Buyers want more than a collection of photos when they’re looking at a home online. They want to understand the property.
Photos do a great job of showing what a home looks like. Video gives buyers another way to understand how the home connects, how the rooms flow together, and what it might feel like to move through the space.
That’s especially useful here in Traverse City and Northern Michigan. A buyer may be coming from downstate, out of state, or looking for a second home they haven’t seen in person yet. A good real estate video gives them more information before they make the drive, schedule a showing, or start making plans around a property.
We’ve been producing real estate photography, video, virtual tours, and aerial drone media in Northern Michigan since 2007. We’ve photographed all kinds of properties around the area, from waterfront homes and wooded properties to downtown condos and larger homes on Old Mission Peninsula.
Here’s what real estate video can actually do for a Traverse City listing, how it works with professional photography, and when it makes sense to add it to your marketing.
Why Video Works Differently Than Photos
A buyer scrolling through listing photos gets a collection of still moments.
A walkthrough video gives them something different.
They can see how the kitchen connects to the living room. They can get a better idea of how the main floor is laid out. They can see the transition from the interior to the deck or backyard. They can watch the way natural light works through the property.
Photos are still extremely important. In fact, they’re usually the first thing a buyer sees.
Video gives that buyer another way to understand the property once they’ve decided they want to look closer.
For waterfront properties, wooded homes, acreage, or anything with an interesting view, that additional context can be particularly useful. A photo of a deck overlooking the water is great. Video can take the viewer from inside the house, out to the deck, and across the surrounding view.
It gives the property a little more room to tell its story.
Who Benefits Most From Listing Video?
Not every listing needs the same amount of video.
For a smaller condo or a straightforward home in a neighborhood where the property is easy to understand from photographs, professional still photography may be the most important place to start.
Video becomes more useful when there are things about the property that are easier to understand in motion.
Think about:
- Waterfront homes
- Lake-view properties
- Larger homes with interesting layouts
- Acreage and wooded properties
- New construction
- Luxury homes
- Properties with distinctive outdoor spaces
- Homes where the relationship between the rooms is important
It’s also useful for buyers who aren’t right around the corner.
If someone is shopping for a vacation home in Traverse City from Chicago, Detroit, Grand Rapids, or somewhere farther away, they may not be able to see every property in person before deciding which ones deserve a showing.
A well-produced video gives them another piece of the puzzle.
It doesn’t replace the showing.
It helps them decide whether the showing is worth making.
What a Well-Produced Real Estate Video Includes
Not all real estate video is the same.
There’s a difference between someone walking through a house with a phone and a professionally produced video designed specifically for real estate marketing.
At BlueLaVaMedia, our Interior Video Walkthrough uses professional camera and stabilizer/gimbal equipment to capture up to two minutes of footage highlighting the important features of the home’s interior. Additional footage can be added when needed.
The goal isn’t to make the camera move around as quickly as possible.
It’s to give the viewer enough time to understand the space.
A good walkthrough should feel natural. It can move from the entry into the main living areas, through the kitchen and other important spaces, and eventually toward the outdoor areas when they’re part of the property’s appeal.
Lighting matters, too.
The same property can look very different depending on when it’s photographed or filmed. Natural light can be a major part of what makes a room look good, so scheduling and preparation matter.
And, just like with photography, editing matters. The finished video should look clean and consistent and keep the focus on the property.
Don’t Forget About the Preparation
Here’s something that doesn’t get talked about enough with real estate video:
The house needs to be ready before the photographer arrives.
We don’t move furniture, pick up clutter, straighten blankets and towels, clean, or wait around for a property to be prepared. Our real estate photo shoot preparation guide explains exactly what homeowners and agents should take care of before the shoot.
That includes things like turning on the lights, getting counters cleaned off, putting away unnecessary items, making sure bathrooms are tidy, and getting the exterior ready.
Why does that matter for video?
Because a video moves through the property. If there’s clutter in one room, you don’t just get one photograph where the clutter is visible. The camera may spend several seconds moving through that entire space.
A little preparation goes a long way.
When Drone Video Makes the Difference
Ground-level video shows the house.
Drone video can show the setting.
That’s particularly helpful in Northern Michigan.
