Contents
1. Why a Script + Shot List
A clear script aligns the story with the real walk-through: exterior to entry, living core, private rooms, amenities, location, and a direct call to action. A tight shot list ensures you capture what converts: light, layout, storage, finishes, brand cues, and the commute. The same structure scales across listings, so you can batch content without drifting quality.
2. Pre-Production: Buyer, Selling Points, Style
Buyer profile
- First-time, upgrader, school district, investor, vacation, or downsizer
- Top concerns: price per square foot, commute, school, HOA fees, renovation level, taxes, rental yield
Layered selling points
- Hero hooks (1–2): view corridor, rare layout, top school, transit proximity
- Function points (3–5): daylight, flow, storage, kitchen usability, balcony, smart home
- Detail points: materials, hardware, appliance brands, HVAC, fresh air, security, management
Rhythm and style
- 60-second quick tour for ads and previews
- 3-minute full walkthrough for site and portals
- 5-minute luxury mood piece for premium listings
Light and timing
- Pick the best natural light window; replace dead bulbs; open drapes
- Stage lightly: plants, fresh towels, minimal props
3. Three Ready-to-Use Scripts
3.1 Sixty-Second Quick Tour
Structure: Hook (0–5s) → Living core (5–20s) → Beds/Baths (20–40s) → Amenities/Location (40–55s) → CTA (55–60s)
Voiceover sample:
You are looking at a [area/bedrooms/floor] home with [key selling point]. Sunlit living connects to [balcony/kitchen], with [smart flow/storage] throughout. The primary suite features [ensuite/walk-in], and baths offer [wet-dry separation]. The community includes [amenities], and it is [X]-minute to [metro/mall/school]. Message us to book your private tour.
3.2 Three-Minute Standard Walkthrough
Structure: Exterior and community → Entry → Living/Dining/Kitchen → Balcony → Primary suite → Secondary room/Study → Baths → Storage/Systems → Amenities → Location and schools → Costs and CTA
Voiceover sample:
Set in [district/community], this home benefits from [management/amenities reputation]. The entry offers [storage/bench], opening to a bright living-dining kitchen zone with [orientation/window span]. The kitchen is [U/L/island] with [brand appliances]. The primary suite maintains privacy with [walk-in/dual vanity]. Secondary space flexes as [kid room/guest/office]. Baths are [windowed/wet-dry]. The neighborhood brings [park/club/gym] within minutes, and [metro/arterial] is [X] minutes away. Pricing, fees, and verified school info available on request.
3.3 Five-Minute Luxury Mood Piece
Approach: slower cuts, move-through reveals, lifestyle beats: morning light, sunset dinner, night terrace. Let ambient sound breathe.
Voiceover sample:
Morning light threads through [orientation] floor-to-ceiling glass. Stone and wood take on warmth as the island becomes the room’s anchor. At dusk, the terrace meets the skyline. This is not just a property; it is a vessel for [owner lifestyle]. If you value [privacy/quiet/hosting], experience it in person.
4. Scene-By-Scene Shot List
Recommended kit: gimbal, tripod, wide-to-normal lens, drone where permitted, wireless lav, on-camera shotgun, small LED, CPL and ND.
Exterior and community
- Establishing aerial or high angle, 5–8 seconds
- Gate and lobby push-in, 3–5 seconds
- Pathway and clubhouse, pool, gym, 2–3 seconds each
Entry and foyer
- Door POV open and glide into foyer
- Closet open/close, key drop detail
Living, dining, kitchen
- Wide orbit or slow push to show openness
- Tablescape, island surface, soft-close drawers
- Ignition and faucet action, brand close-ups
Balcony and view
- Door slide sound, pan to view
- Railing height, drain detail
Primary suite
- One-take path: doorway to bed to window to closet to bath
- Wet-dry separation, dual vanity, tub water run
Secondary room or study
- Reading, desk, or storage vignette
Systems and storage
- HVAC, floor heating manifold, fresh air unit
- Outlets, data ports, smart panels
Amenities and location
- Street life, park, mall, 2–3 seconds each
- Transit sign, quick-cut walking path
Closing shot
- Return to living or balcony at golden hour with on-screen CTA
5. 360 and Interactive Tours
- Node map: foyer, living center, kitchen turn, primary center, bath exterior, balcony doorway
- Camera height 1.3–1.5 m; nodes 3–5 m apart to avoid blind zones
- Mark compass orientation on the floor plan for each hotspot
