PropMedia Podcast

The Future of Real Estate Media with Matt Gia of AutoHDR

Join Matty and Moses on the PropMedia podcast as they sit down with Matt Gia, the innovative founder of AutoHDR. In this episode, they dive deep into how AI is revolutionizing photo editing in the real estate media space.

Matt shares his journey from a 17-year-old aspiring photographer in Nantucket, Massachusetts, to the founder of a company at the forefront of AI-powered HDR editing. He recounts the early days of his real estate photography business, Luxury Vision, and how his passion for machine learning led him to develop AutoHDR.

Discover:

• The "DC Universe Origin Story" of Matt Gia: Hear about Matt's unconventional start in real estate photography and how it ignited his drive to innovate.
• AI's Impact on Workflows: Learn how AutoHDR has quickly become a game-changer, making an impact on people's editing workflows and delivering faster, cheaper, and more consistent results.
• AI vs. Human Editors: Matt offers his perspective on where AI excels in real estate photo editing and where human editors still hold an advantage, particularly concerning stylistic nuances.
• The Challenge of Consistency: A critical discussion on one of the biggest outstanding problems in AI editing—maintaining consistency across an entire listing, from paint colors to furniture placement.
• The Future of Shooting: Matt shares his bold predictions for the next five years, including the potential for photographers to shoot entirely on iPhones and the changing role of the professional photographer in a commoditized market.
• Pixel Mob's Vision: Matty and Moses share their excitement for Pixlmob's future, envisioning it as a comprehensive platform and functional hub for the broader "prop media" industry.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone in real estate media looking to understand the transformative power of AI and how to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving industry.

Welcome to the Prop Media podcast with your hosts, Matty and Moses, co-founders of Pixlmob and PropMedia! In this episode, they interview Mark Choey, founder of The Climb brokerage and HighNote. Mark, a technologist and former broker in the real estate space, offers valuable insights into how real estate agents think and the products they sell. If you're a realtor or work with realtors and want to understand their pain points and challenges, this episode is a must-listen! 

Mark shares his journey from computer engineering to real estate, including starting Climb Real Estate in San Francisco and eventually selling it to Reali (now Anywhere, soon to be Compass). He also discusses the inspiration behind High Note, a software platform designed to help salespeople create interactive presentations. Mark highlights the inefficiencies in the real estate business, the importance of personalized presentations, and how High Note streamlines the process for agents. Learn about the three key elements of a winning presentation: trust, aesthetic appeal, and personalization. Mark also reveals interesting use cases for High Note, such as buyer offers and even college recruitment. Finally, he shares his hot takes on technology agents should invest in (AI agents) and what they waste money on (tools they don't use). He emphasizes the need for agents to improve their marketing through social media scheduling apps and consistent content creation.

In this episode, Matty and Moses, co-founders of Pixlmob and PropMedia.com, sit down with Craig Rowe, contributing writer for Inman News and a long-time expert in real estate technology. Craig shares his journey through over a decade in the industry, from the pre-Internet MLS era to covering today’s fast-moving world of prop tech, automation, and AI.

The conversation explores how technology has evolved in real estate — what’s working, what’s not, and why so many agents still struggle to adopt new tools. Craig offers a candid look at the state of prop tech, the difference between good and great agents, and how AI and automation are transforming property media, listings, and smart home technology.

They also dive into important but often overlooked topics like photo licensing, data ownership, and the risks of AI getting it wrong, wrapping up with how Craig himself would approach marketing a listing in today’s tech-driven landscape.

A must-listen for anyone interested in the intersection of real estate, media, and emerging technology.

In this episode, Matty and Moses, co-founders of Pixlmob, chat with Troy Palmquist, a contributing writer for Inman News and Housing Wire. Troy shares his accidental entry into real estate at age 20 and his diverse career path, including foreclosure flips, scaling a brokerage, and roles at EXP.

The conversation delves into the crucial role of property media and visuals in real estate, with Troy emphasizing the importance of high-quality photography and video for capturing consumer attention. He discusses how professional visuals differentiate listings, the strategic use of photos beyond the MLS, and the power of storytelling through media. Troy also touches on the evolving landscape of real estate technology, including the increasing relevance of digital presence, SEO, and AI in property search.

