Real Estate Shot List Checklist

Most weak real estate footage isn't a lighting or gear problem, it's a missing-shot problem. Shot lists get skipped because the property feels self-explanatory to walk through in person; it isn't once you're trying to sequence a video from it. This is the checklist we work from before any listing or project shoot.

The core checklist

• Entrance and approach.The first thing a buyer sees walking in, including the exterior lead-up if it's part of the impression.
• Living space. Shot at the pace someone would actually move through it, not a rushed pan.
• Kitchen and any standout finish. Slower, more deliberate framing here than in transitional spaces.
• Bedrooms, in order of relevance to the buyer profile. Master bedroom first for family listings, not necessarily room-by-room floor order.
• The standout feature, shot twice. Once inside the normal walkthrough flow, once as a dedicated close-up. See iPhone footage tips for why this matters even on a phone shoot.
• Buffer footage at the start and end of every room. Extra seconds an editor can use to find the right cut point, since cutting mid-clip with no buffer is a common, avoidable problem.

What to add for a launch, not a single listing

A project launch shot list adds two categories a single-listing shoot usually skips: a wide establishing shot that answers scale and location, and space for a proof shot, a resident, broker, or site-visit reaction, that has to be scheduled in advance since it depends on someone else's availability. See the full framework in how many reels a launch actually needs.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a professional camera to follow this checklist? No. The checklist is about coverage, not gear; a phone shoot that hits every item on this list edits better than a professional camera shoot missing half of them.

How long should a shoot take following this list? For a standard listing, most of a shoot day is spent on lighting and repeat takes, not the list itself; the list mainly prevents the costly mistake of leaving without a shot you need.