How to Choose the Right Property Videographer

Most guides on choosing a property videographer tell you to "check reviews" and "look at their portfolio." That's not particularly helpful. Here's what actually matters.

A property video is often the first thing shared when a listing goes live. It's what gets posted on Instagram, sent to buyers, and embedded on your website. Get it wrong, and you've wasted money on something that makes properties look worse than they are. Get it right, and you've got a marketing asset that works for months.

This guide covers the practical stuff: what equipment separates professionals from amateurs, how much you should expect to pay in London, legal issues most people don't think about, and how to get three video assets from a single shoot.

Property Videography Pricing in London

Prices vary wildly. Here's what the London market actually looks like:

Notice how some providers price by the hour - which means you won't know the final cost until the shoot is done. Per-property pricing gives you a fixed quote upfront, no surprises.

The Real Cost: What You'll Actually Pay

The headline price is often misleading. Here's what a typical 2-bedroom property video actually costs when you add up all the extras:

Splento's £149/hr looks attractive until you realise you're paying nearly 2.5x more than an all-inclusive provider for the same deliverable. Always ask: "What's the total cost for a finished, edited video with music?"

What affects the price:

• Property size (more rooms = more shooting time)
• Video length (editing is where the real work happens)
• Extras: drone footage, licensed music, branded intros
• Rush delivery fees
• Travel outside their normal coverage area

Be wary of prices that seem too good to be true. A £59 video is not the same as a £275 video. See our full pricing breakdown.

Equipment: What Actually Matters

Camera: Professional vs Smartphone

The difference between professional and smartphone video comes down to physics. A Canon R5 has a full-frame sensor measuring 36×24mm (864mm²). An iPhone 15 Pro's sensor is roughly 9.6×7.2mm (about 69mm²). That's 12-20 times smaller.

Why does this matter? The larger sensor captures significantly more light, which means:

• Better dynamic range (you can see both the room AND the view through the window)
• Natural depth of field (that professional "look" where backgrounds softly blur)
• Superior low-light performance (no grainy footage in darker rooms)

iPhone footage can look fine on a phone screen. On a laptop or TV, the difference is obvious. For more on professional vs smartphone quality, see our article on professional photography vs smartphone.

Shooting in Log: The Professional Standard

Professional videographers shoot in "flat" colour profiles (called S-Log, C-Log, or V-Log depending on the camera). The raw footage looks grey and washed out, which is intentional.

This flat profile captures far more detail in shadows and highlights. In editing, they bring the colour back and can recover details in bright windows that would otherwise be completely white.

Amateurs shoot in "Standard" mode. The footage looks good straight out of the camera, but the contrast is baked in. If a window is blown out (pure white), that detail is gone forever. No amount of editing can fix it.

Ask your videographer: "Do you shoot in Log?" If they don't know what that means, they're probably not a professional.

Artificial Lighting and Low-Light Performance

For ultra-premium properties (£3M+) or commercial shoots, videographers might bring portable lights to fill rooms with light, matching interior brightness to window brightness. This creates that polished, TV-commercial look.

For standard residential work, this isn't expected or necessary. This is where sensor size matters most: a large sensor (full-frame camera) can shoot at high ISO without ruining video quality. Larger sensors have larger photosites, gathering more light per pixel.

Small sensors (iPhone, Insta360, handheld cameras) produce grainy, distorted footage when ISO is pushed high. That's why professional cameras work in darker rooms without extra lights - and why amateurs cranking ISO on a phone in a dim room get unusable footage.

Stabilisation: Gimbal vs iPhone Action Mode

Ask: "Do you use a gimbal stabiliser?" If they mention phone stabilisation or "we fix it in post" - that's a red flag.

Horizontal vs Vertical: Format Matters

You need different formats for different platforms. Don't let anyone tell you one video works everywhere.

Frame Rates

24fps: Cinematic feel, standard for hero tours. 25fps: UK broadcast standard. 30fps: What Instagram and TikTok prefer. 50-60fps: Allows smooth slow-motion. 120fps: Super slow-motion for dramatic reveals.

Why this matters for social: Uploading a video in any frame rate besides 30fps will force Instagram to re-encode that video, degrading its quality. This is why it's critical to work with someone who understands the different formats for different platforms - they can deliver your hero tour at 24fps for Rightmove and a separate 30fps version for Instagram Reels.

The One Shoot, Three Assets Rule

Don't just pay for one video. A single 2-hour shoot should give you:

1. Hero Tour (16:9): For Rightmove, Zoopla, your website - slow, cinematic, 1-2 minutes
2. Social Teaser (9:16): For Instagram Reels and TikTok - fast-paced, under 30 seconds
3. Agent Intro/Outro: Film yourself saying "Welcome to this stunning property in Hampstead..." and "Contact me for a viewing"

Negotiate this upfront. You're already paying for the shoot - extracting multiple assets costs the videographer minimal extra time in editing. This is particularly valuable for estate agents building their personal brand. For social media content strategy, see our social media design services.

Legal and Safety: Protect Yourself

Drone Legality - Your Liability

This is the one that catches people out. If your videographer flies a drone and isn't properly certified, you could be liable if something goes wrong.

