Glossary

Real estate video glossary.

60 terms you run into when you make listing video: file specs, camera moves, photo edits, the disclosure rules and the platforms. Short definitions, with the practical part first.

Formats and file specs

The numbers that decide whether your film looks sharp on a phone or gets cropped, squashed or recompressed into mush.

Aspect ratio: The shape of the frame, written width to height. A listing film usually needs at least three: 9:16 for Reels, TikTok and Shorts, 4:5 for the Instagram and Facebook feed, and 16:9 for YouTube, your website and the MLS. Cropping one master into the others cuts doorways and kitchen islands in half, which is why Property Video Generator reframes every shot per cut.
9:16Also: Vertical video: Full screen vertical, rendered at 1080x1920. The native shape for Instagram Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Stories. If you only make one cut for social, make this one, and keep text inside the safe zone.
4:5Also: Portrait feed: The tall feed format, 1080x1350. It takes up more of the scroll than a square post without being treated as a Reel. Since early 2025 Instagram's profile grid previews posts at 3:4, so keep the key detail away from the very top and bottom edges.
16:9Also: Widescreen, landscape: The TV shape, 1920x1080 at 1080p. Right for YouTube, the listing website, a presentation to sellers and the MLS virtual tour field. Luxury buyers often watch here, on a laptop or a TV, rather than on a phone.
Safe zone: The part of a vertical frame that the app's own interface does not cover. On Reels and TikTok the bottom strip holds the caption and username and the right side holds like, comment and share buttons, so an address or price placed there disappears. Check a frame with the safe zone checker.
Frame rateAlso: fps, 24, 30, 60: How many frames are shown per second. 24 fps reads as cinematic, 30 fps is the everyday standard for social video, and 60 fps looks very smooth and is mostly used for gimbal footage that will be slowed down. Pick one per project and stick to it; mixing rates causes stutter on slow camera moves.
Bitrate: How much data the video uses per second, usually given in megabits per second (Mbps). Higher bitrate holds fine detail like wood grain and carpet texture. YouTube's own upload guidance suggests about 8 Mbps for 1080p at 24 to 30 fps; social apps recompress everything anyway, so uploading far above that rarely helps.
H.264Also: AVC: The video codec almost every platform, phone and MLS accepts without complaint. Export listing films as H.264 in an MP4 container unless a platform asks for something else. Newer codecs (HEVC, AV1) are smaller but not universally accepted by upload forms.
1080pAlso: Full HD: A frame 1080 pixels on its short side: 1920x1080 for widescreen, 1080x1920 for vertical. It is the resolution Reels, TikTok and Shorts display at, which is why it is the delivery standard for social. Property Video Generator's paid plans render every cut at 1080p; the free plan renders at 720p with a watermark.
4KAlso: UHD, 2160p: 3840x2160, four times the pixels of 1080p. Worth it for a big screen, a YouTube channel or a master you will re-edit later; wasted on a Reel. 4K masters are on Property Video Generator's Studio plan roadmap and are not available yet.

Camera moves and motion

What the camera does on screen, whether it was a real camera on a gimbal or a move built from a still photo.

