Dealer field guide / Real footage
A walkaround condition video starts with the buyer's question.
A buyer asks about a mark on the door. Your next recording should locate that mark, show it clearly and explain what you have checked. Use the shot matrix below to plan a condition reply for the actual stock vehicle.
Turn the question into a shot.
Choose the row that matches the buyer's message. The final column belongs in your reply too: it keeps an unanswered question visible when another staff member takes over.
| Buyer asks | Record | Still open |
|---|---|---|
| “Where is the scratch?” | Show the whole door, then move closer to the mark. Hold the detail view steady. | Cause, repair method and repair cost unless assessed separately. |
| “How worn is the driver's seat?” | Show the seat in the cabin, then the bolster and the area the buyer mentioned. | Anything hidden by the angle, including the underside. |
| “What does the dashboard show?” | Make the current distance reading and its unit legible. Include visible messages. | History of the reading and diagnosis of any warning. |
| “Can I hear it start?” | With the car safely parked, record the instrument panel through startup and keep the original audio. | Mechanical condition beyond the recorded event. |
| “Does that feature work?” | Show the requested control and its observable result, if safe to operate. | Full performance testing or an intermittent fault. |
For dashboard and startup content, EVERY's buyer-request guide offers a useful shot list. Its export-market context is separate from this suggested dealer workflow.
Prepare the recording around that row.
Write the listing reference and the buyer's question before filming. Ask yourself which detail must be readable for that question to be answered. A broad exterior overview and a close-up serve different purposes; keep both when location matters.
Choose a quiet place and move slowly enough for the buyer to follow the camera. Fourbie Exchange's seller guide recommends slow movement and limited background noise. Play back your recording with sound before sending it.
Show known visible wear in context. AutoDream's filming guide recommends moving from an area view to a close-up. If glare obscures the point you are trying to show, change the angle and record that area again.
Keep observation and conclusion separate.
“You can see a mark on this door” describes the recording. “It will polish out” adds a repair conclusion. Include that conclusion only when you have a separate basis for it, and identify that basis in your reply.
Use the same discipline for a startup. Say what was recorded and when. Avoid labelling it a cold start unless you know that description is accurate.
Send the clip with a usable handoff note.
Keep the original recording with the stock record. A short accompanying note lets the buyer and the next staff member distinguish a completed recording from an unresolved check.
Vehicle / current listing: ______
Recorded on / by: ______
Buyer asked about: ______
Shown in the recording: ______
Not shown or not checked: ______
Next agreed action: ______
Before sending, watch the file in full, check the stock reference and remove private information from view. For the delivery step, use the file-versus-link buyer follow-up guide. The batch workflow covers the separate team task of preparing marketing briefs.
Where a photo-based video fits.
AI Car Video works from supplied vehicle photos. Use the photo-to-video brief for a listing presentation and the sample review checklist to compare the result with its source.
A presentation generated from photos is not a recording of a fresh startup, its sound or a surface missing from the source photos. Generated details are not evidence of the vehicle’s condition. When that is the buyer's question, record the actual vehicle. Keep that recording with the reply rather than asking an animated overview to answer it.
Request a free watermarked sample from your listing photos when you need a marketing presentation for that vehicle.
Questions before you press record.
How long should a condition video be?
Plan around the requested areas rather than a fixed runtime. Let each relevant detail remain readable, then stop. If the buyer asked about several unrelated areas, identify them in the handoff note so the recording is easy to follow.
Should I include scratches already shown in the listing?
Include the disclosed area when it is relevant to the buyer's question. Use a wider view to locate it and a closer view for detail. Keep your written description consistent with what you send.
Can an AI video answer a condition question?
Use the original evidence for the answer. A presentation made from photos is not evidence of a new sound, startup or unseen surface. Compare generated details with the original photos. Record those requests directly.
What if I cannot show the requested area?
Put the missing area in the “not shown or not checked” line. Agree on the next useful step with the buyer, such as another recording or a viewing, rather than marking the question resolved.
Should I add music to a startup clip?
Keep the original audio when sound is part of the question. Listen to the exported file before sending it, and say if noise prevented a useful recording.
Sources and scope.
These guides support the filming recommendations. Keeping the original audio is our recommendation when the buyer asks to hear the vehicle. The guides do not establish a sales uplift, a universal recording length or an inspection certification. The matrix and blank note are our suggested workflow.
- Fourbie Exchange: Photo & Video Guide: slow camera movement and background-noise guidance.
- EVERY: Request Vehicle Photos and Videos Before Buying: dashboard, startup and sound as requested recording content.
- AutoDream: How to Film a Useful Car Walk-Around Video: locating visible condition before showing a close-up.
- AI Car Video: photo-based production and the free watermarked sample; see also the buyer follow-up guide for matching media to the question.
Prepare the source photos
Preparing the still-photo set? Use the car-for-sale photography and retake guide before the handoff. Pricing a tool for recording or sending these clips? The car dealer video software guide sorts the options by job. Spanish-language readers: cómo hacer fotos a un coche para venderlo. In French, see comment prendre en photo sa voiture pour la vendre. Selling in France? Read comment vendre une voiture sur Facebook. Selling in Spain? Read cómo vender un coche en Facebook Marketplace. In Portuguese, see como tirar foto do carro para vender. Selling in Brazil? Read como vender carro no Marketplace do Facebook.