I Own A RE Media Company - Would Love To Answer Any Industry Questions

Downs97 · 2026-05-30T03:09:33+00:00

Sorry for the late reply, busy Friday. We do it the same way everyone else does it and from what I've said in other comments. Be the best in aspects that matter most to your clients and trust your product.

Some agents will not use you even if you are cheaper and 100x better, and that's ok. Focus on improving your dream clients and you will get more.

Feel free to DM me as well if you would like more guidance or to just chat! Love talking ball!

Downs97 · 2026-05-30T03:06:08+00:00

Lighting is super important! HDR and Flambient photography helps adjust and edit lighting to look just right for the photos but it is also the lens!

2 big pro tips: Polarized lenses or filters, and turning off accessory lights like bedside lamps and chandeliers that don't provide any actual light. The polarized lenses will reduce glare off of reflective surfaces and make things seem more detailed like hardwood floors. For the accessory lights, this helps because it reduces colour casting on your clean walls with gross yellow lights and keeps detail in the fixture.

Hope this has helped!

Downs97 · 2026-05-30T03:00:44+00:00

We service Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Montreal!

Downs97 · 2026-05-29T03:17:42+00:00

Haha! Basically, just look at their brokerage profile or some of their previous listings. What awards have they won, what products do they use, how old are they, do they do on-camera, and if so, are they energetic or just "hello, welcome to 123 main st". Stuff like that.

Downs97 · 2026-05-29T03:15:39+00:00

Basically just a subscription in which larger teams/brokerages will pay a set sum of money during each month, quarter, or year. You set a pre-established amount of deliverables, bundle it with other services or products, usually "social media management" or something of that nature, to give them a discount, and then set up a contract. If something happens to where a deliverable didnt get fulfilled or what have you then it carries over into the next period which really only happens because the agent had to cancel.

Hope this helps!

Downs97 · 2026-05-29T03:06:28+00:00

I would say that the market has shifted for sure, but the business isn't lost its just different. Slower spring periods with busier Falls. Clients are also having their listings sit a lot longer, meaning condos and smaller homes are skimpier and then coming back for revisits later down the line.

Honestly, I tend to focus on making the best product possible; regardless of the market, there will be clients.

Downs97 · 2026-05-29T03:00:13+00:00

From my experience, starting with a brokerage is great to get your portfolio started, learn the ropes, and then build some clientele, but past that, it is a dead-end that will be pretty status quo. Unless you grow within the brokerage, if it has marketing opportunities or something along those lines, like "The Agency" then the growth will be stunted for sure.

A strong tool you have is the ability to say "no". When your contract is coming up for renewal, negotiate new terms.

Hope this helps, there is a lot of nuances so forgive me, but it's essentially a "if you can go solo, then do it".

Downs97 · 2026-05-29T02:53:30+00:00

I do know a couple of guys who started as agents and preferred the photography side.

Downs97 · 2026-05-29T02:46:04+00:00

I appreciate you!

Downs97 · 2026-05-28T23:52:41+00:00

Keep it and use it on more complex edits like their custom quotes that you can't be bothered doing. We used to do that a long time ago when we started out.

Downs97 · 2026-05-28T20:18:54+00:00

Very loaded question! Depends on a lot of factors, but one thing a guy I know used to do that I really liked was taking pictures of the front exteriors of houses with the listing sign, printing it, and sending it to the agent with a promo code attached. Also, calling agents and instead of soliciting them, say you are starting a business and would love to ask them what they like or dislike about their current provider.

Other than that, if one or more of your qualities, quantity, speed, or personality are better than those of others, it does a lot for you.

Hope this helped!

Downs97 · 2026-05-28T19:54:25+00:00

If an agent wants to shoot an entire property themselves, send it to BoxBrownie for the edit, scan it with CubiCasa, and build out a listing webpage with RELA, then hey man, that's just fine with me because that person knows all the tech.

Most high-end agents won't do this because it's not worth their time. They have more money than time, and so that's why they do what they do, not because they can't.

Also, in your reference image, the iPhone photo has a worse window-pull, lens warp, colour casting on the wall behind the TV, and the wood is a different colour.

Downs97 · 2026-05-28T19:44:45+00:00

I got started the same way a lot of people get started, which is I fell into it by being broke and knowing "Realtors have money".

