1. Complete the one-minute just-listed video brief
“Just listed” describes a campaign moment, not a complete creative direction. Decide what a viewer should understand and where that person should go next. A useful brief prevents the edit from becoming a rapid tour of every available room with three competing calls to action.
Just-listed video brief
Property identity: [approved address or approved location label]
Viewer: [active buyer / local sphere / seller audience / event audience]
One job: [introduce the home / earn a property-page visit / announce an open house]
Primary visual promise: [the property evidence viewers will see]
One differentiator: [verified feature that materially changes the story]
Current action: [view details / request a showing / save the open-house time]
Controlled destination: [current property page or approved contact path]
Required versions: [9:16 / 16:9 / branded / clean]
If the brief names both “tour the entire home” and “announce Saturday's open house,” make two edits. The evergreen property overview can keep working after the event, while the event reminder can be short, dated, and retired when the showing window passes. Use the open house video campaign guide to plan the announcement, property proof, reminder, and post-event update as separate assets.
2. Lock the facts before the timeline
Build a small approved fact sheet from the current listing record and responsible broker or team workflow. Do not write from memory, an old draft, a photographer's folder name, or a generated summary. The visual and written claims need the same source of truth.
| Field | Decision | Failure to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Property identity | Approved address, city, or location label | Exposing a location that should remain limited |
| Status and timing | Exact current status and event details | Leaving “just listed” or an event date live after it changes |
| Numbers | Price, beds, baths, area, fees, or lot details to include | Using rounded, stale, or mismatched figures |
| Feature claims | Only details supported by the listing and visible media | Turning an inference into a property fact |
| Action | One live page, inquiry route, or showing instruction | Sending viewers to an expired, generic, or untracked destination |
| Required notices | Brokerage, fair-housing, media, and platform review items | Making the clean version noncompliant or the marketing version incomplete |
Price is an editorial choice only after it is an approved fact. Put it in the video when it helps the launch and your team can replace or retire the asset promptly. Otherwise, route the viewer to a controlled page where the current price and status can be maintained.
3. Choose six to eight images that create a route
A 30-second video rarely needs the complete photo gallery. Select images that answer distinct questions: What is the property? How do I enter the story? What are the main shared spaces? What second zone matters? What feature is memorable? What image can hold the final action?
- Identity image: a truthful exterior or strongest establishing view.
- Arrival image: entry, foyer, or a wide interior that provides orientation.
- Main-space image: the clearest wide view of the primary living area.
- Connected-space image: kitchen, dining, or another visible relationship.
- Second-zone image: primary suite, outdoor area, workspace, or accessory space.
- Differentiator image: the one approved feature that earns emphasis.
- Closing image: a clean frame with room for a readable action.
Remove duplicate angles before removing orientation. A medium kitchen detail may be beautiful, but it should not replace the wide view that explains how the kitchen relates to the living area. The photo-to-video guide covers sequencing, motion, and source-image review in more depth.
4. Fill in this 30-second just-listed video template
| Time | Visual job | Fill-in copy |
|---|---|---|
| 0–3 seconds | Identify the listing and earn the next scene | Just listed · [approved location] |
| 3–8 seconds | Establish arrival or the main visual promise | [Property type or verified defining feature] |
| 8–15 seconds | Show the primary shared spaces | [Bed/bath summary] · [approved area, if useful] |
| 15–21 seconds | Introduce a second distinct property zone | [Short factual label, not a slogan] |
| 21–26 seconds | Land on one meaningful differentiator | [Verified feature and why it matters visually] |
| 26–30 seconds | Give one readable next step | View details / Request a showing · [approved identity] |
Optional 30-second narration draft
“Now available in [approved location], this [property type] opens with [visible arrival or main-space detail]. The home includes [verified core facts], with [visible relationship between spaces]. [Second property zone] adds [supported function or context], while [differentiator] gives the property its clearest point of distinction. View the current details and request a showing at [approved destination].”
Rewrite the draft against the chosen images. If the narration names a pantry while the video shows the exterior, the script and edit are not ready. The words should clarify visible evidence, not race through every fact in the listing description.
5. Make the 15-second cut about one reason to continue
The short cut is not the 30-second version played faster. Narrow the promise and reduce the number of facts. Use it as a launch announcement, a single-feature teaser, or an event bridge to the current property page.