For a waterfront property, aerial footage can show the shoreline, surrounding landscape, property setting, and relationship between the home and the water.
For acreage, it can give buyers a better understanding of the land.
For a property with a great view, the aerial perspective can show buyers where that view comes from and how the home sits within the surrounding area.
Our Northern Michigan aerial drone services include both aerial photography and aerial video. Aerial video gives buyers another perspective before they decide whether to schedule a showing.
We also offer enhanced property-line services when that additional aerial context is useful.
And there’s another nice feature with our aerial videos: BlueLaVa Call-Outs. These can introduce viewers to a lake, stream, waterway, island, town, or other major area landmark shown in the aerial footage.
Not every listing needs drone video.
A smaller condo in a densely developed neighborhood may get more value from a strong interior walkthrough.
A waterfront home, acreage property, or listing with a distinctive setting is a different story.
That’s where aerial video can really earn its place in the marketing package.
How Video and Photography Work Together
Video and professional photography aren’t substitutes for each other.
They do different jobs.
Photos are still the foundation of a real estate listing. They’re what buyers see in search results, MLS listings, email marketing, social posts, and printed materials.
Strong photography gets the buyer to stop and look.
Video gives them another reason to stay and learn more about the property.
That’s why we offer video as an addition to our professional photography services rather than treating it as a replacement for still photos.
Our Traverse City real estate photography services include professional photography, property websites, aerial drone services, virtual tours, full-motion interior video, and social media and YouTube posting options.
There is also a consistency benefit when your photography and video come from the same production.
The colors, presentation, and overall look of the listing stay consistent across the different pieces of marketing.
That’s a small thing, but it matters.
When your MLS photos, property website, video, social media, and other marketing materials all look like they belong together, the listing feels more polished.
How Video Works for Different Traverse City Listings
Traverse City and Northern Michigan aren’t one-size-fits-all real estate markets.
That’s one of the reasons we don’t think every listing needs exactly the same media package.
Waterfront and Lake-View Properties
Water is one of the biggest reasons people shop in this area.
If the property has West Bay, East Bay, inland lake, or other significant water views, video can help show the relationship between the home and the water.
Drone footage can add another perspective by showing the shoreline, surrounding land, and overall setting.
Homes Near Downtown Traverse City
For properties closer to downtown, the value may be less about acreage and more about the home itself.
A good interior walkthrough can help viewers understand the layout, room sizes, and flow of the property.
The surrounding neighborhood and outdoor spaces can also be incorporated when they’re relevant to the listing.
New Construction
New construction can be a little harder to communicate through a series of still photos when the space is empty.
Video gives buyers another way to understand how the rooms connect and how they’ll move through the home.
It can also be useful when there are architectural details or features that are easier to appreciate as the camera moves through the space.
Larger Homes and Acreage
Larger properties have more to explain.
A buyer needs to understand the house, the land, the outdoor areas, and how everything fits together.
That’s where a combination of professional photography, interior video, and aerial media can make sense.
Interior Video, Social Media Video, and Marketing
The video doesn’t have to stop with the property website.
BlueLaVaMedia also offers social media video options and marketing tools designed to help agents get more use out of the media they already purchased.
Our real estate photography pricing and services page currently lists the Interior Video Walkthrough, along with other video and marketing options.
Our real estate listing marketing services also include options such as video conversion and YouTube posting through the Exposure Engine, along with social media cards, QR codes, short URLs, property websites, and other listing marketing tools.
That matters because one of the easiest mistakes an agent can make is paying for good media and then only using it in one place.
Your listing video can have a life beyond the MLS.
It can be used on the property website, shared with buyers, posted to social media, and incorporated into other marketing.
If you know you’ll want social media video, it’s worth mentioning that when you order so we can make sure the right options are included in the production.
What About the Length of the Video?
There isn’t one magic video length that works for every listing.
Our current Interior Video Walkthrough is designed to capture up to two minutes of interior footage, with additional footage available when needed.
The right amount of footage depends on the property.
A two-bedroom condo doesn’t need the same treatment as a large waterfront estate.
And if the property has a feature that deserves more attention, additional footage can be added.
The important thing is that the video has a purpose.
It should show the property rather than simply make the video longer.
