom townhouse in [area] cost right now?" |
| 0:10 to 0:40 | The price range by home size, from recent sales you can show |
| 0:40 to 1:00 | One more fact buyers ask about, such as the travel time to downtown |
| 1:00 to 1:15 | The downside, for example that parking is hard on weekday evenings |
| 1:15 to 1:30 | The next step: "Message me the word [area] and I will send you the recent sales." |
Time: 0:00 to 0:10
- What you say
- The area and the question: "What does a three-bedroom townhouse in [area] cost right now?"
Time: 0:10 to 0:40
- What you say
- The price range by home size, from recent sales you can show
Time: 0:40 to 1:00
- What you say
- One more fact buyers ask about, such as the travel time to downtown
Time: 1:00 to 1:15
- What you say
- The downside, for example that parking is hard on weekday evenings
Time: 1:15 to 1:30
- What you say
- The next step: "Message me the word [area] and I will send you the recent sales."
What to film
One morning of filming can cover a month of posts. Film the street clips first and your talking part last.
- Film the main street at its busiest hour, because an empty street makes an area look dead.
- Film the commute in one unbroken clip, from the front door to the station or the highway.
- Film parking on a weekday evening, not on a Sunday morning.
- Film a place where people meet, like the park, the coffee shop, the sports club or the Saturday market.
- Film where the neighborhood really ends, so buyers know which streets belong to it.
- Film your talking part last, with a recognizable spot behind you, in 90 seconds or less.
How to deal with wind and passers-by
Outdoor sound and people walking past cause most of the problems with these videos.
- A clip-on microphone is the cheapest fix for wind and traffic noise. Stand with your back to the wind.
- Film busy places, but keep strangers unrecognizable: film people from behind or at a distance, and leave out children's faces and readable license plates.
- Keeping strangers unrecognizable avoids permission problems and keeps the video about the place.
Fair housing: describe the place, never the people
In the US, fair housing law treats an agent's words in a video the same way as a printed housing ad.
- Fair Housing Act Section 3604(c) bans housing statements that show a preference based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status or national origin.
- If a sentence describes people rather than streets, prices, travel times or buildings, cut it.
- Plain facts also help buyers more, because "twenty-two minutes to downtown" tells them more than "a lovely family area".
- This is not legal advice. Rules differ by market, so ask your broker where the line is.
What to say in a neighborhood video
| Topic | Say this | Do not say |
|---|---|---|
| Homes | Three-bedroom townhouses | A family neighborhood |
| Schools | An elementary school on the corner, plus a link to official ratings | A good school area |
| Travel | Twenty-two minutes to downtown | Perfect for young professionals |
| Shops | Two supermarkets and a Sunday market | An up-and-coming crowd |
| Safety | A link to published crime data | A safe area |
Topic: Homes
- Say this
- Three-bedroom townhouses
- Do not say
- A family neighborhood
Topic: Schools
- Say this
- An elementary school on the corner, plus a link to official ratings
- Do not say
- A good school area
Topic: Travel
- Say this
- Twenty-two minutes to downtown
- Do not say
- Perfect for young professionals
Topic: Shops
- Say this
- Two supermarkets and a Sunday market
- Do not say
- An up-and-coming crowd
Topic: Safety
- Say this
- A link to published crime data
- Do not say
- A safe area
Where neighborhood videos get watched
Mostly through search and one-to-one messages, less in the feed.
- Put each area in its own highlight on your profile.
- Send the video to buyers moving from out of town before your first call.
- Embed it on your website's page for that area.
- Post it on YouTube, where people type place names into the search box.
- Add the newest one to your monthly email.
- Agents in other cities can use it to choose a local agent for a client who is moving.
Where Cutroom fits
Neighborhood videos use many street clips. In Cutroom you highlight a phrase, like where you mention the station, and your clip lands over exactly those words.
- You upload your talking clip, up to 3 minutes long, and get a finished 9:16 video back in about a minute.
- You can upload your own street, commute and park clips to your library.
- Cutroom also writes the transcript and a hook, and adds captions in one of 40 caption styles.
- A 30-second video costs 110 credits and a 90-second video 130: 100 to edit, plus 20 per minute of export.
- Your first video is free, with no card, and you have 7 days to make it. It carries a Cutroom mark; Lite at $19.99 a month removes it.
Questions people ask
- What should a neighborhood video for real estate include?
- One area and one question. Good topics are the honest price range, the commute filmed in real time, and the downside nobody mentions. Talk about streets, prices, travel times and what is changing, never about the people who live there.
- How long should a neighborhood video be?
- Sixty to ninety seconds. Ninety is the most you need to answer one question well, and sixty is often better. If it runs longer, you have two questions, so make two videos.
- Can I say a neighborhood is safe or family friendly?
- Avoid it. Those phrases describe people, not places, which is what fair housing guidance warns about. Link to published crime data and official school ratings instead, and check the rules for your market with your broker.
- Where do neighborhood videos get watched?
- Mostly in search, profile highlights, your website's area pages and one-to-one messages. Agents in other cities can also use them when they refer a client who is moving to your area.
- How often should I refilm neighborhood videos?
- Refilm the price video about once a year, or sooner if prices move. The commute, the boundary and the downside can stay up for years.
- Do I need special equipment for a neighborhood video?
- No, a phone is enough. The one cheap upgrade worth buying is a clip-on microphone, because wind and traffic spoil outdoor talking clips.
Film your talking clip and your street clips, and get the finished neighborhood video back in about a minute. Your first video is free.
Try for freeYour first video is free, no card, and you have 7 days to make it. It carries a Cutroom mark; Lite at $19.99/month removes it