- Hotspot cards: materials, brands, appliance lists, area data, HOA, taxes, school notes
- Do HDR bracketing for window contrast so both texture and view hold
6. Look, Music & Sound Strategy
- Color temperature: unify mixed lighting; bias to neutral white balance
- Music: 60s uses clear beats around 140–160 BPM; luxury prefers atmospheric slow builds
- Voice: wireless lav for narration; capture 30 seconds of room tone for a clean noise bed
- Protect skin tones and material texture; avoid over-saturation and crushed blacks
7. Editing Workflow & Delivery
- Project folders: footage, audio, proxies, exports, covers; file names include listing ID and version (S60, M180, L300)
- Aspect ratios: 16:9 main, 9:16 vertical, 1:1 square
- Subtitles and callouts: short punchy phrases for key benefits; provide separate SRT
- Delivery: H.264/H.265, 4K or 1080p, target 25–50 Mbps for 4K
- Package: horizontal and vertical masters, clean master without captions, SRT, keyframe stills for thumbnails, floor plan and node map if 360
8. Publishing and SEO
Title patterns
- [City/Area] [Beds/Sqft] | Real Estate Virtual Tour | [Key Hook] | Full Walkthrough
- [Community] Model Home | 3-Minute Tour | View Balcony / Wet-Dry Bath / X-Min to Metro
Description template
Highlights: south-facing, great flow, balcony view, X-minute to metro Specs: [sqft] | [beds/baths] | [floor/orientation] | [renovation year] | [HOA/schools] Area: [district], [park/mall/hospital/transit line] Costs: [price], [ppsf], [HOA], [estimated taxes] Booking: DM or call [phone] | WeChat [id] #RealEstateVirtualTour #ShotList #VirtualHomeTour
Chapters example
- 0:00 Exterior and community
- 0:12 Entry and flow
- 0:35 Living, dining, kitchen
- 1:05 Balcony and view
- 1:28 Primary suite
- 1:58 Secondary room
- 2:20 Baths and storage
- 2:40 Amenities and location
- 2:55 Pricing and booking
Schema markup
Add VideoObject and, for process pages, HowTo JSON-LD to your page. Replace placeholders.
<script type="application/ld+json">{ "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "VideoObject", "name": "Real Estate Virtual Tour: [Community/Hook]", "description": "A conversion-focused virtual tour with script and shot list.", "thumbnailUrl": ["https://example.com/cover.jpg"], "uploadDate": "2025-09-17", "duration": "PT3M5S", "contentUrl": "https://example.com/video.mp4", "embedUrl": "https://example.com/embed/xxxxx", "publisher": {"@type": "Organization","name": "[Brand]","logo":{"@type": "ImageObject","url":"https://example.com/logo.png"}} }</script>
9. Shoot-Day Checklist
Property
- Clean surfaces and declutter, all lights working, drapes open
- Light staging only: plant, flowers, fresh towels
Gear
- Gimbal, tripod, batteries and cards
- Lav mic, shotgun, backup recorder
- CPL and ND filters, lens cloth, power bank
Shooting
- Wide before detail, public before private
- Each space: one master, two details minimum
- Capture ambient sound and B-roll
- Shoot both horizontal and vertical from the same angles
Compliance
- Owner and building permission, respect privacy, follow local drone rules
10. Common Pitfalls and Fixes
- Chaotic path: match video order to the real walk-through
- Ultra-wide distortion: mix in normal focal lengths
- Blown windows: use HDR or fill light
- Info overload: in 60 seconds, only the top three to five conversion points
- Missing CTA and captions: always include both
11. FAQ and JSON-LD
Which length should I use
Use 60 seconds for ads and social, 3 minutes for main listing pages, and 5 minutes for luxury projects.
Do I need on-camera narration
For standard units, voiceover and captions are efficient. For premium listings, presenter on camera builds trust.
Do I have to shoot vertical separately
The safest approach is to capture both orientations on set to avoid losing composition in post.
How does 360 relate to standard video
They complement each other: 360 for exploration, edited video for pace and emotion.
HowTo JSON-LD example
<script type="application/ld+json">{ "@context":"https://schema.org", "@type":"HowTo", "name":"Produce a high-converting real estate virtual tour", "step":[ {"@type":"HowToStep","name":"Define buyer and selling points"}, {"@type":"HowToStep","name":"Pick the 60/180/300 second script"}, {"@type":"HowToStep","name":"Shoot by the scene-based shot list"}, {"@type":"HowToStep","name":"Shape look, music, and sound"}, {"@type":"HowToStep","name":"Edit horizontal and vertical masters with captions"}, {"@type":"HowToStep","name":"Publish with chapters and schema markup"} ] }</script>