Do photos or videos sell homes faster?

Both together work best. Photos drive initial click-through from Zillow listings. Video drives emotional connection and increases showing requests by 40%. Neither alone is as effective as both combined.

Is real estate video worth the extra cost?

Yes. K94 Production includes listing video in the Pro package ($300 total for 50 photos + video). The marginal cost is $130 over the Starter package — and listings with video receive 403% more inquiries.

What type of real estate video works best for Chicago listings?

A 60-90 second cinematic walkthrough focusing on lifestyle and key features. For luxury properties, longer films (2-3 min) with music and narration generate maximum engagement.

Real Estate Video vs Photos — What Sells Homes Faster

Quick Answer

Do photos or video sell homes faster?

Both together work best. Photos drive click-through on Zillow; video drives emotional connection. Listings with video receive 403% more inquiries than those without.

Every agent asks the same question at some point: should I add video to this listing, or are photos enough? The honest answer is more nuanced than a simple yes or no — it depends on price point, property type, and how you plan to market it.

Here's what the data says — and what Chicago's best agents are actually doing.

“Listings with video receive 403% more inquiries than listings without video.” — NAR

The 'video vs. photos' debate in real estate marketing misses the point — the question isn't which performs better, but which performs better for your specific listing, market, and buyer pool. The data is clear that listings with both professional photos and video outperform listings with either alone. Zillow's 2024 listing performance data showed that properties with listing video receive 403% more inquiries than properties with photos only. That's a significant multiplier, but it doesn't mean video replaces photos — buyers use both in sequence: photos for initial qualification (is this worth a deeper look?), video for emotional engagement (can I imagine living here?), and in-person tours for final confirmation.

In Chicago's diverse real estate market, the value of video versus photos varies significantly by property type. High-rise condos with distinctive views benefit enormously from video — a 60-second walk from the entrance through the living space to a floor-to-ceiling window showing Lake Michigan tells a story that 40 photos can't match. Large single-family homes in suburbs like Naperville, Downers Grove, or Barrington benefit from video's ability to show how rooms flow together — something photos show in static frames but video demonstrates dynamically. Smaller condos and entry-level homes see less incremental benefit from video because buyers can mentally map the space from photos alone.

Which Sells Faster: Photo-Only or Photo + Video

Redfin's research on listing performance shows that homes with listing video sell 20% faster than comparable homes with photos only. In Chicago's competitive north suburban market where spring 2026 inventory is tight and multiple-offer situations are common, 20% faster DOM is meaningful — it's the difference between a home that generates competitive offers in week one and a home that accumulates DOM until buyers start asking why no one else wanted it. For listings where speed of sale matters (relocation, estate sale, investor flip), the additional $130 for a video upgrade from Starter to Pro package is the clearest ROI calculation in real estate marketing.

Photos: The Non-Negotiable Foundation

Professional HDR photos are the baseline for every listing. Period. Before you think about video, your photos need to be great — because photos are what buyers see first on Zillow, Redfin, and MLS.

Photos give buyers a clear, still view of every room. They're easy to scroll, easy to screenshot, and easy to share. For the majority of buyers, great photos alone are enough to generate showing requests.

Video: The Emotional Layer

If photos answer "what does it look like?" — video answers "what does it feel like to live here?"

A well-produced listing video creates emotional connection. Buyers watching a cinematic walkthrough experience the flow of the home, the natural light moving through rooms, and the lifestyle the property offers — all before stepping foot inside.

This emotional connection translates directly to more qualified showings — buyers who already feel connected to the home before they arrive.

When Video Makes the Most Sense

Homes Over $400K

At this price point, buyers expect more. Video signals that the agent and seller take the listing seriously — and it attracts more serious buyers.

Unique or High-Character Homes

Homes with unique architecture, extensive outdoor space, or layouts that photos can't fully capture benefit enormously from video. Think historic Oak Park Victorians, lakefront properties in Evanston, or large estate homes in Naperville.

Social Media Marketing

If your marketing strategy includes Instagram Reels, Facebook, or YouTube — video is non-negotiable. Short-form reels from listing video get 5–10x more organic reach than static photo posts.

The Winning Combination

The most effective Chicago listings use both: HDR photos for MLS + cinematic video for social and email marketing. Photos get buyers to the showing. Video gets buyers emotionally invested before they arrive.

K94 Production's Elite package ($500) includes both — professional HDR photography, a full listing walkthrough video, and short-form reels ready for Instagram and Facebook.