Property marketing has always evolved alongside buyer behaviour. Brochures became portals, portals became mobile-first, and now we’re entering a new phase: social-first discovery.
One of the clearest signs of this shift is the rise of vertical video. What started as an entertainment format has quickly become one of the most powerful tools estate agents can use to gain visibility, build brand presence, and attract buyers and vendors alike.
This isn’t a trend driven by novelty. It’s driven by how the next generation discovers property.
A New Generation Is Reshaping Property Discovery
Millennials and Gen Z now represent a growing share of buyers and renters, and their behaviour is fundamentally different from previous generations. They are mobile-first, video-led, and increasingly social-first in how they discover property.
For many of them, the first interaction with a home isn’t a portal listing. It’s a short video surfaced organically while scrolling. Social platforms have become discovery engines in their own right, showing properties, neighbourhoods, and agents long before an active search begins.
This is why marketing platforms have shifted so aggressively toward vertical video. The format wasn’t created to be trendy, it exists because it reflects how people naturally consume content on their phones.
From Landscape to Vertical: How Property Video Evolved
Traditional landscape video still plays a vital role in property marketing. It remains the best format for websites, portals, and overseas buyers who want clarity and detail before making decisions. These videos are designed for viewers who are already interested and willing to spend time exploring a property in depth.
Vertical video, however, serves a different purpose. Built for mobile and full-screen viewing, it’s optimised for fast discovery, and feature highlights rather than deep inspection. Instead of replacing landscape video, vertical formats have reshaped how buyers first encounter a property. One captures attention; the other supports decision-making.
Why Social Platforms Push Vertical Video
Social platforms are designed to keep users engaged, and vertical video aligns perfectly with that goal. Because it fills the entire screen, it removes distractions and encourages longer watch times, which is why formats like Reels, Shorts, and TikTok-style videos are prioritised over static posts or horizontal clips.
For estate agents, this shift means visibility is no longer determined by quality alone. Format plays a critical role in whether content is shown, shared, and remembered.
For estate agents, this means one thing: visibility increasingly depends on format, not just quality.
How Buyers Actually Consume Property Content Today
Modern buyers don’t begin their journey with specifications. They begin with emotion. Short-form vertical video allows people to quickly assess how a property feels. The light, the flow, the atmosphere, and the lifestyle it suggests.
Only after that emotional connection is made do buyers move on to floor plans, virtual tours, square footage, and pricing. Vertical video captures the initial yes; portals and long-form content handle the confirmation. In a crowded digital environment, attention is the first barrier to overcome and vertical video is designed to do exactly that.
Vertical vs Landscape Video: Different Jobs, Same Goal
Both formats are valuable, but they serve different purposes.
Vertical video excels at:
discovery
reach
engagement
and first impressions.
Landscape video excels at:
detail
clarity
and decision-making.
The mistake isn’t choosing one over the other. The mistake is using the wrong format in the wrong place.
The most effective agents use vertical video to attract attention and landscape video to support serious interest.
How Estate Agents Are Using Vertical Video Successfully
In practice, agents are using vertical video as a lightweight but powerful extension of their marketing. Short clips help tease new listings, highlight standout features, showcase local lifestyle, and maintain visibility between instructions.
These videos don’t replace professional photography or full walkthroughs. Instead, they amplify them, keeping properties circulating on social platforms and keeping agents present in local feeds. Importantly, vertical video doesn’t just market homes; it markets the agent behind them.
Why Vertical Video Is Especially Powerful for Estate Agents
For estate agents, visibility equals credibility. Vertical video helps agents:
stay top of mind locally,
demonstrate activity and consistency,
build familiarity with potential vendors,
and modernise their brand without heavy ad spend.
Vendors increasingly notice which agents market confidently and consistently. An agent who shows up regularly in local feeds appears proactive, current, and engaged all qualities sellers look for.
Matching Video Format to the Right Platform
A smart video strategy aligns format with platform.
Vertical video is best suited for:
Landscape video performs best on:
YouTube (long-form)
property websites
email campaigns.
The strongest approach is not more content, but better-formatted content. One property can (and should) exist in multiple formats, each designed for where it will be viewed.
Final Thoughts: Vertical Video Is No Longer Optional
Vertical video is not a passing social media trend. It’s the result of changing buyer behaviour, generational habits, and platform design.
Estate agents who embrace it gain reach, relevance, and visibility. Those who ignore it don’t disappear overnight but they slowly become harder to notice.
The future of property marketing isn’t about choosing between vertical and landscape video. It’s about understanding how, where, and why each format works and using both strategically.
If you’d like to explore how formats like Reels and short-form video can support your listings, brand, and vendor marketing, the team at Prime Perspectives would be happy to help. We are here to show you how you can make the most out of your listings.