Ken Burns effect: A slow pan and zoom across a flat still photo, named after the documentary filmmaker who made it famous. It is the default motion in most slideshow tools. Because the photo stays flat, the whole image slides as one sheet, which is the giveaway that you are watching a slideshow. See parallax for the alternative.
Parallax: Near objects moving faster than far ones as the camera moves. It is how your eye reads depth: the sofa slides past while the window behind it barely shifts. Adding parallax to a still is what separates a film from a slideshow.
Depth map: A greyscale image that records how far each pixel is from the camera. Software uses it to split a still photo into layers so a virtual camera can move through the room with real parallax. Property Video Generator builds its camera moves from depth like this, so walls and windows stay as photographed rather than being redrawn.
Push in and pull outAlso: Dolly in, dolly out: A push in moves the camera forward into the scene and draws attention to one feature: the fireplace, the view, the island. A pull out moves back to reveal how the space connects, which makes it a natural way to end on an open plan or the exterior.
Orbit: The camera arcs around a subject, left or right, keeping it centred. On a kitchen island or a pool it shows shape in a way a straight move cannot. On a drone it is the classic circle around the house.
CraneAlso: Crane up, crane down, pedestal: The camera rises or descends vertically. Crane up from a countertop to the whole kitchen, or down from a ceiling detail to the room. On a still photo the move has to be small, because there is nothing above or below the frame to reveal.
Gimbal: A motorised handheld stabiliser that keeps a camera or phone level while you walk. It is what makes a walkthrough feel like gliding rather than handheld bounce. Property Video Generator does not take video clips; its moves come from photos, so you do not need one.
Speed ramp: Changing playback speed within a clip, for example slowing to half speed as the door opens and snapping back to normal. It needs footage shot at a high frame rate, so it belongs to video shoots rather than photo based films.
Drone footageAlso: Aerial video: Video or stills shot from a small unmanned aircraft. It shows lot lines, water access, neighbourhood and roof in one shot. In the US, flying for a listing is commercial use and needs a Part 107 certificate. Property Video Generator accepts aerial stills as photos but not drone video clips; see listing video without a drone.
Part 107: The FAA rule (14 CFR Part 107) for commercial drone flights in the US, which covers real estate work. The pilot needs a Remote Pilot Certificate, the drone must be under 55 lb, flights stay at or below 400 ft above ground and within visual line of sight, controlled airspace needs authorization (usually through LAANC), and the drone must broadcast Remote ID. Pilots keep the certificate current with free online recurrent training every 24 calendar months.

Shooting and photo editing

The photo side, since most listing films are only as good as the stills they start from.

HDR bracketing: Shooting the same frame at several exposures, often 3 to 7, then blending them so the window view and the dark corner are both visible. It is standard practice for interiors. Over-blended HDR gives grey, flat rooms and haloes around windows.
Twilight shoot: Exterior photos taken in the 20 or so minutes after sunset, with every interior light on, so the house glows against a deep blue sky. It is a separate trip for the photographer and usually costs extra. Twilight shots make strong film openers and cover images.
Virtual twilight: A daytime exterior edited to look like dusk: sky darkened, windows lit, landscape lighting added. Cheaper than a twilight shoot and it counts as a digital alteration, so label it. See virtual twilight or try it on your own photo with the twilight preview.
Sky replacementAlso: Blue sky: Swapping a grey or blown out sky for a clear blue one. Many photographers treat it as routine, but it changes how the property looks on the day, and some MLSs and California's AB 723 can treat it as an alteration that needs disclosure. When in doubt, label it.
DeclutteringAlso: Object removal: Removing personal items, cords, bins and clutter from a photo. Small cleanup is normal; removing things that stay with the property, like a power line, a crack or a neighbour's wall, misrepresents it. Property Video Generator labels decluttered photos "Digitally enhanced".
Virtual staging: Adding digital furniture and decor to an empty room photo. It costs a fraction of physical staging and helps buyers read the scale of a room. It must be disclosed: most MLSs require a label, and California law requires one in ads. See AI virtual staging and our notes on staging disclosure.
Colour gradeAlso: Color grading: The deliberate look applied across a film: warmer or cooler, more or less contrast, how saturated the greens are. Colour correction makes shots accurate; grading gives them a mood. A consistent grade is what makes 22 photos from different times of day feel like one film.
LUTAlso: Look up table: A file that maps input colours to output colours, used to apply a grade in one step. Handy for consistency across a shoot. A LUT built for log footage will look wrong on normal photos, so check before you apply one.
Cover imageAlso: Thumbnail: The still that represents your video before it plays: in the Reels grid, on a YouTube Short, in an email. Pick the frame that sells the listing, usually the twilight exterior or the best room, and make sure it reads at thumbnail size.
Floor plan: A top down drawing of the layout with room sizes. Buyers use it to judge flow, which video alone shows badly. A floor plan is a good final frame or a link in the caption, and it can come from a 3D scan or a separate measuring service.
3D tourAlso: Matterport tour: An interactive model built from 360 degree scans, which buyers move through by clicking. Matterport is the best known brand. A 3D tour answers "where is the laundry"; a film answers "do I want this house". Many listings use both, the tour in the MLS and the film on social.

