How to Set Up and Optimise Your YouTube Channel for Real Estate Success

Why YouTube should be part of your real estate plan

YouTube is a free shopfront that never closes. It lets people see your face, hear your voice, and feel your style before they ever meet you. When you post helpful videos about local property, schools, transport, and prices, you become the trusted guide for your area. Videos also show up in Google search, which means more buyers and sellers can find you.

• People prefer to watch rather than read. Video builds trust fast.

• Property tours and suburb guides keep working for you long after upload day.

• You can link videos in listing presentations, email newsletters, and on your website.

• YouTube analytics tell you what viewers like so you can make better content next time.

Set up your channel step by step

1. Sign in to YouTube with the Google account you will use for business. Create a Brand Account so you can add team members later without sharing your personal login.

2. Choose a clear channel name. Use your name and your market. Example: Sarah Lee Property Sydney Inner West. Keep it short and easy to say.

3. Claim your handle. Make it match your name. Example: @sarahleeproperty. This will appear on Shorts, in comments, and in search.

4. Upload a clean profile photo. Use a friendly headshot with a simple backdrop. Smile. Crop tight to your face.

5. Add a banner that tells your promise. Show a local landmark or skyline and one clear line such as Your local property guide for Bardon and surrounds.

6. Write a short About section. Say who you help, where you work, and how to contact you. Include your phone, email, office address, and links to your listings page, appraisal page, and social profiles.

7. Add channel links. Put your website first. Add a Book an appraisal link and a Suburb market update link.

8. Create a channel trailer for new visitors. Keep it under one minute. Say who you help, what you post, how often, and your call to action.

Branding that feels premium and local

Strong branding makes your channel easy to recognise wherever your videos are shared.

• Colours. Choose two brand colours and use them on thumbnails, lower thirds, and end screens.

• Fonts. Pick one headline font and one simple body font.

• Logo use. Keep the logo small. Your face and the property should be the hero.

• Watermark. Turn on a small watermark so viewers can subscribe from any video.

• Tone. Speak as a friendly local guide. Use plain words. Avoid industry jargon.

Compliance and consent in Australia

Keep your content safe and trustworthy by following simple rules.

• Get written permission from owners and tenants before filming inside a property. Include rooms, views, artwork, and number plates only with consent.

• Respect the Privacy Act 1988. Do not show personal documents, photos, or names without permission.

• Be truthful and avoid misleading claims. If you state price guides or outcomes, make sure they are accurate for your state rules.

• Use music you are allowed to use. Stick to royalty free libraries or the YouTube Audio Library.

• Add a short disclaimer in your description for property videos. Example: All information is general only. Please verify details before making decisions.

If you are unsure, ask your office leader or your legal advisor.

What to post so sellers and buyers keep watching

Plan three content pillars. This keeps your channel balanced and useful.

• Education. How to sell, how to buy, finance basics, auction day tips, preparing a home for photos, choosing a conveyancer, understanding strata, understanding building and pest.

• Proof. Case studies, just sold stories, vendor testimonials, before and after styling stories, days on market success, price result breakdowns.

• Community. Suburb guides, local business spotlights, school zones, transport tips, parks and sports clubs, weekend events.

Easy video formats to start with

• Property walkthroughs. One take from the street to the back yard with simple voiceover.

• Suburb snapshot. Five reasons people love living in Paddington or Raby Bay.

• Market update. Three charts and plain talk once a month.

• How to series. Five short videos that answer one common question each.

• Shorts. Thirty to sixty second tips, quick room reveals, or bloopers that show your personality.

Aim for one longer video each week and two Shorts across the week.

Simple script and filming checklist

Use the Four Part Script for most videos.

1. Hook. One sentence that matches the viewer’s goal. Example: Thinking of selling in spring Here are the three things that matter most.

2. Introduce. Say your name, your area, and why this video will help.

3. Teach or tour. Share three to five points or rooms. Keep each point short.

4. Call to action. Tell viewers the next step. Book a free property price update in the description.

Filming basics that make a big difference

• Phone camera is fine. Clean the lens. Use 4K if your phone allows it.

• Audio matters most. Use a clip on mic or stand close and speak clearly.

• Light your face. Film near a window or shoot outside with the sun behind the camera.

• Keep the phone stable. Use a tripod or a small gimbal.

• Show the street, front door, living kitchen flow, bedrooms, bathrooms, outdoors, and the view in that order.

• Keep shots steady for three to five seconds. Move slowly.

Thumbnails that earn clicks

Your thumbnail is the billboard for your video. Spend time here.

• Use a close up of your face or the hero room with a clean background.

• Add two to four big words that repeat the value. Example: Bardon Market Update Aug or Waterfront Townhouse Tour.

• Keep text large and high contrast. It must be readable on a phone.

• Keep a repeat layout so viewers recognise your videos in a list.

Titles, descriptions, chapters, and keywords

Make it easy for the right people to find your content.

• Titles. Put the location near the front. Example: Newstead Apartment Tour with River Views or Parramatta Market Update September.