What Buyers Want to Understand
Real estate buyers aren’t just looking at square footage and bedroom counts.
They’re trying to picture themselves living there.
What’s the view like?
How does the kitchen connect to the rest of the house?
Does the main living area feel open?
How does the house connect to the yard?
What’s the relationship between the home and the water?
Those are things that photographs can show, but video can sometimes explain more naturally.
That’s especially true for properties where lifestyle is a big part of the purchase.
A Traverse City waterfront home isn’t just a list of bedrooms and bathrooms.
The setting matters.
The same is true for a home surrounded by woods, a property with extensive outdoor living space, or a home where the layout is one of its strongest features.
Video gives buyers another way to experience those details before they see the property in person.
How We Approach Real Estate Video at BlueLaVaMedia
We don’t think every listing needs every possible add-on.
That’s why we offer different photography, video, virtual tour, and aerial options.
Start with the property.
What makes it interesting?
What will buyers want to understand?
Is it the interior layout? The waterfront? The acreage? The views? The outdoor living space?
Then choose the media that actually helps show those things.
For many listings, professional photography is the starting point.
From there, Interior Video Walkthroughs, aerial drone photography or video, virtual tours, property websites, and additional marketing services can be added based on what makes sense for the property.
That’s also where local experience helps.
We’ve been photographing properties throughout Traverse City and Northern Michigan since 2007. BlueLaVaMedia is based in Traverse City and serves the Northern Michigan region.
We know that a waterfront shoot isn’t approached exactly the same way as a downtown condo. A wooded property has different challenges than a bright new-construction home.
Those little decisions are part of the job.
A Quick Note About Delivery
Our current pricing information lists 48-hour delivery for the Interior Video Walkthrough and Aerial Drone Video & Photos. Other products can have different delivery timelines, so we’ll communicate the expected timing for the services included in your order.
That gives you a clear expectation when you’re planning your listing launch.
And because we handle the production and editing, you receive finished media that’s ready to use in your listing and marketing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does real estate video actually help a listing?
Video gives buyers another way to understand a property beyond still photography. It’s particularly useful when the layout, views, outdoor spaces, or overall setting are important parts of the listing.
Do I need video for every listing?
No.
Some properties are very well served by professional photography alone. Video can be especially useful for waterfront homes, larger properties, new construction, acreage, luxury homes, and listings with features that are easier to understand in motion.
What’s the difference between a listing video and drone video?
An interior listing video shows the property from the ground, moving through the interior and other areas of the home.
Drone video gives an aerial perspective of the property and its surroundings.
They can work very well together, but they serve different purposes.
How long is a BlueLaVaMedia Interior Video Walkthrough?
Our current Interior Video Walkthrough includes up to two minutes of footage. Additional minutes can be added when needed.
Can I use the video on social media?
Yes. BlueLaVaMedia offers social media and YouTube marketing options, including video conversion and YouTube posting through our Exposure Engine.
Is drone video worth adding to a Traverse City listing?
It depends on the property.
For waterfront homes, acreage, properties with significant views, or listings where the setting is an important selling point, aerial video can provide useful information that ground-level footage can’t.
Are BlueLaVaMedia drone pilots FAA certified?
BlueLaVaMedia has three aerial drone pilots on call, all properly certified for commercial drone work under FAA Part 107.
How much does real estate video cost in Traverse City?
Pricing depends on the video and photography services you choose. Our real estate photography and aerial drone pricing page has the current options and pricing.
The Bottom Line
Real estate video isn’t about replacing professional photography.
It’s about giving buyers another way to understand the property.
Photos get the listing noticed. Video can help explain the layout, the setting, the views, and the way the property connects from one space to another.
In Traverse City and Northern Michigan, that can be especially useful for buyers who are shopping from a distance or comparing properties across a large area.
A waterfront home may benefit from aerial footage. A larger home may benefit from an interior walkthrough. A new construction property may need video to help buyers understand the space. A smaller condo may be perfectly well served by great photography.
The property should determine the media.
At BlueLaVaMedia, that’s how we approach it.
If you’re ready to add video to your next listing, take a look at our current photography and video pricing, or visit our Traverse City real estate photography services to see what we can do for your next property.