Disclosure and compliance

The rules that apply to listing video in the US. Most vary by state or MLS; we say where they do. Checked October 2026; this is not legal advice.

AB 723: A California law in effect since 1 January 2026 (Business and Professions Code section 10140.8). Agents and brokers who advertise a property with a digitally altered image must place a reasonably conspicuous statement on or next to it saying it was altered, plus a link, URL or QR code to the original, unaltered image. Basic edits like exposure, colour correction and cropping are not alterations; virtual staging, object removal and changing features are.
Digitally altered disclosure: A visible note that a photo or frame was changed beyond basic correction. Outside California it is usually an MLS rule or brokerage policy rather than a state law. Property Video Generator puts a "Digitally enhanced" or "Virtually staged" label on edited photos in the film and on the listing website, the label cannot be removed, and originals are kept. If you advertise in California you still need to give buyers access to the originals.
Fair housing in ads: The federal Fair Housing Act bars ads that indicate a preference or limitation based on race, colour, religion, sex, disability, familial status or national origin, and many states add more protected classes. In a script that means describing the property, not the buyer: "three bedrooms near the park" is fine, "perfect for a young couple" is not. Narration is advertising too.
Special Ad Category: housing: The label Meta requires on Facebook and Instagram ads for housing, including boosted listing posts. As of October 2026, US housing ads cannot target by age, gender or ZIP code, cannot exclude locations, and any location target is widened to at least a 15 mile radius. Organic posts are not affected; only paid promotion is.
Clear Cooperation Policy: NAR's MLS Policy Statement 8.0: once a listing is publicly marketed, including a coming soon Reel, it must be submitted to the MLS within one business day. Since 2025 NAR also lets MLSs offer delayed marketing exempt listings, where the seller signs off on holding back IDX and syndication for a period. Check your MLS: implementation and delay periods vary.

MLS and listing distribution

Where the film goes once it exists, and the rules each destination brings.

MLS virtual tour field: The slot in an MLS listing for a video or tour link, which then flows to IDX sites and many portals. Many MLSs accept only a link, not an uploaded file, and many require it to be unbranded. See video for the MLS and property video for MLS.
Unbranded virtual tour: A version of the video or tour with no agent name, brokerage, logo, phone number or website. Many MLSs require the virtual tour field to be unbranded because it is shown on other brokers' sites. Rules differ by MLS, so check yours. Every Property Video Generator film includes an unbranded MLS 16:9 cut, and listing websites have an unbranded link.
Branded tour: The version with your name, logo, headshot and contact card. Use it on social, your website, email and YouTube, anywhere you are allowed to market yourself as well as the house.
IDXAlso: Internet Data Exchange: The MLS system that lets brokers show each other's listings on their own websites. If your video link is in the MLS virtual tour field, it often appears on IDX sites too, which is one reason the unbranded rule exists.
Syndication: Sending listing data from the MLS or a broker feed to third party portals such as Zillow, Realtor.com and Homes.com. Whether the video link travels with it depends on your MLS and each portal. If a portal does not pick up the video, upload it there directly where the portal allows.
Coming soon: A listing status before the property is active, often with no showings allowed. Not every MLS has it and the rules differ. Under the Clear Cooperation Policy a public coming soon video usually starts the one business day clock. See coming soon listing video.
Just listed: The announcement post for a newly active listing, and the single most common listing video. It needs the price, the area and the best room in the first two seconds. See just listed video.
Just sold: A post after closing that markets the agent rather than the house: the result, the days on market, what you did. Check MLS and brokerage rules on sharing a sale price before it is public record. See just sold video.
Open house teaser: A short video posted a few days before an open house, with the date, time and address in the hook. Under 30 seconds is plenty. See open house video.

