For most property marketing you need two versions of each video. Edit a vertical 9:16 version for Instagram Reels, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube Shorts, and a horizontal 16:9 version for standard YouTube and for portals that play YouTube links. Keep the vertical version at three minutes or less. Instagram does not recommend longer Reels to new audiences, and YouTube Shorts stop at three minutes.
The specifications below come from each platform's own help or ads pages. Where a platform publishes a figure only for adverts, we say so. Where we could not confirm a figure, we leave it out.
Summary table
| Platform | Shape | Size | Length | Source of the figure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instagram Reels | Vertical 9:16 | 1440x2560 | Up to 20 minutes; over 3 minutes not recommended to new audiences | Help Centre for length; ads guide for size |
| Any orientation; all videos are shared as reels | 4:5 at 1440x1800 for feed ads | No length or format restrictions; 10 to 30 seconds suggested for reach, 30 seconds to 3 minutes or more for engagement | Meta creators blog (June 2025); ads guide for size | |
| TikTok | 9:16 recommended; 16:9 and 1:1 accepted | At least 540x960; files up to 500MB | Not confirmed in the sources we checked | In-feed ads help page |
| YouTube Shorts | Vertical or square | Not stated in the page we used | Up to three minutes | YouTube Help |
| YouTube | Horizontal 16:9 | 1920x1080 as an example | 15 minutes by default; verified accounts up to 12 hours or 256GB | YouTube Help |
Instagram Reel size and dimensions
Instagram's Help Centre says reels can be up to 20 minutes long, but "Reels over 3 minutes won't be recommended to new audiences". For a property, that means a full walk-through can live on your profile, while the version meant to reach buyers who do not follow you should be three minutes or shorter.
Meta's ads guide for Instagram Reels gives the size: 9:16 at 1440x2560, up to 15 minutes and 4GB for ads. It describes captions as "optional, but recommended". These figures are written for ads, and they are a sensible target for organic Reels too.
You can pick a cover frame from the video or upload a separate image.
Facebook video size and length
Meta's creators blog (June 2025) says all videos on Facebook are now shared as reels, with "no length or format restrictions" and any orientation accepted. Meta suggests 10 to 30 seconds for reach and 30 seconds to 3 minutes or more for engagement.
For property, that points to a short teaser for new audiences and a longer tour for people who already follow your page or have enquired. If you run the video as a feed ad, Meta's ads guide gives 4:5 at 1440x1800 and recommends captions.
TikTok video size
TikTok's help page for in-feed ads recommends 9:16, with a minimum of 540x960. It also accepts 16:9 and 1:1, and files up to 500MB. It offers safe-zone templates to download.
We could not confirm TikTok's maximum length for organic videos from a primary source, so we do not give one here. Check the upload screen in the app for the current limit.
YouTube Shorts length and standard YouTube
YouTube Help says Shorts can be up to three minutes long and can be square or vertical. A vertical 9:16 edit made for Reels will usually work as a Short without changes, provided it is three minutes or less.
For standard YouTube, use 16:9, for example 1920x1080. Uploads are limited to 15 minutes by default. Verified accounts can upload videos of up to 12 hours or 256GB. A long horizontal tour hosted on YouTube is also the version you can link from Rightmove, Zoopla and OnTheMarket.
Safe zones for text and logos
On vertical platforms the app's own buttons and text sit on top of the video, so text placed near the edges can be hidden. Meta and TikTok publish safe zones for ads to deal with this.
Meta's ads guide for Instagram Reels says to keep these areas clear of text:
- the top 14% of the frame
- the bottom 35% of the frame
- 6% on each side
On a 1440x2560 frame, that works out at about 358 pixels at the top, 896 pixels at the bottom and 86 pixels on each side. The area left for text is about 1,267 pixels wide and 1,306 pixels tall, roughly a square sitting in the upper middle of the frame.
Meta does not publish safe zones for organic Reels. These are ad figures, and we suggest them as a sensible guide for organic posts. TikTok's downloadable templates serve the same purpose for TikTok. If you use one layout for every vertical platform, design to Meta's figures and check the result in each app before posting.
For property video, the details most at risk are the price, the address line and your branch details. Place them in the upper middle of the frame and keep them on screen long enough to read.
Covers
Instagram lets you choose a frame from the reel or upload your own cover image. A cover that shows the strongest exterior or main room, with little or no text, reads clearly at small sizes.
The help pages we used for the other platforms do not describe their cover options, so we do not cover them here.
Captions and sound-off viewing
Many people watch social video without sound. A 2019 survey by Verizon Media and Publicis Media, reported by Forbes, found that 69% of people watched video with the sound off in public, and that 80% said they were more likely to watch a video to the end when captions were available. These figures are from 2019, and we found them only in a Forbes report of the study.
What this means in practice:
- If your video has a voiceover, add captions. Meta calls captions "optional, but recommended" for Reels ads and recommends them for Facebook feed ads.
- If your video has music only, put the key facts on screen as text: price, bedrooms, location and any material information you are showing.
- On YouTube, automatic captions are available in English. YouTube advises reviewing them before you rely on them. Check street names, place names and prices in particular.
- Keep caption text inside the safe zone so the app's controls do not cover it.
A workable editing plan
- Shoot with the vertical crop in mind, keeping the main subject in the centre of the frame.
- Edit a horizontal 16:9 master tour for YouTube and the portals.
- Cut a vertical 9:16 version of three minutes or less for Reels, Shorts, Facebook and TikTok.
- Cut a short vertical teaser of 10 to 30 seconds for reach, the length Meta suggests for Facebook.
- Add captions to every version, and keep all text inside the safe zone.
- Choose or upload a cover for Instagram.
- If the video shows an asking price, put a working link to the full listing in the caption or description, because a priced social post may count as an invitation to purchase under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. The CMA explains this in Unfair commercial practices (CMA207).
Platform specifications change often. Check the source pages below before a large campaign.
This guide explains the published rules as of 30 October 2026 and is not legal advice.