How to make a great video of your holiday apartment
Discover styles of video you can use to showcase your holiday apartment online
June 2025
Every holiday rental landlord wants their property to stand out, and video is an excellent way to do that. Get more eyes on your listings and enjoy more bookings – as long as you do it right. Read on for everything you need to know about making a successful video of your holiday rental and how to present your holiday apartment online.
Why use video to present your holiday apartment online?
You’ve probably already spent a lot of time getting the perfect photos of your property for holiday rental portals. If so, the thought of doing the same thing again with a video camera might make you groan – but it’s actually a very good idea.
More and more web users rely on video for information, both on video-only sites like YouTube and on other social networks. On platforms like Instagram, reels – short videos – are promoted above static images, so video can be a key part of your marketing strategy.
Guests may also perceive videos as being more trustworthy; it’s easy to take a single flattering shot of a room, but a full video is a lot harder to fake. What’s more, a video allows them to imagine themselves in your property. From that starting point, it will only take them a short time to rent your holiday flat!
Types of video styles to advertise your holiday home
There are several different styles of video to consider using. You might want to just record one of these, or make a few and mix them up as part of a full marketing strategy. There’s no single right way to make a successful video. Instead, think about your property, your brand and your own comfort levels.
Point of view (POV) videos
These videos showcase the property; you’ll walk around, with a camera in your hand, replicating the guest experience. You won’t appear yourself – but you might show, for example, your hand opening the door.
A POV video is particularly effective for letting people visualise the experience of staying in your property, and can encourage them to rent your house for holidays. However, you’ll need to make sure that every inch of your property is camera-ready. In one of these videos, you’ll be exploring the entire rental, and everything will appear on screen – however briefly. As such, it’s a good choice if you have an immaculately decorated property.
To make a POV video exciting, consider running it on fast forward, or speeding up and slowing down. For example, you might speed up through a walk down the corridor, then slow down to show a particularly beautiful bedroom. Choose suitable background music to set the scene.
Guided tours
Don’t do this one if you’re camera-shy! In a guided tour, you’ll be in front of the camera, leading potential guests around the property. You might want to prepare a script beforehand. Think about what you’re going to say to guests – for example, why you fell in love with the property, its best features, and so on.
A guided tour showcases your personality as well as the property, so a lot will depend on you. Some landlords absolutely love the chance to ham it up in front of the camera, while others can’t think of anything worse! If you find that the personal touch is one of your favourite things about the holiday rental business, this could be the video for you.
Videos of guests staying in your holiday home
These videos are a nice way to develop a brand. You’ll show guests enjoying particular aspects of your property. For example, if want to rent your holiday flat to couples on honeymoon, you might show two people snuggled up in the garden under the stars, or having a romantic meal in your spacious kitchen. Landlords targeting families will want to showcase how the property is right for kids, showing youngsters playing in the garden or splashing around in the pool.
These videos are a fun way to bring your property to life. However, you’ll need to do some casting. If you’re lucky enough to have some photogenic friends and family, see if they’ll help you out. Don’t ask actual guests who are staying with you, as they may find it a very off-putting request.
If you have more time, you may also want to use these videos to showcase your property’s special promotional offers. For example, a holiday home owner making a video of a holiday home in Spain might include shots of guests watching a flamenco show or participating in a local cooking class.
Videos of the surrounding area
This kind of video can be trickier – and more expensive – to shoot, but it’s a good idea if your property is in a particularly beautiful spot. To get the best overhead shots, you’ll need a drone, which can help create magnificent images of your holiday rental and its surroundings.
Think about the time of day you’re shooting this video. If your property offers great views of the sunrise or sunset, then incorporate them. You’ll need to consider the time of year, too. Guests will not be inspired by bad weather in the background!
How to make a great video of your holiday home
Before you put your video up on your holiday rental website, make sure you’ve done a perfect job. Here are some essential factors to consider:
- Quality. These days, many smartphones have very impressive cameras. However, you may want to use a drone or other device for special shots. You can download editing software onto your phone or computer and cut your video as you like.
- Length. The best social media videos are short and sweet. Keep yours moving; there’s no space for dead air in an Instagram reel. If it’s under a minute, you’ll get more viewers.
- Sound. Do you want music in the background, or are you going to create a voiceover? If you’re using music, check the copyright first. Your video may be taken down without warning if you’re not careful.
Be honest with yourself. If you’re not a skilled cameraman, you might want to ask a friend to do that part of the job for you. You could also pay someone to film and/or edit your video. It’s easy to find freelance editors online.
Before posting your video to advertise your holiday home, let other people check it and ask them for honest opinions. In particular, ask people in your target audience; for example, if you want your video to appeal to Generation Z, have a young person review it before you post it. You may not get it right first time, but don’t be discouraged, and just try again. A great video is a powerful marketing tool.