Ask to see: CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID (UK legal requirement)

Check: Do they have drone insurance?

The risk: If they crash into a neighbour's conservatory without proper certification and insurance, the property owner or agent who hired them could face claims.

Music Copyright - The Hidden Trap

Using a popular song on an Instagram Reel can get the video muted or taken down entirely - often right when it's getting traction and generating enquiries.

Ask: "Do you use licensed commercial music?"

Acceptable sources: Epidemic Sound, Artlist, Musicbed - all properly licensed for commercial use.

Red flag: "I'll put some music on it" with no mention of where the music comes from.

Red Flags and Vetting Questions

Technical Red Flags

• Pixelated or heavily compressed video quality
• Shaky footage or unnatural AI stabilisation artefacts
• Inconsistent colour between shots
• Music that doesn't match the property tier (upbeat pop music for a £2M Georgian townhouse)

Process Red Flags

• "Unlimited revisions" - often means slow turnaround, not quality
• No mention of music licensing
• Can only show showreels, not full delivered videos
• No clear turnaround time stated

Content Red Flags

• Over-reliance on transitions and effects (flashy doesn't mean professional)
• Illogical shot order (bathroom first, then entrance, then upstairs)
• No branded elements (no logo, no agent details)
• Messy properties in their portfolio (a professional should refuse to shoot until the property is ready)

Questions That Reveal Amateurs

Ask these before booking:

1. "Do you use artificial lighting or just natural light?" (Amateurs rely solely on natural light = blown-out windows)
2. "Do you have backup gear?" (If their camera breaks on site, does the shoot get cancelled?)
3. "Do you shoot in Log?" (If they don't know what this means - amateur)
4. "Can I see a full delivered video, not a showreel?"

For answers to common questions, visit our FAQ page.

Pre-Shoot Preparation Checklist

A videographer is not a cleaner. If they spend 30 minutes moving boxes, you lose shooting light. Send this to property owners before the shoot:

• Toilet lids down
• Cars moved off driveway (nothing dates a video like a 2015 Ford Fiesta in a 2026 listing)
• Pet bowls and litter trays hidden
• Countertops clear (remove branded items like dish soap)
• Bins emptied and hidden
• All lights on, curtains open
• Fresh flowers or fruit (optional but adds life)

For a more detailed preparation guide, see how to prepare your property for marketing photos.

Working With Your Videographer

How to Brief Properly

A good brief saves time and gets better results. Tell your videographer:

• Target buyer profile (young professionals, families, downsizers, investors)
• Property's unique selling points (period features, garden, views, location)
• Any problem areas to avoid or minimise
• Whether you want agent-to-camera content
• Which platforms the video will be used on

Turnaround Expectations

If someone promises same-day delivery at standard prices, question the editing quality.

Weather

Overcast: Actually ideal for interiors - soft, even light, no harsh shadows through windows.

Light rain: Usually fine for interiors, reschedule exterior/garden shots.

Heavy rain: Reschedule entirely.

Bright sunshine: Can cause harsh shadows and blown-out windows - early morning or late afternoon is better.

What Files to Expect

• Hero video (16:9) in MP4, H.264 codec
• Social teaser (9:16) if agreed
• High resolution (1080p minimum, 4K if shot in 4K)
• Files via download link (WeTransfer, Dropbox, Google Drive)

Portal Requirements

Rightmove: Maximum 10 minutes (but 1-3 minutes is optimal), MP4 format, minimum 480p resolution. Videos must not contain agent contact details (against their guidelines).

Zoopla: Similar requirements. Accepts YouTube and Vimeo embeds. Video thumbnails display in search results, so your first frame matters.

Pro tip: The first 3 seconds determine whether someone keeps watching. Start with your strongest shot - not a logo animation that takes 5 seconds to play.

When to Reshoot

Consider a new video if:

• Property has been on market 3+ months (refresh the listing)
• Significant renovations or staging changes
• Seasonal shift (a winter video in the summer market looks dated)
• Original video was low quality
• You're targeting a different buyer demographic

For rental properties with Airbnb hosts or long-term landlords, one good video can last years if the property doesn't change.

What Good Property Video Looks Like

• Logical progression (entrance → reception → kitchen → bedrooms → garden)
• Smooth, controlled camera movement
• Proper exposure (you can see both the room AND the view through windows)
• Music appropriate to property tier and target audience
• Branded opening and closing
• B-roll of the neighbourhood (schools, transport, local cafes)

Buyers don't just buy a property - they buy a lifestyle. A good video shows the walk to the station, the nearby park, the local high street. This is especially important for areas like Hampstead and St John's Wood where location is a major selling point.

To see examples of what we mean, browse our portfolio.

Summary

Before you book, remember:

• Ask about equipment (gimbal, professional camera, shooting in Log)
• Check drone certification and music licensing
• Request full delivered videos, not just showreels
• Negotiate for multiple formats (horizontal + vertical)
• Brief properly - target buyer, USPs, platforms
• Use the pre-shoot checklist to save time on the day

Ready to book?

• View our videography packages
• See our pricing
• Book online

Related services: We also offer property photography (bundle with video for savings), floor plans, and logo animation for branded video intros.

Questions? Get in touch - we're happy to help.