We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Courtney Scholari. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Courtney below.

Alright, Courtney thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So, let’s start with trends – what are some of the largest or more impactful trends you are seeing in the industry?

Aerial photography and virtual tours are more popular now than ever. Both technologies aren’t new, but in recent years, they have become a regular part of real estate photography.

Aerial images are a unique view of a property we may never get to see, and usually, it’s a neat view. People have been interested in these images for real estate for a long time. When drone licenses became achievable for non-pilots, aerial photographers became more easily accessible and aerial photography for real estate literally took off.

Virtual tours became incredibly important during the pandemic when home sellers needed a way to give potential buyers the ability to walk through a home without physically being there. Even though in-person home tours are back to normal, there is still high demand for the technology. People really love the virtual visit, it will always be a great way to showcase a home.

Aerial photography and virtual tours may trend down at some point, but there will always be clients that want those services.

Courtney, 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 Courtney Scholari, and the pride of my professional life is CSP Realty Photos. Creative by nature, I love many artistic mediums, but photography is in my blood (my grandfather was a photographer). In 2013 I was offered an opportunity to photograph real estate, and I loved it immediately. I’m proud that in nine years, what started as a contract labor job has turned into a full-fledged company with a network of people creating beautiful imagery. Originally, services were limited to single-shot images, but now CSP offers all services a client may need to list a property: HDR images, aerial images, virtual tours and virtual staging being the most popular. Providing the services that client’s require is important, but CSP also provides peace of mind that a client’s happiness is more important than the bottom line. CSP clientele receive stellar real estate photography, but also professional courtesy, respect, and kindness, our core values for building strong, professional relationships.

Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?

My favorite marketing story…. One Thanksgiving, CSP posted a virtual tour of Benjamin Franklin’s house. Within the virtual tour were hidden cartoon turkeys. It was festive and cute, and caught the eye of the marketing team for a major home builder in the metroplex. They reached out to set up a meeting, it was wonderful, and we’ve been collaborating together since.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish I’d found art education earlier in life. In my late-20s I had achieved an Associates of Science, but it felt more like checking a box, rather than something I was proud of. I’m a creative person, but didn’t understand going to school for art education was an option. So, in my 30s, and after I’d been shooting homes for a couple years, I started taking art and photography classes at a local junior college. I was self-taught (with the aid of books) up to that point, and was trained a bit to shoot professionally, but specifically for real estate. Going to school was a way to find out where my skill level was at, in general, and improve from there. I wanted to grow as a professional, but the artist inside demanded attention, too. I spent a year and a half soaking up as much photography and art classes as I could. It was a wonderful experience, I grew as a person, as well as an artist, and have enjoyed applying that knowledge to both my personal and professional work. I did not get a degree, but I am so proud of the time spent… totally worth it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://csprealtyphotos.com/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/csphotography-llc