Why Most Agents Still Don't Use Listing Videos (And What It's Costing Them)
By Matt Basedow
If you're in the 91%, the reason probably isn't that you don't see the value. Most agents understand video matters. The reason is that creating a video has always felt expensive, slow, or technically out of reach. Hire a videographer, wait three days, spend $400, repeat for every listing. It's a workflow that doesn't scale, so most agents skip it entirely.
That calculation made sense in 2020. It doesn't anymore.
The Real Cost of Skipping Listing Videos
The number that should bother you isn't the 73%. It's the 403%.
According to Resimpli, listings with video receive 403% more inquiries than listings without one. Not 40% more. Not double. Four times as many people reaching out about the same property.
Listings with video receive 403% more inquiries than those without, yet only 9% of agents produce listing videos. The gap between what sellers want and what agents deliver has never been wider.
That gap means something concrete: sellers are interviewing agents who offer video, and choosing them over agents who don't. Not because video is a nice bonus, but because sellers have seen the results. They know what a well-marketed listing looks like. They expect it.
And the agents who can't show them a video at the listing presentation are losing that conversation.
Why This Matters More in 2026
The bar has moved. A year ago, having any video put you ahead of the pack. Now the agents in the top tier of most markets are posting video consistently, not just for their prestige listings, but for everything.
Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube all prioritise video in their algorithms. A listing photo post reaches a fraction of the audience a short video does. Platforms are actively pushing video content in front of buyers. The agents posting static images are fighting the algorithm as well as the competition.
And buyers are consuming property content differently. According to Wyzowl, 78% of people watch online video every week. A buyer scrolling their feed at 10pm isn't visiting your listing portal. They're watching a 30-second clip that caught their attention and then calling you in the morning.
If you're not in their feed with video, someone else is.
The Actual Barrier (It's Not What You Think)
The reason most agents skip listing videos isn't the price of a videographer. It's the friction. Booking a crew, coordinating with the vendor, waiting on edits, getting a file back two days after the listing goes live. By then, the open home has happened. The momentum window has closed.
The agents using video at scale have solved the friction problem, not just the cost problem. They've built a workflow where a listing video can be created the same day they take the photos. No crew, no waiting, no editing software to learn.
That's what AI property video tools have changed. You upload the photos you already have, and within minutes you have a branded, music-backed video ready for social media and MLS. The output looks professional because the templates are built specifically for real estate, not repurposed from a generic slideshow tool.
Imagine you've just won a listing in a suburb where two other agents were also pitching. The sellers chose you, partly because you showed them exactly how you'd market their home, including a 60-second video that would run on Instagram, Facebook, and be embedded in the listing. You made it the night before the presentation using their address and a set of placeholder photos. It took you 10 minutes.
That's not a hypothetical. That's a real use case agents are running right now.
How to Make Listing Videos Without a Camera Crew
Here's the actual process, step by step:
Gather your listing photos. The same set you're uploading to the MLS. Standard property photos work fine. Higher quality photos produce a better video, but you don't need anything beyond what you'd normally commission.
Upload to a property video tool. Tools like PropertyVideos.ai are built specifically for real estate listings. You're not adapting a generic video editor. You're working in something designed for exactly this use case.
Select your template and add listing details. Address, price, key features. The platform handles the layout. You're making decisions, not designing from scratch.
Add your branding. Logo, contact details, agent name. This goes on every video automatically once it's set up.
Download and post. Export in the format you need: vertical for Instagram Reels and Stories, horizontal for MLS and YouTube. The same video serves multiple platforms.
Total time: under 10 minutes for a standard listing, once you've done it once or twice.
Common Objections Worth Addressing
"Won't it look cheap compared to a professional videographer?"
Professional videography is the ceiling, not the bar. The bar is whether you have listing videos at all. A clean, branded property video created from good photos looks professional. What doesn't look professional is having no video while your competitors do.
"Do I need the seller's approval?"
The listing photos are already commissioned for marketing use. A video created from those photos is an extension of that marketing. That said, showing the seller a sample during the listing presentation isn't just a courtesy, it's a closing tool. It shows them exactly how you'll promote their home.
"What about properties I don't have great photos for?"
This is a real one. Listing videos amplify your marketing, which means they also amplify your photos. Invest in decent listing photography. It pays back through faster sales, better video output, and more compelling social content. The two go together.
The Bottom Line
The agents consistently winning listings in competitive markets in 2026 are not necessarily the most experienced or the best negotiators. They're the ones who look like the best marketers. Video is the most visible signal of marketing quality.
You already know listings with video outperform listings without. The 403% inquiry figure isn't surprising. What's surprising is that 91% of agents still aren't acting on it.
The barrier is lower than you think. The tools exist. The process takes minutes. The cost is a fraction of what a videographer charges. The only thing left is deciding to start.