Choosing the right media for your Saskatoon listing

Professional photographs and a floor plan are my baseline. Photos show the home, and the floor plan helps buyers understand the layout and how it works. From there, I consider what aerial photographs or video would add, along with how the Realtor plans to use the media.

For a simpler listing with fewer features to show, photos and a floor plan may be enough. I do not want clients spending more when they do not need to. But there is another part of the decision: each listing also gives a Realtor an opportunity to show prospective sellers how they market a property.

Start with photographs and a floor plan

When I started more than 14 years ago, professional photographs were often the whole media plan. They are still the first priority for me.

A floor plan adds something different. It tells the story of the layout: where the rooms are, how they connect and how the home works. A buyer can enjoy the photographs and still need that overview to make sense of the space.

That is why I see professional photography and a floor plan as the starting point when we discuss a listing.

Use aerial photographs to explain the setting

Aerial photographs can show the yard and how the house sits within the neighbourhood. They give context that a photograph from the front step cannot always provide.

I also like using location pointers to identify the home and nearby features such as parks, schools and hospitals. That can help a buyer understand the surrounding area and where those amenities are in relation to the property.

Those pointers should identify real locations accurately. If a school matters to a buyer, they should confirm its current catchment and enrolment information separately. A nearby school is useful context, but proximity alone does not establish eligibility.

For the media decision, the question is what the aerial view helps explain. Review the drone photography service when the yard or setting is an important part of the property story.

Choose video with a plan to share it

I like recommending video because it gives Realtors more to use when promoting a listing on social media. It adds movement and provides another way to present the property.

In my experience, many Realtors in my market still rely mainly on photographs. Video can help a Realtor show prospective sellers that their marketing goes beyond a photo gallery.

Think about where you will publish it and how it fits your campaign. The video service page explains the available approaches. Choose the format around the places you actually intend to use it.

Know when a simpler media plan makes sense

For homes without a lot of additional features to show, I am comfortable starting with photos and a floor plan. If the Realtor expects the property to sell quickly, that is another consideration when deciding whether more media is worthwhile.

I do not push extra spending just because another service is available. The additional media should have a purpose, whether that is explaining the setting, supporting social promotion or presenting the Realtor's marketing approach.

Consider the Realtor brand as well as the property

Today's listing can become an example of your work for tomorrow's seller. A prospective client may see how you present a home and decide whether that approach matches what they want for their own property.

That is why the right media plan can vary even between similar homes. One Realtor may want a straightforward listing package. Another may deliberately include drone or video as part of how they present their brand.

Start with what buyers need to understand, then consider how you want to use the finished work. Compare the current packages, or ask me for a recommendation for the property and campaign you have in mind.