• Description first line. Restate the value and location. Add a clear call to action with a link to your appraisal page or listing alerts.

• Chapters. Add timestamps for each section such as Intro, Living area, Master suite, Outdoor area, Price guide or Next steps. Chapters help retention.

• Keywords. Add suburb names, property type, and common search phrases in your description. Example phrases include Bardon house prices, Brisbane inner west market or How to sell an apartment with a tenant.

• Hashtags. Use two or three relevant ones such as suburb name or property type.

Upload defaults that save time

Set upload defaults in YouTube Studio so every video is consistent.

• Default description with your contact details, office address, key links, and a short disclaimer.

• Default tags for your suburbs and property types.

• Default end screen that shows your latest listing video and a subscribe button.

• Default card at the two minute mark that invites viewers to download a suburb report.

Playlists and channel layout that guide viewers

Organise your channel like a neat shop.

• Create playlists for Property Tours, Suburb Guides, Market Updates, How To Sell, How To Buy, and Testimonials.

• Put your best playlist at the top of your channel home page.

• Add a section for Shorts so quick tips are easy to find.

• When you upload a new video, add it to at least one playlist. Playlists help your videos get suggested next.

Turn views into leads

Every video needs one next step. Keep it simple and direct.

• Book a free price update link.

• Join my weekly suburb update email link.

• Download the suburb report link.

• See all current listings link.

• Free moving checklist link.

Place the main link at the top of the description. Pin a comment that repeats the link. Say the call to action in the video. Use UTM codes in your links so you can see what traffic came from YouTube in Google Analytics.

Share your videos across your marketing

Help your videos travel further by placing them in the places people already visit.

• Website. Embed property tours on property pages and embed market updates on a suburbs page.

• Email signature. Add Watch my latest market update under your name.

• Listing presentations. Show two short clips that match the seller’s property type.

• Open homes. Print a small flyer with a QR code that links to your Property Tours playlist.

• Social media. Share Shorts on Instagram and Facebook. Share long form on Facebook and LinkedIn. Always point people back to the full video on YouTube.

Repurpose one shoot into many posts

One property shoot can power your marketing for weeks.

• Long video. Full property tour on YouTube.

• Short clips. Kitchen reveal, master suite, outdoor living as three Shorts.

• Photos. Pull still frames for thumbnails and social posts.

• Blog. Write a simple article summary and embed the video.

• Email. Feature the video in your weekly update.

Use analytics to improve every month

YouTube Studio shows what works. Check these simple numbers.

• Click through rate. Shows if your thumbnail and title attract clicks. Aim to improve by testing new thumbnail styles.

• Average view duration and retention graph. Shows where viewers drop off. If many leave in the first ten seconds, try a stronger hook.

• Traffic sources. See if people find you through search, suggested videos, or external links. If search is strong, make more videos that answer common questions.

• Top videos in the last 28 days. Make follow ups on the topics that rank high.

• Audience location and watch time by device. Useful for when you plan upload times and thumbnail text size.

Pick one metric to improve each month so the job feels simple.

A weekly production rhythm you can stick to

Consistency beats perfection. Use this small plan.

• Monday. Pick the topic and write a simple four part script.

• Tuesday. Film for one hour. Get two videos if you can.

• Wednesday. Edit and design thumbnails. Use the same template for speed.

• Thursday. Upload, add chapters, add end screen and cards, and schedule for Friday morning.

• Friday. Reply to comments and share the video to your email list and socials.

If you miss a week, start again. Momentum grows over time.

A safe and smooth property filming checklist

Before filming

• Confirm owner or tenant consent in writing.

• Hide personal items, mail, number plates, and family photos.

• Turn on all lights and open blinds.

• Tidy cords, tea towels, bins, and pet bowls.

• Plan your path through the home so the story flows.

During filming

• Speak slowly and clearly.

• Show each room with a steady shot.

• Smile and keep your body language open.

• If people or children are in the home, do not include them in the frame.

After filming

• Review audio and remove any personal info that slipped into the frame.

• Add accurate information to the description.

• Double check the address and contact details.

The first five videos to publish this month

Start here to build trust fast.

1. Channel trailer. Who you help, where you work, what you post, and how to contact you.

2. Suburb guide. Five things locals love about your main suburb.

3. Market update. What changed this month and what it means for sellers and buyers.

4. How to prepare your home for photos. Ten simple steps with examples.

5. Property tour. Choose a listing that shows your standard of presentation.

YouTube rewards channels that help viewers. Focus on clear topics, simple scripts, clean thumbnails, and one call to action. Keep your voice warm and practical. Talk about your local streets, schools, parks, and shops. Over time your channel becomes a library that proves your skill and care.

Next steps

• Set up the channel items today. Name, handle, photo, banner, About, and links.

• Film your one minute channel trailer.

• Plan four topics for the next four weeks.

• Create one thumbnail template you can reuse.

• Book one hour each week for filming and stick to it.

With steady steps like these, your YouTube channel becomes a lead machine that runs every day and night, even while you sleep.

Author. Ken Hobson