Video Testimonials for Real Estate Agents: How to Get Them

People choose an agent mostly on trust, and a stranger cannot check trust from a list of sales. A short video of a real client saying how it went does that job better than anything you can write about yourself.

Why video works so well for agents

Buying or selling a home is one of the biggest decisions most people make. Before they call you, they want to know what working with you is actually like: whether you answer the phone, whether you push, whether you were straight with the last family. A written five-star review says “great agent”. A video shows a real couple in a real kitchen explaining why.

It also gives you something no listing portal can: proof in your own name that you can put on your own website, in your listing presentations and on social media.

When to ask

Timing matters more than anything else. The best moments are when the client is happiest and the details are fresh:

• At the key handover. Buyers are excited and grateful. Ask in person, then send the link the same day.
• When the sale goes through. Sellers are relieved, especially if it was faster or better than they expected.
• A few weeks after moving in. A good second chance if the first one was too hectic. They can talk about how the home really feels to live in.

Don’t leave it for months. By then the stress and relief have faded, and so has the story.

What to ask

Give them three easy questions instead of “say a few words about us”.

For buyers:

1. What were you worried about before you started looking?
2. What did your agent do that you did not expect?
3. How did it feel to get the keys?

For sellers:

1. Why did you choose this agent to sell your home?
2. How did the sale go compared with what you expected?
3. What would you tell a friend who is about to sell?

Questions like these produce a small before and after story, which is what makes a testimonial convincing. Our full list of testimonial questions has more.

Make it take one minute

Your clients have just moved house. They will not install an app or send you a large video file. Send one link that opens the camera on their phone, shows your questions, and uploads by itself. Tell them it only needs 30 to 60 seconds and that they can try again as many times as they like.

Some people will never go on camera. Let them record their voice or write a few lines instead. A real voice note from a happy seller still beats a stock photo and a slogan.

Where to use them

• Your website. Your home page, your “about” page and a page of all of them. See what a wall of love is.
• Listing presentations. Play a seller’s video before you talk about your marketing plan. It answers “why you” before you say a word.
• Social media. Short captioned clips work well, because most people scroll with the sound off.
• Follow-up emails. One short video in the email after a first meeting keeps you in mind.

Stay on the right side of the rules

• Get clear permission. Say where the video will appear, including ads if you plan to use it there. A consent checkbox at the moment they record is the simplest way. Our testimonial release form guide covers what to include.
• Never script it or change it. In the US, the FTC rule on reviews and testimonials bans fake and AI-written testimonials. Trimming a pause is fine; changing what someone said is not. See the FTC rule in plain English.
• Disclose anything you gave. If a client got a gift or a discount for their video, say so where it is shown.
• Watch what is said about the neighbourhood. Fair housing rules apply to advertising. A client describing an area by who lives there, rather than by its homes, schools or transport, is a clip to leave out.
• Check your brokerage’s and your state’s advertising rules. Many require the brokerage name on marketing that features testimonials.

How Akteora helps

With Akteora you send each client one link. They record video, voice or text on their phone with no app and no account, your questions on screen, and a consent checkbox built in. You approve every testimonial before it goes anywhere, then show it on your website with a widget or a public testimonials page, and turn the best moments into short captioned clips for social media. The AI only picks the moments; it never writes or changes a client’s words.

If you work in a team or a brokerage, each agent can have their own brand with their own links and page. Start free, or read how to get video testimonials from people who hate cameras.