HOW TO GET YOUR PROPERTY IN FRONT OF LOCATION SCOUTS + PRODUCERS
If you want to rent your property for film, television, commercial or photography productions, the first step is making it easy for location scouts and producers to find, evaluate and contact you.
You don't need to turn your property into a full-time business. Good photos, accurate information and visibility in the right places can go a long way.
CREATE A STRONG LOCATION LISTING
Your property listing should give a scout enough information to quickly determine whether the space could work for a project.
Include:
Clear, current photos
Property type + general style
City + neighborhood
Approximate square footage
Parking information
Available interior + exterior spaces
Equipment/load-in access
Working-hour restrictions
Production-friendly features
Any major restrictions
Contact information
Keep the description straightforward. Scouts are primarily trying to determine what the property looks like and whether a production can realistically work there.
USE LOCATION-SPECIFIC PHOTOS
Real estate photos alone usually aren't enough.
Location scouts want wide photographs that help them understand the entire property and how the spaces connect.
Photograph:
Every usable room
Exterior from multiple angles
Street
Driveway + parking
Backyard
Hallways + staircases
Bathrooms
Garage
Additional support spaces
Interesting architectural features
The goal is to let someone who has never visited your property understand it before scheduling a scout.
LIST WITH FILM LOCATION DATABASES + MARKETPLACES
There are several ways to put your property directly in front of people searching for shoot locations
Depending on your market, look for:
State film office location databases
Local film commission databases
Private location libraries
Location agencies
Production directories
Online location rental marketplaces
TENNESSEE FILM LOCATIONS
For Tennessee properties, the Tennessee Entertainment Commission maintains film and production resources, including a searchable locations database.
Tennessee Entertainment Commission
GIGGSTER
Giggster is an online marketplace geared toward renting properties for film, photography, events and other creative productions.
Owners can create a listing with photos, rates, rules and availability and receive booking inquiries through the platform.
This can be a useful way to test demand for your property, particularly if you don't already have relationships with location scouts or production companies.
PEERSPACE
Peerspace allows owners to list properties for photo shoots, film shoots, meetings and events.
Listings can include hourly rates, minimum rental periods, amenities, rules and photographs.
Because Peerspace isn't exclusively production-focused, be clear about the types and sizes of productions your property can accommodate.
Before listing with any marketplace, review its current fees, commissions, insurance coverage, cancellation policies and booking terms.
CONNECT WITH LOCAL LOCATION SCOUTS
Location scouts and location managers are constantly building their own libraries of potential properties.
If you know reputable scouts working in your market, send a short introduction with:
Property type
City or neighborhood
A link to your photos
A few standout features
Contact information
You don't need a lengthy sales pitch. A scout primarily wants to see the property quickly and save it for the right project.
MAKE YOUR PROPERTY EASY TO SHARE
Avoid emailing dozens of individual photographs.
Instead, create one simple link containing your:
Photo gallery
Property description
Parking information
Access information
Restrictions
Contact information
A webpage, online gallery or PDF can all work.
Remember that a location scout may need to send your property to a producer, photographer, director or creative team. The easier your property is to share, the better.
BE RESPONSIVE
Location searches can move very quickly.
A scout may reach out in the morning and need to present options to a client that afternoon.
Be prepared to quickly answer questions about:
Availability
Rates
Crew size
Parking
Working hours
Scout access
Prep + wrap
Property restrictions
You don't necessarily need to say yes immediately. Being able to provide clear information quickly is what matters.
KEEP YOUR INFORMATION CURRENT
Update your listing whenever the property significantly changes.
That includes:
Renovations
New paint
Furniture changes
Landscaping
Construction
Parking changes
New neighboring buildings
Pool additions or removals
A production shouldn't arrive expecting the property shown online only to discover that it looks completely different.
DON'T OVER-MARKET YOUR PROPERTY
Location scouts aren't always looking for the most beautiful property.
They're looking for the right property for a specific creative brief.
A dated kitchen, ordinary suburban house, old office, empty warehouse or unusual backyard may be exactly what a production needs.
Photograph and describe your property honestly rather than trying to make it look like something it isn't.
DON'T RELY ON ONE LISTING
Putting your property on Giggster, Peerspace or a film commission database doesn't guarantee bookings.
Consider making the property visible through several appropriate channels while also building relationships with local location scouts, location managers and producers.
Most importantly, keep your information current and make it easy for someone to contact you.
BUILD A GOOD REPUTATION
If your property does begin hosting productions, the experience matters.
Location scouts and producers remember owners and properties that are:
Responsive
Organized
Professional
Clear about rules
Reasonable with pricing
Flexible within agreed boundaries
A good experience can lead to repeat bookings and referrals to other productions.
Your property doesn't need to be famous to become a useful production location. It needs to be well documented, visible, easy to evaluate and easy to work with.