The difference between a good listing video and a great one often comes down to how well the property is prepared before the camera arrives. Great cinematography can't hide clutter, and no amount of color grading fixes muddy windows. Here's exactly how to prepare so your shoot produces the best possible results.
Two Days Before the Shoot
- Deep clean every room — floors, countertops, mirrors, windows. Clean glass is one of the most noticeable things on camera.
- Declutter aggressively — remove personal photos, kids' artwork on the refrigerator, mail stacks, and anything that makes the home feel occupied rather than aspirational.
- Clear the driveway and garage — vehicles will be in the aerial shots. Park them down the street.
- Landscaping — mow the lawn, edge the beds, remove any dead plants, and add fresh mulch if needed. Curb appeal reads dramatically from above.
The Day Before
- Stage key rooms — living room, master bedroom, and kitchen get the most screen time. Fresh flowers, a styled coffee table, and made beds photograph beautifully.
- Hide cords and chargers — power strips, phone cables, and visible wiring break the visual cleanliness of a shot.
- Put away toiletries — bathrooms should look like a hotel, not like anyone actually lives there. Clear countertops, fresh towels folded neatly.
- Check light bulbs — replace any burned-out bulbs. Mismatched color temperatures (mixing warm incandescent with cool LED) create an uneven look on camera.
Morning of the Shoot
- Turn on every light in the house — even during daytime shoots, interior lights add warmth and eliminate dark corners. Open all blinds and curtains.
- Move pets out of the home — dogs and cats appear on camera unexpectedly and require time to edit around. Arrange for them to be elsewhere during the shoot.
- Arrange for sellers to be absent if possible — an empty home films more efficiently and feels more spacious without people moving through it.
- Final walkthrough — walk every room yourself and ask: does this look like a show home? If not, fix it.
What We Handle on Our End
Our team brings equipment for the full interior and aerial shoot. We handle all framing, lighting decisions, and movement. What we can't do is move furniture, clean windows, or remove personal items after we arrive — that's why this prep list matters.
If you're working with a staging company, coordinate their visit for the day before the shoot so everything is in place when we arrive.
Have questions about preparing a specific property? Reach out when you book and we'll talk through any specifics.