A significant portion of the discussion is dedicated to the often-overlooked topics of licensing and copyright in real estate photography, highlighting the industry's lack of education on these critical issues. They explore the challenges posed by photos being used in data sets for AI training and the need for clear agreements between photographers and agents. Troy also offers unique perspectives on the longevity of online content, privacy concerns for homeowners, and creative ways to leverage photography, even suggesting it as an invaluable closing gift for buyers to document their homes for insurance or personal use.

Join Moses Nickerson and Matty Fisher, co-founders of Pixlmob and co-hosts of the PropMedia Podcast, as they sit down with Brandon Cooper, the visionary founder of the PMRE Conference.

In this insightful episode, Brandon shares the compelling origin story of PMRE (Photography and Media for Real Estate), a conference specifically designed for photographers and media companies creating content for the real estate industry. Discover how a personal need for community and a passion for connecting like-minded professionals led to the creation of this essential event.

Key Discussion Points:

• The Genesis of PMRE: Learn how Brandon's journey from real estate agent to full-time photographer, coupled with a major natural disaster, fueled the need for an industry gathering.
• Evolution of the Industry: Explore the significant shifts in real estate media, particularly the "boom" around 2020 with the rise of video, 3D tours, and the impact of COVID-19 on property marketing.
• PMRE's Core Philosophy: Understand PMRE's mission to help real estate media creators succeed, bring the community together, and elevate the industry as a whole.
• Beyond Technical Skills: Hear about the growing demand for business-side education (marketing, sales, scaling, team building) among creatives in the real estate media space.
• Choosing Speakers & Shaping Conversations: Get a behind-the-scenes look at the meticulous process of selecting PMRE speakers, prioritizing passion, charisma, and content that inspires the "why" over just the "how."
• The Power of Connection: Discover why networking and community are the most invaluable takeaways from PMRE, fostering relationships that lead to collaboration, mentorship, and lifelong friendships.
• Why Attend PMRE? Brandon shares compelling reasons to join the conference, highlighting the unique culture of openness, exciting new sponsors (including AI technology), product announcements, and a diverse roster of competent speakers.
• Don't Miss Out! Learn about important dates, how to stay updated, and why attending PMRE can fast-track your business and connect you with a supportive global community.

Whether you're a seasoned real estate media professional or just starting, this episode offers invaluable insights into the industry's past, present, and future, and the power of coming together.

Connect with PMRE:

• Instagram: @PMREConference
• Website & Registration: pmreconference.com
• Download the PMRE app on the App Store or Google Play for the agenda, speakers, and to connect with attendees and vendors.

Brad Ziemer went from flying planes to building one of the largest real estate media companies in the United States - operating in 40+ states with over 200 photographers. In this episode, he reveals the exact systems and mindset shifts that led to three Inc. 5000 honors.

What You'll Learn:
•Why Brad interviewed 40,000+ applicants to find 200 photographers (and why it matters)
•The "unreasonable volume" principle that led to 20 interviews per day for months
•Why customer service beats photography skills in hiring decisions
•How to scale remotely without ever meeting your team in person
•The clay pot parable: Why high volume beats luxury when you're starting out
Brad's acquisition strategy and what he looks for in companies (hint: $1M revenue, $300K profit)
•Why you should NEVER hire your friends (and the one exception that worked)
•How to maintain quality control across 40 states using HD Photo Hub
•The systems that allow photographers to work for multiple brands simultaneously
•AI integration across every department (not just editing)

About Brad Ziemer: Brad is the founder of Windows Still, a 3x Inc. 5000 honoree operating in 40+ states. He started the company in 2015 while working as a pilot and has since built it into one of the largest real estate media operations in the country. In 2024, he acquired Lifestyle Production Group, expanding into the luxury market.

Follow Brad: Instagram: @bradziemer (working toward 100K followers) Instagram: @lifestyleproductiongroup Instagram: @windowsstill
About PropMedia: Join Matty and Moses from Pixlmob as they interview industry leaders about building and scaling real estate media businesses. From systems to mindset, we cover what actually works.

