Guide · Listing

How to make a holiday rental listing video from your photos

You have good photos of your holiday rental but no video? This guide shows where guests actually see a video, the four ways to get one, what they cost and how to turn your photos into a video in six steps.

1. Where a video actually plays

Before you spend money or time, decide where guests should see the video. Not every platform accepts video.

Google Business Profile (Google Maps): accepts video. According to Google: up to 30 seconds, up to 75 MB, 720p or higher. For rentals with their own profile this is often the most important place, because guests search for the property there.
Your own website or booking page: no length limit, ideally right at the top of the home page. A film holds attention there longer than a photo.
Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Pinterest: as a short clip in portrait format (9:16). Videos here mostly play without sound, so yours has to work on mute.
Booking platforms: they differ a lot. To our knowledge (November 2026), Airbnb does not offer video upload in a listing. Vrbo had a field for a video link. You can see whether your platform accepts video in the editing area of your listing.
Guest messages: a link to the video in your reply to an enquiry or in the arrival information. Guests then recognise the house as soon as they arrive.

2. Four ways compared

Way	Cost	Effort	Good for	Weakness
Film it yourself with a phone	free	1–3 hours including editing	reels, quick impressions	slightly shaky, changing light, needs a day on site without guests
Videographer or drone	often several hundred per shoot	appointment, tidy rental	high-end properties, aerial exterior	expensive for a single rental, every change means a new shoot
3D tour (e.g. Matterport)	a paid appointment, often a few hundred	shoot with a special camera	understanding the floor plan, agents	no film for social media, feels technical
Video from existing photos	free (slideshow) to CA$ 79.00 (fly-through film)	choose and order photos	anyone who already has good photos	shows only what is in the photos; transitions are generated

Prices vary widely by region and scope; check current quotes from local providers.

3. Two ways to turn photos into a video

Slideshow with camera movement: each photo slowly zooms or pans, with a fade in between. Free editing apps on your phone can do this. It is honest and cheap, but it feels like a photo gallery, not a walkthrough.

Fly-through film: an AI creates one continuous flight from the photos, from outside through the front door and through the rooms. It feels like a filmed walkthrough. The paths between rooms and, in part, light and furnishings are generated. That is why the note “AI visualisation” belongs visibly in the film and in the description. Rooms, size, amenities and views must never be invented. Check this yourself before you show the film.

4. What makes a good listing video

20–40 seconds. Hardly anyone watches longer. For Google Business Profile, 30 seconds at most.
The first three seconds count. Start with your strongest shot: the house from outside, the terrace or the brightest room.
Works without sound. Most platforms play on mute. Music is a bonus, text overlays help more.
Two formats. Portrait for reels and phones, landscape for your website and YouTube.
Honest. Guests compare on arrival. Anything that looks bigger, brighter or different in the video than on site costs you reviews.

5. Six steps to a video from your photos

Choose photos: 6–15 current photos, first the front door from outside, then each room once. Details in the photo checklist.
Set the order: the way a guest walks through the property. Number the photos (01, 02, …).
Check rights and people: only your own photos or ones you may use for advertising; no recognisable people without consent.
Create the video: make a slideshow yourself or have a fly-through film made.
Compare with reality: do rooms, windows, view and amenities match? Anything that does not exist has to go.
Upload and link: Google Business Profile, website, reels and the link in your guest messages. Then watch views and enquiries for a few weeks.

6. Common mistakes

Screenshots from your own listing instead of the original files. They are often too small and turn blurry in a video.
Extreme wide angle: in motion, rooms look even bigger than they are.
Mixing photos from different seasons or from before a renovation.
An AI film without a note. Guests react badly when something generated looks like real footage.
Uploading the video in one place only. The same film can run on Google Business Profile, your website and reels.

In short: first decide where the video will play. With good photos you do not need a shoot: a slideshow costs nothing, a fly-through film feels like a walkthrough but needs the “AI visualisation” note and your check. 20–40 seconds, clear on mute, portrait and landscape.

Try it

AureVisto turns 6–15 of your photos into a fly-through film (20–40 s, portrait and landscape, 1 round of changes) for CA$ 79.00. You can request a free 10–15 second preview from 3–5 photos first. To start, just send two lines about your property – no photos yet.

Request a free preview