Photos or video for a property listing: which do you need?

In short

• Photos are the foundation: no portal listing can be built without them.
• A One Take Video shows how the rooms connect, which photos cannot convey.
• A Reel is made for Instagram and social media, not to replace the listing.
• A Virtual Tour 360° fits when the viewer cannot easily visit, for example buyers abroad.
• If you need two or three formats, a bundle costs less than booking them separately.

What does each format do best?

Each format answers a different question in the viewer's mind. Photos answer "what does the space look like", video answers "how do I move through it", a reel answers "is this worth a look" and a 360 tour answers "can I explore it on my own".

Photos are quick to scan and the viewer can stop wherever they like. Video keeps the pace set by whoever filmed it, but it shows honestly what you see as you walk from the living room to the kitchen or from the bedroom to the terrace. See the details on real estate photography and real estate video.

What do you need for your type of property?

The more complex the layout and the more rooms there are, the more video helps. For small, simple properties, photos are usually enough.

• Studio or one bedroom flat to let: photos. The space is easy to understand from a few good frames, and the listing needs to go live quickly.
• Family apartment for sale: photos and a One Take Video. A buyer wants to understand how the living room, kitchen and bedrooms relate before booking a viewing.
• Detached house, maisonette or villa: photos, video and, where flying is permitted, a drone add-on for the plot and surroundings. Several floors and outdoor areas are hard to explain with photos alone.
• Airbnb and short term rental: photos for the booking platform and a Reel for the property's social media. The booking platform relies on photos, while the reel does its work on Instagram.
• High value property or one aimed at buyers abroad: photos, video and a Virtual Tour 360°. Someone who cannot visit needs as complete a picture as possible.
• Empty property or one under renovation: photos and, if needed, virtual staging from €25 per image. A video of an empty space rarely adds much, and digitally staged images are always labelled as digital visualisations.

What do you need for each channel?

The channel shapes the format as much as the property does. Before you decide, write down exactly where the material will be published.

• Property portals: photos are the main content, and the first photo decides whether the listing gets opened. Video is a useful extra where the platform supports it.
• An agency or owner website: there is room for everything here. Photos at the top, video further down and, if you have one, an embedded 360 tour.
• Instagram and social media: a vertical Reel of 15 to 45 seconds. A three minute horizontal video does not suit a feed that people scroll on their phones.
• Sending to buyers abroad: a One Take Video and a Virtual Tour 360°. The buyer sees the property in the order they would walk it, then explores on their own before deciding whether to travel.
• WhatsApp, Viber and email to interested parties: a short video or reel opens easily on a phone and is simple to forward to a partner or colleague.

When does a bundle make sense?

A bundle makes sense when you already know you will use the second format, because everything is shot in one visit at a lower total cost. For a property of up to 50 m² the prices are:

• Photo + Reel: €229, instead of €278 at the starting prices of the two services booked separately (€129 + €149).
• Photo + Video: €249, instead of €278 separately.
• Photo + Video + Reel: €349, instead of €427 separately (€129 + €149 + €149).

There is a practical benefit too: the property is prepared once, and the photos and video share the same light and the same styling. A bundle does not pay off when the video will sit unused, for example for a simple rental that is only advertised on a portal.

How much does each option cost?

Photography starts from €129 for spaces up to 50 m², and the One Take Video and the Reel start from €149 each, excluding 24% VAT. The Virtual Tour 360° is added from €170, and a floor plan costs +€65, only together with the tour.

For larger properties the photography price rises by size tier (€159 for 51 to 100 m², €199 for 101 to 150 m²) and the matching difference is added to bundles. Outside Central and South Athens, an area surcharge of 10% to 15% applies to the main services. You will find every calculation, with examples, in our article on how much real estate photography costs in Athens.

How do you decide in three steps?

Start from the viewer, not from the service. Three questions are enough to reach a decision:

1. Where will it be published? Portal only means photos. Portal plus Instagram means photos and a Reel.
2. Can still images explain the space? If the layout has several levels, corridors or large outdoor areas, add a One Take Video.
3. Can the interested person visit easily? If not, add a Virtual Tour 360°, so that the first viewing happens on screen.

Whichever format you choose, the result depends on how well the space is prepared. Clear worktops, open shutters and lights switched on look the same in a photo and in a video.