SOVE7GN
Real estate developer marketing: a video plan from pre-sale to sell-out, and when you may start
Updated 27 October 2026 · Written by Reyansh Juneja and Naman Dhiman, the co-founders of SOVE7GN, who run the campaigns and review the clips
A real estate developer's marketing strategy should put the developer on camera explaining the decisions behind the project, then show real construction progress on a fixed rhythm until the last unit sells. Before any of it, check when you are allowed to market at all: in New York and British Columbia, a filing has to be accepted before marketing starts, and the rules on what an ad must say are specific.
Short answer: Clear the filing first: in New York, market testing starts only after the Attorney General accepts a CPS-1 application, and every ad carries a set legend; in BC, a disclosure statement must be filed with BCFSA before any unit is marketed. Then film the developer explaining one decision per clip, label every rendering, post dated progress clips every week of construction, and keep sales claims to what the contract delivers.
General information, not legal advice. Checked October 2026. Your lawyer and your regulator have the final say.
When can a developer start marketing a project?
| Where | What must happen before marketing | What the ads must do | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York (condos, co-ops, HOAs) | The Attorney General must accept a CPS-1 application before market testing, including ads, can begin. No deposits until an offering plan is accepted for filing | Carry the CPS-1 legend in printed and electronic ads and state it in radio, TV and other oral media; show the AG registration number, the sponsor's name and address and the property's name and location; label artist's renderings; no language urging people to "rush" to buy; submit ads at least 5 business days before use | NY AG Cooperative Policy Statement 1 |
| British Columbia | Developers must file a disclosure statement (and any amendments) with BCFSA before marketing any units to consumers. An early marketing period of 12 months is possible under set conditions; a pilot lets projects of 100 or more units apply for 18 months | Give every purchaser the filed disclosure statement before an agreement is signed | BCFSA filing, BCFSA pilot |
| Florida (condominiums) | No pre-filing rule found in the section we checked | A buyer who relies on a false or misleading statement in the developer's advertising can rescind the contract or claim damages | Fla. Stat. 718.506 |
New York's legend begins: "This advertisement is not an offering. It is a solicitation of interest in the advertised property." Our cautious reading: a reel or TikTok about a New York project during market testing is an electronic ad with a voice, so put the legend on screen and in the caption, and get the AG's non-objection to the clip before it posts. Other states have their own regimes; ask your counsel before the first post.
What should a developer post in each phase?
| Phase | What to film | Who is on camera | Clips a week (our recommendation) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before launch (only if allowed) | Why this site; what the area lacks that the project adds; the architect on one design choice | Developer, architect | 3 to 5 |
| Launch | The floor plan decisions, the finish choices, the price logic in plain terms | Developer, sales lead | 7 to 14 |
| Construction | Dated site walks: foundations, framing, the first finished unit, the view from the floor that sells | Developer or site lead | 7 |
| Model unit or first completion | Room-by-room walk of a real finished unit; a buyer moving in, with written consent | Sales lead, developer | 7 to 14 |
| Final units | What is left and why each remaining unit suits a specific use of the space | Sales lead | 3 to 7 |
Construction is the phase most developers go quiet in, and it is when buyers who paid deposits most want to see progress. A 30-minute site walk each week, filmed on a phone with a clip-on mic and with the developer talking throughout, usually gives about 6 to 10 clips (half of the 12 to 20 an hour of talk-heavy video usually gives), which covers daily posting.
Why put the developer on camera?
A pre-sale buyer is paying a deposit on something that does not exist yet. What they are judging is whether you will build what you promised, on time. A sales video with music cannot answer that; you explaining why you chose a slower contractor, or what you changed in the plans after the soil report, can. Our cautious view is that the developer's own explanations are the most persuasive pre-sale content there is, and the hardest for a competing project to copy.
The same logic sits behind how to market luxury real estate at the listing level: buyers at this price choose the person whose judgment they trust.
What rules apply to renderings and progress clips?
- Label renderings. New York requires an artist's rendering to be clearly labeled and to depict the dimensions accurately. Label every rendering on screen as a rendering wherever you sell; it is the honest default and protects you under rules like Florida's 718.506.
- Date the progress. Put the filming date on every progress clip. A clip reposted months later should not suggest the site is further along than it is.
- Promise only what the contract delivers. A finish, view or amenity mentioned in a clip should match the purchase agreement and disclosure documents.
- Agents selling your units follow their own state's brokerage advertising rules on top of yours; see our realtor social media rules and team advertising rules.
Who makes the clips?
Your agency or in-house team can cut them, or you can hand the recordings to a clipping team. We turn long recordings, site walks, launch events and interviews into daily short clips posted on your own accounts; we do not produce renderings or property films. Our clipping for real estate page covers the service for agents and developers.
For a project in sales, Full service fits best: $5,000 to $6,000 a month with a 3-month minimum, including scripting, 2 calls a week and analytics. Entry is $2,000 a month for 2 clips a day and Growth $4,000 for 4. Every clip you approve goes up on your accounts; we make 2 example clips first and go live within 48 hours. Clips about a New York or BC project still need your filing cleared and your counsel's sign-off before they post. See how we work with founder-led businesses or book a 30-minute call.
Questions people ask
How do real estate developers market new projects?
With a sales center, a website, broker outreach and, increasingly, regular video of the developer and the site. The video part works best when it shows real decisions and real progress rather than renderings alone.
When can a developer start pre-sale marketing in BC?
After filing a disclosure statement with BCFSA. BCFSA says developers must file disclosure statements and amendments before marketing any units to consumers, and an early marketing period applies only under set conditions.
Can a New York condo developer advertise before the offering plan is accepted?
Only as market testing under the Attorney General's Cooperative Policy Statement 1, after the CPS-1 application is accepted, with the required legend on every ad and no deposits taken until the offering plan is accepted for filing.
What should a pre-construction marketing video include?
The developer explaining why the project exists, the floor plan and finish decisions, labeled renderings, and, once building starts, dated progress clips. Keep every claim to what the purchase agreement delivers.
Want a straight answer for your videos?
Book a 30-minute call. Send us a link first and we'll tell you which plan fits and how many clips we can make.
Book a call See plans and pricing- Clipping for real estateTours, market updates and podcasts as daily clips, with the compliance rules.
- How to market luxury real estateA 6-week video plan for a $2M+ listing, plus the weekly clips that market the agent.
- Real estate team advertising rulesTeam names, brokerage size and reels in Texas, California, New York, Florida and BC.