Frequently Asked Questions

Real estate media, answered.

Twenty direct answers on pricing, turnaround, drone, MLS, access, and 3D.

20
direct answers
5 PM
next-day photos
Part 107
licensed drone
MLS
ready delivery
01

How much does real estate photography cost in Orlando?

Professional real estate photography in Orlando starts at $175 for a photo shoot with unlimited photos on homes up to 3,500 sq ft, and runs to $1,299-$1,449 for a full Premier production with photos, two films, a 3D tour, and drone. Most Central Florida listings land in the $375-$800 package range once video and aerial are included.

Pricing is flat to 3,500 sq ft, then steps up twice: 3,501-5,000 and 5,001-6,500 sq ft, with homes above 6,500 priced by quote. Every shoot includes a measured 2D floor plan, virtual staging, virtual twilight, and object removal free — those are never price lines. At Aerial Shots Media the ladder is Listing Photography, then ASM Showcase, ASM Signature, and ASM Premier, so the price scales with what the listing actually needs instead of forcing every home into the same package.

02

How long does it take to get real estate photos back?

Real estate photos in Central Florida are delivered same or next business day, with 6-hour rush available on photos booked before 11 AM. Zillow 3D tours and the property website land within 24-48 hours. Video runs by product: the ASM Walkthrough is next-day, the Cinema Series is 48-72 hours, and the Signature films usually deliver within 72 hours, up to 7 days for complex productions.

We deliver through a branded media portal where the agent can grab MLS-sized photos, full-resolution images, social verticals, and floor plans in one place. If you shoot Friday afternoon with us, the photos are in your inbox by Monday at the latest. The 6-hour rush applies to photos only, not packages or video.

03

Do I really need drone photos to sell a house?

Drone photos aren't required for every listing, but they're essential for waterfront homes, properties on more than a quarter acre, gated communities, golf course homes, and anything where the lot or location is the main selling point. For a standard interior subdivision lot under a quarter acre, drone shots add less value and can sometimes hurt the listing by exposing a small backyard or a neighbor's roof.

In Central Florida specifically, drone footage is almost mandatory for listings in Lake Nona, Windermere, Reunion, Celebration, anything on Lake Tohopekaliga or the Indian River, and any home within sight of theme parks or downtown skylines. Aerial Shots Media flies under FAA Part 107 commercial certification, which is the legal requirement for any drone footage used to sell a property — agents who hire uncertified shooters are exposing themselves to FAA fines and MLS compliance issues.

04

Matterport vs Zillow 3D Home — which one should I use?

Both are navigable 3D walkthroughs that let buyers explore a home from any device. Zillow 3D Home is free for the listing agent, integrates straight into the Zillow listing, and is the right call for the vast majority of Central Florida listings under $700K. Matterport produces a polished, measurement-accurate scan and is the call for luxury and out-of-state buyer markets. Aerial Shots Media delivers Zillow 3D Home as part of our shoots; for Matterport, you'd book a Matterport-only provider.

Zillow 3D Home is free, fast, and pushes the listing higher in Zillow's algorithm — but the visual quality is lower and you're inside the Zillow ecosystem. Matterport produces sharper imagery, an accurate floor plan, and a more polished buyer experience for luxury inventory or homes where 30-40% of likely buyers are relocating from out of state. For most agents in the $400K-$700K bracket, Zillow 3D Home is the right call. Above that, Matterport's measurement accuracy and brand polish do real work for the listing.

05

What does a Zillow 3D tour cost, and what's included?

A Zillow 3D Home tour with an interactive floor plan costs $150 standalone at Aerial Shots Media, and it is included at no extra charge in the ASM Showcase and ASM Premier packages. On ASM Signature or a photo-only shoot it is a $75 add-on. Delivery is 24-48 hours after the shoot.

The tour embeds directly in the Zillow listing so buyers can walk the home from any device, and Zillow's algorithm rewards listings that carry one. The interactive floor plan comes standard with the scan, no separate measurement appointment. Showcase and Premier carry the tour automatically; on Signature it rides along as an add-on.

06

What's included in a real estate video walkthrough?

Aerial Shots Media runs four listing video products. The ASM Walkthrough Video ($275 standalone, or $185 as a Showcase add-on) is a one-lens hook-to-CTA reel in your choice of vertical or horizontal. The ASM Cinema Series ($349 for 3 videos) is cinematic property clips with movement and music, no talking. The ASM Signature Listing Reel ($500) is a scripted, directed film with the agent on camera, both orientations plus a social cut. ASM Signature Storytelling ($600) is the Signature film with a deeper narrative treatment.

