REA adds property walkthrough reels to app video hub

REA will add property walkthrough reels and lifestyle listing videos to the video hub on the realestate.com.au app home screen from July.

The move expands the personalised video hub introduced on the app home screen for news, analysis and market updates. The broader format will give agents a permanent video destination linked to listings, Project Profiles, Premiere+ and Luxe products.

App users will see vertical property videos in a continuous scroll, with a personalised feed for signed-in members selected through AI-led modelling. Agents will be able to upload videos to listings through a new workflow in REA's self-service Ignite platform.

Video shift

REA is positioning the feature around greater listing exposure and earlier buyer engagement in the property search. It says property videos are attracting stronger consumer viewing on the platform and that buyers spend longer with video content hosted on realestate.com.au than on several social media services, according to internal data.

The update reflects a broader shift in online property marketing, with agents increasingly using short-form vertical video to showcase homes and neighbourhoods. The format is designed to mirror how consumers already browse video on mobile devices.

Property walkthrough reels will sit alongside other visual tools already on the platform, including agent reels on Agent Profiles, iGUIDE virtual tours and lifestyle property videos. REA has also been working with agents and content producers ahead of the launch, and its in-house content team will continue providing training during the next financial year.

Buyer engagement

Gerard Connell, Executive General Manager - Sales, REA Group, linked the launch to buyer behaviour on the portal.

"Immersive video is fast becoming a must-have for high-performing campaigns. We know serious buyers spend more time watching property videos and engage more deeply with content that lives on realestate.com.au compared to other platforms.(3) Property walkthrough reels offer a deeply engaging way to present properties in a manner that's right for an agent's brand and their vendors," said Gerard Connell, Executive General Manager - Sales, REA Group.

REA is also arguing that simpler production methods can still work for agents without large marketing budgets. The upload process is designed to support broader adoption by allowing videos to be shot on a smartphone and added directly to listings.

"Nearly 60% of buyers say video helps them build trust with the agent and property.(4) A property walkthrough filmed using a smartphone with limited editing is distinctive, accessible and impactful and helps agents to get more buyers through the door," said Connell.

"Immersive videos offer buyers a richer sense of a home before they step through the front door at an inspection and encourage them to return to a listing. On average, listings with a video on realestate.com.au receive 43% more inspection requests compared to those without.(5)," added Connell.

Market pressure

REA says the app is Australia's largest property app by audience, citing Ipsos iris data for March. In that context, home-screen visibility could become a valuable placement for agents seeking to stand out in crowded local markets, particularly in higher-value campaigns where video is already common.

At the same time, REA's emphasis on affordable production suggests it wants the format adopted more widely across standard residential listings, not just premium campaigns. By building the upload process into Ignite and placing videos directly on the app home screen, the portal is tying agent marketing tools more closely to its consumer discovery features.

Adding listing videos to the home screen may also intensify competition among portals and social platforms for where property video is viewed. REA's argument is that buyers already in a property-search environment may be more likely to act on a listing than users watching housing content on broader social apps.