There’s a fixation on having a real estate video that’s exactly the right length. “Attention spans are short! Keep it under three minutes! Two minutes! Sixty seconds!” We hear some version of this statement repeated by clients, Realtors, and other real estate videographers. It’s not a philosophy with which we agree.
How long should a real estate video be?
A real estate video needs to be as long as it needs to be. Instead of worrying about an arbitrary number, focus on the watchability of the video. Is the video engaging and providing value to its audience? Does it move forward without long, artistic pauses? Does it answer questions buyers will have about the property and are those answers provided in a concise manner?
Are attention spans really shorter?
We think nothing of sitting in a theatre for two-plus hours to watch the latest Marvel movie or spending a weekend binge-watching the newest season of Stranger Things. People still read novels that are hundreds of pages long and it’s no longer outlandish to spend an entire weekend playing a video game. When we’re provided with content that’s engaging and satisfying, we’ll consume it for hours on end, day after day.
The problem isn’t that our attention spans are shorter. It’s that there’s so much content out there that we can be very selective. If something doesn’t provide near immediate value by entertaining, educating, or fascinating us, we move on to the next thing.
Shorter ≠ Better
Instead of asking, “Is this video short enough?” ask yourself, “Does this entire video provide value to its audience? Does every shot, every image, every word move the video forward?”
When a video is tight and moves forward while answering questions, the length looks after itself.
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Paul Poulsen & Valerie Labrecque
Burnt Boat Media
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