The lineup runs from a fast launch reel to a full narrative film, and the price steps up with the production. The Walkthrough delivers next-day; Cinema Series in 48-72 hours; the Signature films usually within 72 hours, up to 7 days for complex productions. The Signature package includes the Signature Listing Reel; Premier includes Storytelling plus a Cinema Series 3-pack. An $85 Teaser cut from the same shoot is available as an add-on to the video packages.

07

Do I need an agent-branded video or just a property video?

Agent-branded videos make sense for listing presentations, your personal brand, and social media content — anything where you want the buyer to remember you, not just the house. Property-only videos are better for the MLS, third-party syndication, and any platform where agent branding violates terms of service (Zillow restricts agent watermarks on listing media).

The smart play is to order both: a clean property video for the MLS and a separately edited branded version for your social and listing presentation deck. We deliver both from the same shoot for an add-on fee, so you're not paying for two production days. This is one of the most common mistakes agents make — they get one branded video, can't use it on the MLS, and have to pay for a re-edit.

08

Can I use my iPhone for real estate photos?

You can, but you shouldn't if the listing is priced above $250K or you're trying to build a serious real estate business. iPhone photos consistently underperform professional photos on click-through rate, days-on-market, and final sale price — multiple Redfin and NAR studies show professionally photographed listings sell for 2-3% more and 20+ days faster.

The math is simple: on a $400K Central Florida home, a 2% lift is $8,000. A full media package costs $300-$450. The ROI isn't close. iPhone listings also signal to sophisticated buyers and other agents that the listing isn't being taken seriously, which can create negotiation leverage against the seller. If you're an agent in the Orlando, Brevard, or Lake County markets and you're using iPhone photos, you're leaving money on the table and losing future listings to agents who don't.

09

What does it cost to add virtual staging?

Nothing. Virtual staging is included free with every Aerial Shots Media shoot and package as of July 2026 — along with virtual twilight, decluttering and object removal, and a measured 2D floor plan. Competitors typically bill $25-$55 per staged photo for the same service.

Virtual staging is the right call for vacant homes, dated furniture you don't want to feature, and outdoor spaces like patios where physical staging is impractical. We use photo-realistic staging — not the obvious cartoon-furniture services that hurt the listing's credibility. If a buyer can spot the staging is fake within two seconds, it's working against you. Tell us which rooms to stage when you book, or ask in the delivery thread.

11

What's the difference between standard listing photos and STR/Airbnb photos?

Short-term rental photos are shot to maximize booking conversion on Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com, which means more lifestyle shots, staged dining tables, made beds, towels rolled like a hotel, and amenity-focused images (pool, hot tub, game room, workspace). Standard listing photos are shot to sell the property itself and prioritize architectural accuracy over lifestyle staging.

Photo-only STR coverage is $175 for homes up to 3,500 sq ft. The complete STR Showcase package starts at $525 and includes extended interior coverage, amenity details, drone stills, and measured 2D floor plans. Central Florida STR owners — especially in Kissimmee, Davenport, Reunion, Champions Gate, and Orlando vacation rental zones — are competing on listing imagery as their primary marketing asset.

12

How far in advance do I need to book a real estate shoot?

We recommend booking at least a week out, and we do our best to fit same-week shoots — coordinating sellers, tenants, and stagers complicates calendars, and we understand that. Book the moment you have a date so we can block it off. Friday and Monday are the most-booked days in Central Florida; Tuesday-Thursday almost always opens up.

Booking happens through our portal — pick the date, the package, the address, and any special instructions (gate codes, lockbox info, pets, tenant occupancy). If your date changes, reschedule as soon as you get notice: there is no rescheduling fee, we just kindly ask you to tell us as early as possible so the slot can go to another agent.

13

What happens if it rains on my shoot day?

If rain is in the forecast, we proactively contact you the morning of the shoot to make the call together — reschedule, shoot interiors only and return for exteriors, or proceed if the rain is light and intermittent. There's no rescheduling fee for weather-related changes initiated by us.

Central Florida summer afternoons are unpredictable, so we generally recommend morning shoot windows from May through October. Light overcast actually produces excellent exterior photos because it eliminates harsh shadows on the home's facade — we don't reschedule for cloudy weather, only for actual rain or storms. Drone flights are grounded if winds exceed 25 mph or rain is active, per Part 107 regulations.

14

Do you do twilight photos and when are they worth it?

Yes — virtual twilight is included free with every Aerial Shots Media shoot and package as of July 2026. We convert the best exterior into a dusk image with a glowing sky and lit windows, no sunset appointment required. It is most useful for luxury, pool, lakefront, and landscape-lit properties where the exterior is a major selling point.

Because the twilight conversion is free, every listing can carry a dusk exterior as its hero shot without scheduling around the sun. If a listing genuinely needs an on-site dusk session — landscape lighting as the centerpiece, a one-of-a-kind water view — ask when you book and we'll quote the custom session.

