We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Chris Allison a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Chris thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you share a customer success story with us?

When real estate agents are listing a home for sale and hire a professional photographer, they tend to think that the photos are only being taken to sell that one home. While it is true that professional photography does help sell a home, it’s really about so much more than that. Whenever agents hire us to photograph their listings they are making a decision that helps them truly stand out from the rest. Being an agent that not only hires a professional photographer, but that hires one of the best photographers in our city is such a big draw for agents and it pays off for them exponentially.

Recently one of my best clients named Melissa King hired me to photograph a luxury listing for her in a neighborhood called The Woodlands Reserve. It’s a really beautiful neighborhood with some of the most jaw-dropping and expensive homes in The Woodlands, so Melissa knew that she wanted to go all out. She didn’t just have us take photos and call it a day. She hired us for the full package including photos, aerial images, twilight photos, a cinematic video tour, and a 3D tour of the home. She really gave the home everything it deserved to be properly marketed.

The home sold pretty quickly and Melissa, the homeowners, and the buyers all loved the photos we provided them. If that was the end of the story it would be a great success story, but it’s really just the beginning. After Melissa sold that first home, she was contacted by another family in the neighborhood that saw everything that Melissa did to market their neighbor’s house and they asked her to do the same for them. So we did, and that home sold as well! But again that’s not the end of the story. Melissa went on to win two more listings in the neighborhood because everyone was so impressed with her hard work and the efforts she went to in order to market their homes.

So when I say it’s not just about selling the one home, this is exactly what I mean. It’s about building a brand and setting yourself apart from the crowd. Of course, it takes more than just hiring a really great photographer to be successful, but it’s one key step that my clients take towards being the absolute best that they can be. Melissa King is absolutely one of the best.

Chris, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Chris Allison and I am the owner of Engage Realty Media. I have been working as a photographer for the past 10 years. Over the course of those 10 years I discovered my passion for real estate, and I have spent the last two years doing nothing but photographing houses for the best real estate agents, home builders, and interior designers in The Woodlands, and Houston area. We provide our clients with everything they need to market listings or their services related to architecture and design. Photography and video are our biggest sellers, but we also provide 3D tours, websites, aerial imagery, and more.

Not only are we passionate about photography, but we are also really passionate about homes, and I think that really shows in our work. When we are capturing a space, we really think through the process every step of the way to ensure our clients are receiving images that show off the home in the best possible light. I don’t know that there is anyone else in the area that has put as much time and attention as we have into making sure that our clients have an incredible experience every time they work with us. Not only are our photos some of the best in the city, but our customer service and the backend systems that we utilize mean that our clients receive a seamless experience consistently.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Right out of college, I tried to make a career in real estate photography, and I failed at it big time. I didn’t have great business sense, and I was trying to be too perfect with how I was creating my images which lead to a really expensive product that most people could not afford. So whenever that didn’t work out I went to work for someone else and I spent time honing my craft and learning from them about how to run a successful business. I learned a lot about efficiency, and about providing clients with a product that they want, and not just a product that I think they should have. That led to me finding ways to produce really high-quality content at a much lower price and is why I finally became successful.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

For me, it’s really all been about word of mouth. I have not spent a penny on SEO or advertising, and we rarely post on social media, yet my company continues to grow at a fairly high percentage year over year. Whenever you provide clients with a really high-quality product that stands out from the competition, and you pair that with top-notch customer service/client experience, people will just flock to you. It can be difficult to maintain a high quality experience as you experience growth, but if you are able to bring on the right team members, you will always stand out.

Contact Info:

• Website: engagerealtymedia.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/engagerealtymedia/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Engagerealtymedia/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@engagerealtymedia7690

Image Credits
Engage Realty Media