What to Include in a Commercial Real Estate Video: A Checklist for Brokers

Short answer: A strong commercial real estate video shows three things in under two minutes: the building, the location and the opportunity. That means aerial footage of the site and its surroundings, clear access to freeways and major roads, a look inside, and on-screen graphics for availability, square footage and key highlights. This checklist from Digipulse Productions, an Irvine, California video production company that has produced CRE video since 2006, walks through each piece.

1. Start with the location, not the lobby

For industrial, office and retail buyers, the building is only half the story. Tenants and investors want to know how easy the site is to reach: which freeways are nearby, where the closest on- and off-ramps are, how traffic flows past the property, and what surrounds it. Those details drive decisions on logistics, commute times, visibility and customer access.

Still photos rarely show that. Open the video with an aerial shot that frames the building against its surroundings so viewers immediately understand where it sits.

2. Show access and traffic flow

Point out nearby freeways, exits and major roads, and show how vehicles move to and from the site. For an industrial or logistics building, that might mean truck access and proximity to a freeway interchange. For retail, it means visibility from the road and how easy it is to pull in. A broker who shows this up front answers the questions that otherwise come up on every call.

3. Fly the site with a drone

Aerial drone footage is the fastest way to show scale: the building footprint, parking, yard space, loading and the surrounding area. Our pilots are FAA Part 107 certified, and we handle airspace authorizations when a location requires them. See our aerial drone videography services for what a drone shoot covers.

4. Take viewers inside

Exterior footage gets attention, but serious tenants want to see the space. Stabilized interior walkthroughs work well for office suites, and indoor drone or FPV fly-through tours are a memorable way to move through warehouses, lobbies and large open floors in one continuous shot.

5. Add clear graphics

Labels for freeways, cities and drive times help viewers understand the location in seconds. On-screen captions for availability, square footage and key highlights mean the video still works when it plays on mute in an email or on LinkedIn.

6. Keep it short and make versions for each channel

Brokers market a listing in many places: listing sites, email blasts, LinkedIn, the property website and presentations. A short, focused cut works across all of them. Ask your production company to format the final video for each place you plan to use it.

7. Show what the building will become

If the property is under construction or being repositioned, 3D architectural animation lets you market it before it is finished. Developers use it to show the completed building, landscaping and amenities so leasing can start early. Learn more about our 3D animation services.

Real example: CBRE in Cypress

For a CBRE listing at 5551 Katella Ave in Cypress, California, Digipulse added camera movement and depth to the property’s existing photography to create a 30-second motion video, with no new shoot. The goal was to help buyers see the property in context. Read the CBRE case study.

No time for a shoot? Start with your photos

If you already have good listing photos or renderings, Digireels turns them into a hand-edited property video, cut by an editor at Digipulse Productions. Upload your photos online and get a preview within one business day. A 30-second video is $295 and a 60-second video is $495, and the preview is free.

What does a commercial real estate video cost?

Most commercial real estate videos from Digipulse run $1,500 to $2,500. That typically covers aerial drone and ground footage, editing, music and property graphics. Larger properties, multiple locations, 3D animation or extra shoot days raise the price. See our video production pricing guide for more detail.

Common questions

Have a property to market? Book a 15-minute call or see our commercial real estate video production services.