Vacation Rental Videos: What Works and What Doesn’t

Many of us have attempted to make a vacation rental video but few of us have been happy with the result. Let's face it: filming a house or an apartment makes for a rather boring movie. Or does it? We've analysed 4 Vacation Rental Videos found on youtube and came up with a definite list of Do's and Don'ts for your next attempt :)

Vanessa de Souza Lage
by Vanessa de Souza Lage
April 06, 2016
3773
Many of us have attempted to make a vacation rental video but few of us have been happy with the result. Let’s face it: filming a house or an apartment makes for a rather boring movie. Or does it? We’ve analysed five vacation rental videos found on youtube and came up with a definite list of Dos and Don’ts for your next attempt!

1. Professional vacation rental video


What works in this video:

  • using shots of the floorplan in between shots of the interiors
  • the camera is always panning, either moving left or right or up (and steadily!)
  • mixing shots of interior and exterior so it doesn’t get dull
  • the transitions between shots are fun

What doesn’t:

  • the music is too repetitive
  • the video is too long

2. Vacation rental video mixing stills and film


What works in this video:

  • good combination of film and stills
  • there’s panning on the stills too to provide the illusion of movement

What doesn’t:

  • it’s too long, the shots could be shorter
  • many different views of the same room (boring! use the best shot then move on)
  • the elevator music really doesn’t add anything, why not use the sound of the sea instead?

3. Vacation rental video with audio tour


What works in this video:

  • the voiceover helps to establish a more personal connection with the viewer
  • the “tour guide” highlights all the perks of the place
  • the use of titles is a nice touch

What doesn’t:

  • it’s too long
  • at times the voiceover gets too salesy

4. Vacation rental video with drone shots

What works in this video:

  • spectacular drone shots, including a top-down view of the property
  • the slow movement of the camera conveys the serenity and tranquillity of the place really well
  • the saturated colors make the house look like something out of a children’s book

What doesn’t:

  • the camera lingers on insignificant details (like shower heads) for too long

5. Vacation rental video with social proof


What works in this video:

  • a bit of history and general intro of the area
  • social proof! A review is shown on top

What doesn’t:

  • it’s the right length, but it’s way way way too slow
  • the music…

Recap DOs and DON’Ts:

  • DO combine film and stills
  • DO mix between interior and exterior shots
  • DO put descriptive text (or use youtube subtitles tool)
  • DO add watermark with URL to your site
  • DO add a review (social proof)
  • DO add area information (landmarks, history, shopping, etc)
  • DO use drone shots if you have the equipment, or rent one!
  • DO use an audio voiceover if you can make it sound good
  • DO use Youtube’s Call-to-Action feature: “Find out more!” or “Book Now!”
  • DON’T make each shot long (aim for 5 sec max)
  • DON’T use elevator music
  • DON’T use music at all unless you use sounds or local music
  • DON’T use more than 2 shots of the same room
  • DON’T make the video more than 1.30 mins
  • DON’T stop people from embedding your videos, it will get you less views!

Tools and equipment to help you create great vacation rental videos:

  • Adobe Premiere Pro CC: the most popular video editing software out there
  • Audiojungle: the largest collection of royalty free sounds effects on the internet
  • Splice: a FREE app that you can use to edit videos on your smartphone
  • Hyperlapse: a FREE app by Instagram that helps you create time-lapse videos
  • Matterport 3D camera: create an interactive 3D tour of your vacation rental!

Are you proud of your own vacation rental video? Please post in the comments!