Real estate professionals know how important video has become to the industry.There are millions of video tours on Youtube today and video blogs have become all the rage for top real estate pros. The problem with many real estate videos is that the quality can be poor. Just because you are taking an amateur video doesn’t mean it has to look like an amateur video.

Here are five simple steps to making great real estate videos with your smartphone: 

1. Step 1: Record Horizontally - Recording horizontally gives you a wider view.  Conversely, when recording in a vertical position, you’re only recording part of the image.  This looks okay if the video is viewed from a smartphone, but since most real estate videos also make it to YouTube and other websites, vertically recorded videos do not present as well as horizontal views.
2. Step 2: Tripod and Tripod Attachments - There’s nothing worse than seeing a real estate video that is shaky or that moves around a lot. This can make people dizzy and it’s a huge turn-off for viewers. There’s a simple fix for this: use a tripod. Tripods are built for regular cameras, but there are low-cost adaptors available. Joby sells a great all-in-one tripod for smartphones called Gorillamobile for $40. There are other options for tripods as well. For adaptor and brackets, photo retailer Adorama has a $10 product called the Heavy Duty L-Bracket, that attaches to your tripod and holds your phone in place. Studio Neat Glif is available for $20, and does the same thing as Adorama’s product. These sites also have iPad options. Other websites to check out are Amazon.com and HDhat.com.
3. Step 3: Sound - The microphones that are built into smartphones aren’t usually studio quality. The easiest way to fix this is to get a microphone that plugs directly into your smartphone. There are many options, ranging from very reasonable to quite expensive. One of best entry-level options is a lavalier mic from RadioShack that plugs directly into your phone. You simply clip the mic onto your shirt or lapel and you now have a much better sound to your program. Other options are audio recorders and mic cables. You can compare products and pricing at Amazon.com. Whatever you decide on, a microphone is a must for good video quality.
4. Step 4: Apps - Recording the video is one thing, but developing it into a nice production is another thing. There are many apps out there for Apple and Android devices, but here are my favorites:
   iMovie (iPhone) and Clesh Video (Android): These apps are great for piecing together movie clips, editing, and importing music from your library to create great video. You can also easily post your video to Facebook and YouTube from these apps. Both are $4.99. 
   Filmic pro: This app enables you to tweak exposure while shooting video. It’s $3.99 and available on both iPhones and Androids.
5. Step 5: Accessories - You’ve bought the apps, the tripod, and the microphones, and now you’re ready to create great video. Is there anything else that you might need? Accessories can help a lot! This includes everything from specialty lenses to professional production equipment. Here are some of my favorites:

• Lenses: The Olloclip lens add-on is the most popular. It slips right over your iPhone and gives you fish-eye, wide-angle, and macro views. It costs about $70 for all three. Check Amazon for pricing and other lens options. Another great site that specializes in real estate video equipment is hdhat.com.
• Hollywood zip lines: These devices are used by Hollywood studios, but now there’s one available for iPhone. This is a zip line that attaches to your phone and allows you to walk with your camera seamlessly without shaking extra movement. It stays in a straight line. Tiffen makes one for regular cameras for $700, but has also developed one for iPhone for $149. Great for video tours!

Creating great quality video tours and video blogs doesn’t have to be expensive. You don’t have to hire a professional crew to do this work for you. All you need is the right equipment. These five simple steps should enable you to record high quality video for a very reasonable price.