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Part of Five steps estate agents can take to choose a video marketing agency
Five steps estate agents can take to choose a video marketing agency
Five steps estate agents can follow to choose a video marketing agency, covering portal rules, CAP Code compliance, rights and the questions to ask before signing.
What to take away
- Estate agency video is judged on listing enquiries, not views, so ask for enquiry data from comparable property campaigns.
- Portal specifications and the CAP Code shape what you can claim on screen, so compliance knowledge matters as much as camera work.
- Rights, usage terms and raw footage ownership should be settled in writing before the first shoot day.
- Budget for a repeatable monthly format rather than one flagship film that sits unused.
Estate agency video is a repeatable format, not a one-off film
Estate agents generate more video than most local service businesses. A branch may need a weekly market update, a walkthrough for every new instruction and short clips for social feeds.
Retained team vs solo editor
Retained team
- Monthly edits
- Built into contract
- Shoot booking
- Supplier handles
- Risk
- Lower
- Cost model
- Monthly retainer
Solo editor
- Monthly edits
- Ad hoc
- Shoot booking
- Branch handles
- Risk
- Higher
- Cost model
- Day rate
The right supplier builds that rhythm into the contract. Ask how many finished edits arrive each month and who books the shoots. Branches that buy single projects often return to filming on phones within a quarter. If you are still weighing a solo editor against a retained team, our comparison of an agency versus freelancer sets out where each model breaks down.
Portal rules and the CAP Code shape the edit
Rightmove and Zoopla both allow video on listings, and each sets its own file and length requirements. Those specifications change, so check the current portal guidance rather than trusting a supplier's old case study.
Portal rules vs CAP Code
Portal rules
- Scope
- File and length
- Enforced by
- Rightmove and Zoopla
- Requires
- Current spec check
- Passing it means
- Accepted on listing
CAP Code
- Scope
- Advertising claims
- Enforced by
- Advertising regulator
- Requires
- Accurate, not misleading
- Passing it means
- Claim is compliant
Portal rules and advertising rules are not the same thing. Meeting a file specification does not make a claim compliant, and passing the CAP Code does not guarantee a video will be accepted on a listing.
Advertising claims sit under the CAP Code, which requires property ads to be accurate and not misleading. Read the non-broadcast advertising code before approving a script that mentions price or completion dates.
Compliance checks before you film
Brief any supplier on these four points before the first shoot.
- Estate agents work under the Estate Agents Act 1979, so scripts should avoid promising outcomes a branch cannot control.
- Get written consent from anyone identifiable on camera, including tenants and neighbours.
- Agree the wording for lease length, tenure and service charges with the branch compliance lead.
- Keep evidence on file for every figure or claim shown on screen.
A five-step process for choosing a supplier
Run the process in order and keep a written record of each answer. Branch managers move on, and new starters inherit the contract.
- Write a one-page brief covering properties per month, formats needed and who appears on camera.
- Ask for two estate agency examples with named, verifiable results.
- Check the portal specification yourself for the current video rules.
- Compare a monthly retainer with a freelance day rate, and weigh turnaround risk.
- Agree rights, usage period and raw footage handover in the contract.
Costs, rights and the questions that save money
Quote ranges move with crew size and travel, so ask for a breakdown rather than a single day rate. Editing and revisions often cost more than the shoot itself.
Footage ownership is the trap. Unless the contract assigns rights, the production company may hold copyright in what it films, so check the Intellectual Property Office guidance before signing.
Ask what happens when a listing goes under offer mid-shoot. A supplier with estate agency experience will have a process for pausing the film and removing it from the portal quickly.
Weekly market updates now run on short-form feeds as well as portals, so our guide to a short-form video marketing agency covers the format and pricing questions that come up first.
Common questions
Do I need an agency that specialises in estate agency work?
Not necessarily, but specialist experience shortens the brief. An agency that has filmed valuations and new-build launches will already understand the language a branch uses with sellers.
Does Rightmove accept video on every listing?
Portals publish their own specifications and packages differ, so confirm the current position with your Rightmove or Zoopla account manager before a shoot. Do not rely on a supplier's summary of the rules.
How should I split budget between portals and social?
Start with the format that generates enquiries you can track, then reuse the same footage elsewhere. Ask the supplier to log which edits were made for which channel.
Who owns the finished video?
It depends on the contract. Ask for assignment of rights in the footage and the finished edits, plus a defined usage period for paid social.