Connect with PropMedia: Website: 

https://propmedia.com/

#pixlmob #realestatephotography #proptech #propmedia

Welcome to the PropMedia podcast! In this episode, we feature Mike Burke, the founder of the highly influential "Inside Real Estate Photography" YouTube channel. Discover how Mike's invaluable content has inspired countless individuals to launch their own property media businesses and cultivate a vibrant industry community.

Mike opens up about his serendipitous introduction to real estate media in 2012, a period when the sector was far less developed. Hear about his transition from wedding videography to real estate photography, initially as a favor to his real estate agent cousin. He details the organic growth of his business, his decision to commit full-time to real estate media in 2015 or 2016, and how a key connection helped accelerate his career.

A significant portion of our discussion focuses on the origins of Mike's YouTube channel. He explains his motivation to create content that addressed the practical and business aspects of real estate media, which he felt were overlooked by existing tutorials. Mike reveals how the pandemic, amidst personal challenges with his son's health, became the catalyst for him to start his channel in March 2020. He shares insights into his early experiences with video creation, the success of his detailed reviews and tutorials, and his unwavering commitment to delivering genuine, un-gated information.

Community building is a core theme, with Mike expressing his dedication to fostering a supportive environment for real estate photographers. Learn how his free and extensive resources have demystified the industry for newcomers, making it a viable and attractive career. Mike also discusses his methodical approach to efficiency, offering tangible systems that he shares with his audience. The episode wraps up with Mike's observations on the rapid expansion of the real estate photography industry post-2020 and his vision for a more collaborative and positive professional landscape.

Find Mike Burke online:

• YouTube: Inside Real Estate Photography
• Instagram: @burkemultimedia

Ever had your editor disappear overnight? Or maybe they missed your creative intent entirely? Matty and Moses dive deep into the brutal reality of outsourcing your editing and reveal why most photographers are doing it all wrong.

In this episode, you'll discover:
•Why the top Pixlmob editor made over $1 million last year (and what that means for you)
•The "golden question" that will instantly improve your editor relationship
•Why treating your business like Chick-fil-A beats trying to be Wolfgang Puck
•How to properly vet editors and avoid getting ghosted
•The template system that helped North Seventh scale massively
•When to choose consistency over creativity (and why it matters)


About PropMedia:
Join Matty and Moses from Pixlmob as they share insider knowledge about building and scaling real estate media businesses. From shooting techniques to business strategy, they cover what actually works in the field.

In this episode of the PropMedia Podcast, we sit down with Michael Smith, Broker at Bluefield Realty Group, to explore how media shapes success in real estate. Michael shares why he requires professional photography for every listing, how top-performing agents leverage media, and what realtors truly need from their photographer partners. Michael Smith is the Founder and CEO of Bluefield, a 4-time Inc. 5000 company headquartered in Greenville, SC that provides real estate brokerage, property management, and insurance services.

You’ll hear insights on:

•Why DIY listing photos hurt your brand

•When to go beyond photos with video, Matterport, or 3D renderings

•How staging and decluttering impact buyer perception

•Building stronger realtor–photographer relationships

•The behind-the-scenes checklist before a listing goes live

If you’re a real estate agent, broker, or real estate photographer, this episode is packed with actionable advice on elevating your listings and standing out in competitive markets.

🔗 Follow Michael Smith & Bluefield Realty Group: https://www.instagram.com/michaelwithbluefield/ https://www.instagram.com/bluefieldgroup/

https://www.bluefieldgroup.com/

🎙️ Subscribe to PropMedia Podcast for more industry insights!

Industry veteran Eli Jones joins Moses and Matty to discuss the evolution of real estate photography over the past decade and share predictions for the next ten years.

Eli has trained over 6,000 students through REPP Team and witnessed firsthand how the industry has transformed from basic MLS photos to sophisticated marketing operations. In this episode, he reveals why he made the bold decision to shut down his successful course business to focus on community building, and shares insights that every real estate photographer needs to hear.

Key takeaways include why photographers should focus on service integration rather than just media quality, which aspects of the business will be automated by AI, and how to build lasting relationships with real estate agents in an increasingly competitive market.

Whether you're just starting in real estate photography or looking to future-proof your established business, this conversation offers valuable insights from someone who's seen it all and successfully adapted through every major industry shift.

Connect with Eli at @itselijones and reppteam.com