Real estate open house video: what to film before, during and after

Updated 26 October 2026 · Written by Reyansh Juneja and Naman Dhiman, the co-founders of SOVE7GN, who run the campaigns and review the clips

Treat a real estate open house as three filming moments: invite clips in the days before, a walk-through and visitor questions on the day (only with consent), and a recap afterward that shares the interest without anything private to the seller. For a luxury home, add a fourth rule that runs through all three: nothing on camera that helps someone plan a break-in.

General information, not legal advice. Checked October 2026.

What should you post before the open house?

Two or three clips over the five days before. Each one gives a reason to come in person that a photo cannot.

Check two things first. The Clear Cooperation Policy requires MLS submission within one business day of marketing a property to the public. The policy does not name open houses or social media; our cautious reading is that a public invite clip is public marketing, so the listing goes on the MLS first. And if the seller chose delayed marketing, ask your broker before any invite goes up.

In California, an open house sign that shows your name also needs your license number under Regulation 2773 (DRE RE 559). The sign will be in your footage, so get it right.

What can you film during the open house?

Film the house before the doors open: the walk-through, the light at that hour, the staging. That is your clean footage. Then, while visitors are in:

• Visitor questions, with consent. The best open house clip is a real question ("Why is the primary bath on this side?") and your answer. Ask first, on camera: "Is it OK if I use this?" If they say no, answer the question again later to camera, without them.
• Your answers to camera. Between groups, record 30 seconds on each question people asked. These make clips without anyone else in them.
• No faces without permission, and no children. Film the room, not the crowd.

Consent is not only good manners. In California, recording a confidential conversation without the consent of all parties is a crime, though the law excludes communications where people "may reasonably expect" to be overheard or recorded (Penal Code 632). A quiet conversation in a side room is the gray area. A sign at the door saying you are filming, plus asking before you use anyone, avoids it. Other states have their own rules.

Who appears in your clips also matters under fair housing. HUD's rule covers photographs as well as words, and the choice of who is shown can signal a preference (24 CFR 100.75). Another reason to film the house and you, and to keep visitors in only when they asked to be.

Should you go live during the open house?

For a luxury home, our answer is no. A live stream shows, in real time, that the house is full of strangers and the seller is out, and it can catch things you would have cut. Film during, post after the last visitor leaves. If you want a live element, go live from the empty house in the half hour before opening, with the security list below already checked.

What should you post after the open house?

Be careful with "lots of interest" and "multiple offers expected". Article 12 of the NAR Code of Ethics asks for a true picture, and anything about offers is the seller's business first. In British Columbia, advertising a client's motivation for selling or bottom-line price without permission breaks the rules, and the regulator advises getting that permission in writing (BCFSA).

How do you keep a luxury open house video secure?

NAR's archived safety tips for sellers (May 2012) say thieves "commonly use open houses to scout for valuables and possible points of entry, then return after the agent leaves" (NAR). A video does that scouting for them, for anyone with a phone. Before you film, walk the house with this list:

• Alarm panels, cameras, motion sensors and safes out of frame.
• Doors, side gates and windows: no clips that show how they lock or where they lead.
• Art, jewelry, watches, cars and collections out of frame unless the seller says yes in writing.
• Mail, family photos, children's names, prescription bottles and calendars removed.
• No mention of the seller's schedule, travel or when the house will be empty.

For your own safety on the day, NAR's archived 10 tips for holding a safe open house suggests working with a second person and having every visitor sign in. A second person also makes filming easier.

How do open house clips fit the rest of the listing plan?

The open house is usually week 4 of a listing's video calendar; the full 6 weeks are on how to market luxury real estate. The footage from the morning walk-through also tops up the listing video clips, and visitor questions make good material for your luxury listing presentation samples next time, with permission.

If you want the open house footage cut and posted with the rest of your clips, we post on your own accounts, with 2 example clips for your approval first and live within 48 hours. Entry is $2,000 a month for 2 clips a day. See how we work with founder-led businesses or book a 30-minute call.

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