· 2 min read
Drone, Video or Floor Plans: Which Add-Ons Are Worth It?
Photography is the foundation of every listing. Add-ons are where agents either spend wisely or waste budget. The right choice depends on what a buyer can't understand from photos alone.
Floor plans: almost always worth it
A floor plan answers questions photos can't: how big the second bedroom really is, whether the kitchen opens to the living room, where the stairs land. Buyers who understand the layout before a showing are better qualified when they walk in.
Add a floor plan when: the layout is unusual, the rooms are similar sizes, or the home is large enough that photos don't show how it fits together. Floor plans start at $99.
Drone: when the setting sells the home
Aerial photos show what a ground-level camera can't: the size of the lot, the distance to the water, the view from the roof, the street the home sits on.
Add drone when: the property has land, a pool, waterfront or a notable location. Skip it for most interior-only condos, where the building's exterior does more for the listing than an aerial does. Drone starts at $99 with a shoot.
Video: when buyers need to feel the flow
Video walks a buyer through the home in the order they'd experience it. It's also the format that performs on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, which makes it as much a marketing tool for you as for the listing.
Add video when: the home is priced at the top of its market, it has a story worth telling (a renovation, a view, an indoor-outdoor layout), or you want social content that builds your own brand. Video starts at $399.
Virtual staging: when the rooms are empty
Empty rooms look smaller in photos, and buyers struggle to judge scale. Virtual staging furnishes vacant rooms digitally for far less than physical staging, and it can be done from the photos you already have.
A simple rule
Start with photography and a floor plan. Add drone for the setting, video for the story and staging for empty rooms. If you're unsure, start with the basics from our photo prep checklist: a well-prepared home, photographed well, beats any add-on.