15-second just-listed cut
0–2 seconds: Just listed · [approved location]
2–6 seconds: [strongest establishing or main-space image]
6–11 seconds: [two contrasting zones or one differentiator]
11–15 seconds: [one current action and controlled destination]
Maximum fact load: [identity] + [one core summary] + [one differentiator]
Preserve reading time. A shorter video with six dense text cards is not actually easier to understand. If required brokerage identity, event details, and the call to action cannot fit comfortably, simplify the creative or use the 30-second structure.
6. Separate on-screen text, narration, and post copy
Each layer has a different job. On-screen text supports silent or interrupted viewing. Narration provides a coherent property story. The post caption holds timely context, fuller details, and the next step. Repeating the same paragraph in all three places wastes the asset.
| Layer | Best use | Editing rule |
|---|---|---|
| On-screen text | Identity, essential facts, short labels, CTA | Keep it brief, high contrast, and inside a safe composition |
| Narration | Route, relationships, and one supported point of distinction | Say only what the current scene can support |
| Captions | Accurate access to spoken words and meaningful audio | Review names, numbers, addresses, and real-estate terms manually |
| Post copy | Status, expanded facts, event detail, attribution, destination | Keep the action current and update it when the listing changes |
Use the property caption generator for editable just-listed copy, or the listing marketing kit when the launch also needs email and YouTube drafts. Treat every generated line as a draft and verify it against the current listing. The new-listing email template guide shows how to connect the property video to buyer, database, agent-network, and seller messages. The real estate video captions guide provides the full workflow for synchronized captions, on-screen property text, and post copy.
7. Prepare a small launch package, not one universal file
The campaign can share one approved fact sheet and visual story while using different final files. A vertical discovery cut, horizontal property-page overview, and clean delivery file have different frames and identity requirements. Define the package before editing so important subjects and text survive each composition.
- 9:16 launch cut: true vertical composition, readable cover, short action.
- 16:9 property cut: wider spatial context for a property page or deliberate watch.
- Branded marketing version: approved agent and brokerage identity.
- Clean version when required: built to the exact destination and MLS instructions.
- Cover image: truthful hero frame with minimal readable text.
- Caption and link: current status, approved details, and one tagged destination.
Check the video sizes guide before export and thebranded-versus-unbranded guide before delivery. A logo-free file is not automatically valid for every MLS or portal; the player, page, link, audio, metadata, and surrounding destination may also matter.
8. Review the exact exports, then maintain the campaign
Watch every final version from beginning to end on a phone and a larger screen. Review the actual exported file, not only the editor timeline. Confirm the source rights, facts, crops, generated motion, pronunciation, captions, music permission, disclosures, identity, and link.
Final just-listed video approval
□ Address or location label matches the approved listing.
□ Price, status, dates, numbers, and feature claims are current.
□ Every image, crop, animation, and transition remains faithful to the property.
□ Narration and captions match the visible scene and approved facts.
□ Music and property media are cleared for every planned destination.
□ Branding, clean delivery, and notices follow current instructions.
□ The cover is accurate and the action remains readable.
□ The link opens the correct current property page and carries the planned campaign tag.
□ An owner and date are assigned for status updates or retirement.
Launch first where the property information is controlled, then distribute the appropriate version to social, email, video hosts, and approved listing destinations. Use the listing launch checklist to coordinate the broader campaign, and update or retire any “just listed,” price, availability, or event language as soon as it stops being current.
Make the property video without rebuilding the template
Westby turns an active listing's photos into a cinematic, narrated video preview. Enter the property address or listing link, review the direction, and decide whether it fits the approved launch package before purchasing.
Create a free listing-video preview.
Frequently asked questions
What should a just-listed real estate video include?
Include a clear property identity, four to six distinct visual beats, a small set of verified facts, one meaningful differentiator, and one current call to action. The video does not need to show every room or repeat the complete listing description.
How long should a just-listed video be?
Use about 15 seconds for a single-feature or announcement cut and about 30 seconds for a compact property story. These are editorial starting points, not platform limits or performance guarantees. Add time only when it adds useful property context.
Should the price appear in a just-listed video?
Show the price only when it is approved, current, readable, and useful to the campaign. If the price may change or the video will remain in circulation, keep the video evergreen and place the current price on the controlled property page or post copy instead.
Can a just-listed video use listing photos instead of new footage?
Yes, when the agent has permission to use and adapt the photos. Choose a coherent route, apply restrained motion, and verify that animation, cropping, narration, and transitions do not imply property details the source images do not prove.