Story, sound and captions

What makes someone watch past the second photo.

Hook: The first one to three seconds: the shot and line that stop the scroll. For a listing that is usually the best feature plus one number, "$2.1M on deep water, no bridges to the Gulf", not the front door and the agent's logo. See real estate reel hooks.
B-roll: Supporting footage that plays under narration or between main shots: the coffee shop down the street, a detail of the tile, the light through a window. In a photo based film, detail shots and neighbourhood photos do the same job.
Walkthrough video: A video that moves through the home in the order a buyer would walk it, front door to backyard. Clear for the MLS, often slow on social. A good film borrows the walkthrough's sense of layout but opens on the strongest room.
Listing film: Our term for a short, story led listing video: a hook, a planned route through the home, narration and a score, cut to 30 to 60 seconds. As opposed to a slideshow, where every photo gets the same few seconds in upload order. See listing films and the slideshow maker page for the difference.
VoiceoverAlso: VO: Recorded narration laid over the picture. It can be your own voice, a hired voice actor, or a synthetic voice. Property Video Generator offers 10 ElevenLabs voices in 10 languages, your own recorded take against a teleprompter, or music only.
Narration script: The words of the voiceover, timed to the shots. For a 45 second film that is roughly 90 to 110 words, which is less than most agents expect. Every claim in it should match the listing details. Try the script generator or read scripts that sell homes.
Captions vs subtitles: Captions transcribe what is said, and in the accessibility sense also sound cues, for people watching without sound. Subtitles translate dialogue into another language. On social the terms blur, and both matter because a large share of feed video plays muted. See captions for real estate videos.
Burned-in captionsAlso: Open captions: Captions drawn into the video pixels, so they always show and look the same everywhere. The opposite is closed captions, a separate file the viewer can switch on. Burned-in captions are the norm on Reels and TikTok because you control the font, size and position. Property Video Generator burns in one of 12 caption styles.
SRTAlso: SubRip subtitle file: A plain text caption file: numbered cues, each with a start and end time (00:00:04,200 --> 00:00:06,900) and the line of text. YouTube, Facebook and LinkedIn accept SRT uploads for closed captions.
Royalty free music: Music licensed for a one time fee or subscription with no per play royalties. It is not the same as free or copyright free; the licence still sets where you can use it. Trending audio from inside an app is often licensed only for personal accounts on that app. See music for real estate videos.
Content ID: YouTube's system that matches uploads against reference files from rights holders. A match can block the video, track it, or send its ad revenue to the claimant. Some royalty free tracks are registered in Content ID too, so licensed music can still get a claim you have to dispute.
Beat sync: Cutting so shot changes land on the beat of the music. It is a large part of why a film feels edited rather than assembled. Property Video Generator times cuts to the score, and changing the music mood re-times them to the new beat.

Platforms and posting

Where agents post listing video, and the one detail per platform that trips people up.

Reels: Instagram's vertical short video format, also on Facebook. Make it 9:16 at 1080x1920, keep text in the safe zone, and design the first frame to work as the grid cover. See Instagram Reels for realtors.
YouTube Shorts: YouTube's vertical format. Since October 2024 a Short can be up to 3 minutes long, though a listing rarely needs more than 60 seconds. YouTube blocks a Short longer than 1 minute that has an active Content ID claim, so use cleared music. See YouTube Shorts for real estate.
TikTok: Vertical video with the most aggressive interface overlay: the caption at the bottom and a tall button rail on the right. Text usually has to sit higher and further left than on Reels. See TikTok for realtors and Reels vs TikTok vs Shorts.

Legal and platform details were checked on October 27, 2026. MLS rules vary by MLS and state law by state, so confirm with your MLS and broker before relying on any of it; nothing here is legal advice. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

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