“How long should the video be?” is one of the first questions that comes up when a Sydney listing includes video, and the honest answer is that it depends entirely on where the video is going to be watched.

Portal video has more patience than social video

Someone watching a listing on a property portal has already clicked in because they’re interested in the property, so they’ll generally sit through 60 to 90 seconds of a well-paced walkthrough without dropping off. That’s a different audience to someone scrolling Instagram or Facebook, where attention is far more disposable and a video needs to earn every extra second it asks for.

The 60-90 second walkthrough is the default for a reason

For most standard listings, a full walkthrough in the 60 to 90 second range hits the sweet spot — long enough to move through the key living spaces, kitchen, and outdoor area with intent, short enough that it doesn’t outstay its welcome. Anything under a minute usually feels rushed, and anything much past two minutes starts losing viewers who’ve already got the gist.

Social cuts should be under 30 seconds

A separate, shorter cut built specifically for social — 15 to 30 seconds, fast-paced, hero shots only — tends to perform far better than simply trimming the portal version down. Social audiences decide whether to keep watching within the first couple of seconds, so the edit needs to lead with the strongest shot, not build up to it.

Bigger or unique properties can justify more time

Acreage, waterfront, or genuinely unique architectural properties are the exception where a longer video — closer to two to three minutes — can work, simply because there’s more ground worth covering and buyers researching that kind of property are prepared to invest more time. It’s worth matching video length to what the property actually has to show, rather than a fixed rule.

Length matters less than pacing

A well-paced 75-second video will consistently outperform a sluggish 45-second one — cutting on movement, keeping each room to a handful of seconds, and avoiding lingering static shots is usually what separates a video that gets watched to the end from one that doesn’t. Length is the easy number to fixate on, but pacing is what actually keeps someone watching.

What this means for your next booking

If you’re booking real estate videography for a Sydney listing, it’s worth telling your photographer upfront where the video is going to run — portal, social, or both — so the edit can be built for that audience rather than a one-size-fits-all cut. Get in touch if you want to talk through what length makes sense for your next listing.