Key Takeaways
- Basic walkthroughs: about 200-600 per listing
- Cinematic tours: 600-2,000+, typically for luxury homes
- Drone footage: usually adds 150-400
- Primary cost drivers: square footage, editing, rush jobs, and travel time
- Best value: bundling photo and video into one package
Most real estate videography pricing falls between $200 and $600 for a basic walkthrough and $600 to $2,000+ for a cinematic tour. The size of the property, use of drones, level of editing and production and the turnaround time will determine your final price. Typically, a basic walkthrough video will be on the lower end, and cinematic or drone video tours can be much higher.
If you have watched a video tour and said to yourself, ‘That is it? It is just a few minutes of video, why is that costing so much?’ A video producer has to think of how to plan, shoot, edit, sound design, graphic design, and finish a video in a matter of a few hours.
What can you really expect to pay, then?
Average Real Estate Video Pricing
This is an average price list for real estate videos in the United States. Prices can be 25-40% higher in major markets such as San Francisco or New York.| Video type | Typical price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Basic walkthrough | 200-600 | Standard family homes |
| Cinematic tour | 600-2,000+ | Luxury or high-value listings |
| Social reels (vertical) | 150-800 | Weekly posting, Instagram, TikTok |
| Drone add-on | +150-400 | Big lots, waterfront, acreage |
Vertical video simply means it is filmed to fill a phone screen, which is where most viewers watch.
What Influences Real Estate Videography Pricing?
Have you ever received two different quotes for the same video? These are the primary factors that contribute to the price difference:
Property size:
Square footage: A 1,200 sq ft condo may take an hour to shoot, but a 6,000 sq ft mansion could take half a day.
Aerial shots:
Drones require additional equipment, a licensed operator, and favorable weather conditions.
Post-production:
The video may be simple to just trim, but color correcting, adding graphics and captions takes time and effort too.
Music and voiceover:
Licensed tracks and voice-over narration add to the final cost, but they greatly improve the production quality.
Turnaround:
Some customers prefer to receive the video the same day, which obviously requires additional payment.
Distance:
The further you live, the higher the travel cost will be.
A well-produced real estate video is never made in a blink of an eye. Depending on the property size and additional services, each project requires anywhere from two to four hours of filming and multiple hours of editing.
Video vs. Photo: Why Video Costs More
If you have priced out stills, you know that real estate photography pricing is typically 175-1,200 depending on a property’s square footage. Real estate photography cost is lower because a photographer captures stills in one visit and then edits them in bulk. With video, you need to move around the house with stabilizers, capturing additional shots to create a narrative in the edit. The higher amount of gear, time, and editing contributes to a higher price per square foot.
So, the video should be worth the extra investment if:
- the house has something unique that needs showcasing,
- the property is mid-to-high priced,
- and the seller wants to maximize their social media exposure.
How to Package and Price Your Services
This part is for the photographers reading. Offering stills and video separately is asking the clients to do math. Bundling does it for them and increases the value of your jobs.
Real Estate Photography packages tend to be most popular in a 3-tier option:
| Package | What's included | Idea |
|---|---|---|
| Essentials | 25-35 photos | Entry option |
| Signature | Photos + 60-second video | Most popular |
| Premier | Photos, cinematic video, drone, reels | Luxury listings |
Add-ons such as Twilight photoshoot, agent on camera intro or additional vertical videos allow your clients to customize the deal without you having to rework your entire quote for every adjustment they ask for. And try not to choose the cheapest option, as the quality is lower, and it would be a turn-off for the agents you most want to work with.
Tips for Getting Value from Real Estate Video
Not every listing requires a $1,000 production.
For a smaller home in a fast-moving market, professional photography and a nice little walkthrough may be sufficient. It is not wise to invest heavily in production if the property is expected to receive strong buyer interest quickly.
However, video is especially useful for:
- Luxury properties
- Unique architectural homes
- Large estates
- Waterfront properties
- Homes with extraordinary outdoor spaces
- Listings which are receiving heavy social media promotion
- Properties targeting relocating buyers
The goal isn’t to create the longest or most elaborate video, but to make sure the content suits the property and supports your marketing strategy.
And when you consider the balance between real estate photography and videography, remember that there is a way to use both together. The photos will allow the buyer to see what they need to, while the video gives a more in-depth tour of your home’s beauty.