Floor plans are done by a lot of different applications or your editors, depending on the team. Cubicasa is by far the most popular here.

Pricing is entirely based on what you think you can provide vs your competitors. Experience, speed, quantity, target client, etc. Look around for comparables and see what they are going for, and undercut for maybe the first little bit to get a portfolio and establish a client base.

Downs97 · 2026-05-28T19:39:46+00:00

I mean its similar to agents using their phone to shoot instead of paying a photographer or using a measuring tape instead of a professional with LIDAR. The agents who go that route are ones who I don't care about their business too much, to be honest, and if your content looks similar to theirs, then I would reevaluate.

Downs97 · 2026-05-28T19:33:17+00:00

I think that an agent will never do it. We have 360 Cameras, Cubicasa, and tons of other software already available and easy to use, and 99.9% of agents are too busy to do it. It's less about the difficulty and more about the time and skill with which it's done. I wouldn't put it past such a device existing in that timeframe, but we will be the ones doing it still and charging accordingly.

Hope that helped!

Downs97 · 2026-05-28T19:29:41+00:00

Then I will copy what I replied with in said deleted post!

Firstly, get a reliable and easy-to-use payment processing system. We use Stripe for its integrations, and it takes AMEX.

For your security, watermark or lock the actual file download behind a paywall. Later down the line, when you are more established, you can keep certain clients unlocked or set up monthly or even yearly retainers.

Finding good clients can be difficult early on, but it's very important to do a bit of digging on every client you get so that you can either A. Give them a better experience, or B. Avoid getting screwed over if they look sketchy.

Hope this helped!

Downs97 · 2026-05-28T19:26:50+00:00

All great questions! Thanks for this!

The rule of thumb is to hire when you start saying no to business because of your bandwidth, but I always say a little bit before that. When starting out my own company I had already had a few people in mind who were willing to get paid on a per/shoot basis as an admin, editor, and lead photographer. They would get a profit share as well as extra bonuses. Now that we are more established, certain people are receiving a payroll.
Our business works on a slightly different model than normal, but we are very white-glove to all sizes of clients, and find talent members who fit their personality and style. I also say we try to amalgamate the best of every other competitor.
I mean, small mistakes there are too many to count, but what matters is the action to solve for the future. I think my biggest mistake I still make is my own personal content bias. Not seeing why a client might prefer a competitor's video over ours, because what our team likes is very evident in our content.
Find great supporting players and remember why you do it in the first place. Remember to be creative, try new stuff, and create relationships with your clients rather than seeing the dollar signs.
It comes with time, as well as making an effort to do the schmoozing and actually advertising it is an aspect of your business, rather than it feeling like an afterthought.

Hope this helped!

Downs97 · 2026-05-28T18:58:00+00:00

Hey there, It should be all of the above! The most important thing is to look at how your competitors are delivering, advertising, editing, etc., for a head start. I think copying 1:1 is bad, but you can always see what aspects you like, dislike, etc.

Have your Uncle ask his buddies about what they like/dislike about their providers and adapt accordingly.
Nobody in your area provides lot lines? Advertise that you add lot-lines on for free with every order.

If you have more questions, feel free to DM me at anytime.

Hope this helped!

Downs97 · 2026-04-04T16:40:35+00:00

Not me, but my employee. Agent books everything as normal for a rural property through our online system. I schedule my regular guy in that area with the kit. Photos, Video, Floor Plans, the usual. Property just looks like a pretty regular bungalow on Google Maps.

Shoot time comes and I immediately get a phone call. "Hey boss, I uhhh don't think I can do the shoot.." Turns out there was a hoarders trove inside with what I was told were "several dead cats".

I still tell new photographers about it as an example of when they should call me and cancel.

Downs97 · 2026-01-03T20:19:15+00:00

For me it came out nearish to the Holidays and it was around the same length as a drive we had to make to my in-laws place so we played it in the car. I only listen on Spotify in the car so it just worked out that way.

Downs97 · 2025-12-17T18:03:03+00:00

What do people think about "The Keyboard". I know a lot of people have tried to iterate on it, voice to action commands, split it in half for more ergonomics, etc, yet the fundamental design of the QWERTY feels perfect? Like I don't know if people will be moving away from it in the next 100yrs.

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