15

Do I own the photos and can I use them after the home sells?

You own a license to use the photos for marketing the listed property — including MLS, your personal brand, and your portfolio — but Aerial Shots Media retains the underlying copyright. After the home sells, you can continue using the images for your portfolio, social media, and brand marketing indefinitely.

The seller doesn't own the photos and can't transfer them to a new agent if the listing changes hands without compensating us — this is standard industry practice and protects both you and us. If a builder, developer, or commercial client needs full copyright transfer for ongoing marketing across multiple properties, we offer buyout pricing as an add-on. Always check your local MLS rules — Stellar MLS and Space Coast MLS both require the listing agent to confirm proper licensing before uploading media.

16

What areas of Central Florida do you cover?

Aerial Shots Media covers the entire Central Florida region including all of Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Lake, Polk, Brevard, and Volusia counties. That includes Orlando, Winter Park, Windermere, Lake Nona, Dr. Phillips, Baldwin Park, Celebration, Kissimmee, Winter Garden, Clermont, Apopka, Sanford, Lake Mary, Altamonte Springs, Melbourne, Viera, Suntree, Cocoa Beach, Titusville, Merritt Island, Rockledge, Satellite Beach, Indialantic, Palm Bay, and the Space Coast.

There's no travel fee for any shoot within 40 miles of our Central Florida hub. Beyond that radius, a per-mile travel fee may apply, and we batch distant jobs to keep costs reasonable. Orlando route days help protect availability and pricing for agents working there.

17

Can you shoot in gated communities and HOAs?

Yes, we shoot in gated communities daily — Lake Nona, Windermere, Bay Hill, Isleworth, Reunion, ChampionsGate, Eagle Creek, Baldwin Park, Heathrow, Alaqua Lakes, Suntree, Indian River Colony Club, and dozens more across Central Florida. We just need the gate code, listing agent name on the access list, or a scheduled gate pass at least 24 hours before the shoot.

Some communities (Isleworth, Lake Nona's Golden Oak, Bella Collina) have strict drone restrictions that override standard FAA Part 107 rules — we check community-level restrictions before flying and will let you know if drone footage requires HOA pre-approval. For shoots requiring HOA notification, we recommend the listing agent submit the request, since HOAs respond faster to property owners and listing agents than to outside vendors.

18

Do you offer headshots and agent branding?

Yes, agent headshots and personal branding photo sessions are part of our branding services, including studio-style headshots, environmental shots in your office or a Central Florida landmark location, and "agent at work" lifestyle shots for social media. A standard headshot session is $275-$450 depending on location count and outfit changes.

We also produce agent-branded video content — listing presentation videos, monthly market update reels, neighborhood spotlight videos, and "meet your agent" intro films for your website and social. The brand work is structured under our Scale by Video subdivision, which is a separate service track from listing media. Most full-time agents in Central Florida are losing market share by treating their personal brand as an afterthought — buyers in 2026 hire the agent they recognize from social before they hire the agent referred by a friend.

19

What MLS and listing platforms do your photos work with?

Our deliverables are formatted for Stellar MLS, Space Coast MLS, Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin, Compass, eXp, and every major brokerage's internal listing system. You get MLS-sized JPEGs (1024x768 or larger depending on the MLS), full-resolution images for print and luxury marketing, vertical 9:16 versions for Instagram and TikTok, and 16:9 horizontal video for YouTube and Facebook.

Everything is delivered through a branded media portal — no Dropbox links, no zip files, no expired download windows. Photos are licensed for the listing duration and for the agent's portfolio use indefinitely after sale. If you need a specific aspect ratio or resolution that's not in the standard delivery, we'll cut it as part of the original shoot at no extra charge if you mention it during booking.

20

Why hire Aerial Shots Media instead of a cheaper photographer?

Cheaper photographers exist in every market, including Central Florida, but the gap shows up in three places: consistency across shoots, turnaround reliability, and post-production quality. Aerial Shots Media has delivered 900+ shoots across Central Florida, runs a full production team (not a solo shooter juggling deliverables), and operates a delivery system that gets you photos when promised — not "soon," not "by end of week," but 5 PM next business day.

We're licensed under FAA Part 107 for commercial drone work, Zillow Showcase Certified, and contracted with brokerages and individual top producers across Orlando, Brevard, and Lake County. The savings on a $150 shoot evaporate the first time a slow turnaround costs you a Monday MLS launch or the first time low-quality photos lose you a listing presentation. For agents building a long-term business in Central Florida, the right question isn't "what's the cheapest option" — it's "who can I rely on for the next 100 listings."

Still have a question?

Easiest is to text or call. Most shoots are booked within five minutes of the first reply.