What Agents Really Want From Their Real Estate Media Partners

In every market, agents are making choices, not just about which properties to take on, but about who will help them present those listings to the world. And while great visuals have always been part of that equation, new research shows the decision making process is evolving fast.

We asked over 1,000 agents globally what they value most in a media partner, and the results give us a clear roadmap for winning, and keeping, their business.

Quality Still Wins, But It’s Not Enough

When we asked agents what matters most when choosing a photographer or media provider, quality topped the list with 83%. No surprise there; great visuals are the price of entry. Price ranked second at 60%, but the rest of the top factors reveal how agent expectations are changing. It’s no longer just about the final product, but the entire service.

Here’s what matters most to agents beyond quality and price:

• Speed of delivery (53%): This is especially critical in competitive markets where agents want listings live within hours.
• Range of deliverables (49%): Agents can’t create a complete marketing package from still photos alone. They need floor plans, tours, and video to compete.
• Reliability & professionalism (40%): This is about more than showing up on time; it’s about delivering consistent quality every time and representing the agent’s brand well when interacting with sellers.
• Ease of booking (31%): If scheduling is clunky or complicated, it’s a strike against you, no matter how good your work is.

These results show that the most successful photographers are not just great artists; they are also efficient, reliable, and easy to work with.

The New Baseline for Listing Assets

While quality may be the top decision driver, what “quality” means is expanding. When we asked agents what assets they expect as standard from their media partner, the picture was clear:

• HDR Photography remains the universal baseline.
• Floor plans (55%) are now considered essential for most listings.
• Virtual tours (54%) are no longer just for luxury properties; they’re becoming a mainstream expectation.
• Listing videos (40%) are a must-have, as agents know video drives engagement, especially on social media.
• Social media ready content (27%) is a smaller number now, but it’s a rapidly growing expectation as marketing shifts to platforms like Instagram and TikTok.

What’s striking is that floor plans and virtual tours are no longer seen as “premium extras.” They’ve moved into the core toolkit for marketing a property, and agents expect them to be part of the package.

What This Means for Photographers

If you’re still offering only still photos, you’re missing the opportunity to become an indispensable partner. The most successful photographers position themselves as a complete media solution, delivering a full marketing package in one visit.

Thanks to advances in real estate capture technology, it’s no longer about adding hours of extra work. With the right tools, you can capture photos, floor plans, virtual tours, and even video content from a single scan. That means you can meet agents’ expanding needs without increasing production time, and position yourself as the easiest, most reliable choice they can make.

The market is shifting toward faster turnaround, broader deliverables, and consistent results. Agents are looking for partners who make their lives easier and their listings stronger. If you can deliver that, and communicate it clearly, you won’t just win more jobs. You’ll become the go-to photographer in your market.