Yes. Most viewers watch with sound off, so text carries the message. Put the hook in the first frame, keep overlays to a few words, and place them away from the top and bottom of a vertical frame where platform interface elements sit. Text also makes video accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers.
The first frame does the most work
The opening frame decides whether anything else gets watched. A short, specific line works best: the location and a distinguishing fact beat a generic phrase like Just Listed, which tells a scrolling viewer nothing.
Keep overlays short
Three to six words per overlay. A viewer has under two seconds while a shot is on screen and is also looking at the property. Full sentences do not get read.
Placement
On vertical video, keep text within the middle seventy percent of the frame. Captions, account handles, and interface buttons cover the top and bottom, and text placed there is simply lost.
Accessibility
Captions and legible on-screen text make the video usable for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers. This is a real obligation in advertising, and it also happens to align with what performs well in a silent feed.
Last reviewed September 2, 2026