Hiring a videographer
You are paying for a person's time: travel, an hour or three on site, and the edit. Drone adds a licensed pilot. Revisions add time. Rates vary widely by market and by the videographer's reputation, so ask for a per-listing quote and what it includes — the number of clips, the reel, the raw files.
Shooting it yourself
A phone and a gimbal, plus the time to learn to walk smoothly and to edit. The result depends on practice; the first few are usually rough. The cost is the afternoon per listing, every listing.
Generating it from photos
No shoot day: the photos you already have, three to five per room, become 5-second clips with one of 38 camera moves, cut into reels. Villenza prices per listing rather than per video — a listing includes 8 generations plus 2 spare, and unlimited reels and downloads. Plans are on the pricing page.
Comparing like with like
- Count the listings a month, not the videos: reels and cuts multiply from one shoot.
- Include your time. An afternoon per listing is a cost.
- Include revisions. A generated clip has spare takes built in; a videographer charges for the return visit.
Questions
Is there a free way to make listing video?
Your phone and your time. Villenza's account is free to create and to try the board with your photos; generating a clip needs a plan because every render costs real money to produce.
Should luxury listings still use a videographer?
Some will, for on-camera talent or a signature production. The luxury guide covers what the generated approach does well at the top of the market: slow moves, restraint, and every listing rather than the one that justifies a crew.
Read next
- Do Listing Videos Actually Help Sell Homes?An honest answer to whether real estate video helps a listing: what it changes (attention, showings that are worth it, the next listing appointment), what it does not change, and how to tell if it is working for you.
- How to Make a Real Estate Listing Video (Without a Videographer)A step-by-step guide to making a real estate listing video from the photos you already have: which rooms to cover, how to shoot each one, and how to cut it for the MLS and social.
- Real Estate Video Marketing: A Practical Guide for Listing AgentsHow to use video to market a listing and yourself: which videos to make for each stage of a listing, where to post them, what to say in the caption, and how to make it routine rather than a project.