Real Estate Video Marketing Statistics (2026)

Every figure below names who measured it and when; vendor studies are flagged. For the how-to, see how to make a real estate listing video.

The headline numbers

What the data actually says

Buyers: video is part of the search, but photos still do the heavy lifting

In NAR's 2026 Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends report, 52% of buyers used an online video site in their search, up from 37% in the 2025 edition. NAR notes that results are not always directly comparable between editions, so treat the size of the jump with caution. Older buyers used video sites more than younger ones: 61% of buyers aged 71 to 79 versus 37% of those aged 27 to 35.

Asked which website features were "very useful", online searchers ranked video in the lower half: photos 81%, property details 77%, floor plans 57%, agent contact information 44%, virtual tours 38%, videos 29%. Video adds to good photos and a floor plan; it doesn't replace them.

Buyers use video to understand the area

The best primary data on why buyers watch is older. In The Digital House Hunt (NAR and Google, 2013), a 2011 survey of 923 home shoppers found that, among those using online video, 86% used it to learn about a specific community and 70% to tour inside a home. The data is dated, but the split is still a useful plan: one video for the home, one for the area.

Sellers: few homes are marketed with video, and few sellers ask for it

In the 2025 Generational Trends report, 12% of sellers who used an agent said the agent marketed the home with video, compared with 86% for the MLS and 22% for social media. The 2026 edition no longer lists video as a separate method; it shows virtual tours at 20% and video hosting websites at 5%.

Asked what they most wanted from their agent (one answer only), under 1% of sellers chose "help create and post videos to provide tour of my home", while 23% chose help marketing the home to buyers. Sellers rarely ask for video by name, yet it is one way to deliver the marketing they do want. That is the gap: buyers are watching, and few listings give them anything to watch.

Agents: what's in the toolkit

The 2026 REALTORS Technology Report (NAR, September 2026) found 48% of agents use drone photography/video (one combined category), 29% use virtual tours and 32% use social media scheduling or content tools.

Tours and aerials: what the studies found

• Zillow (2022): listings on Zillow with a 3D Home tour earned 81% more views and 53% more saves than listings without one. Zillow makes the 3D Home tour product and gave no period or controls for other differences.
• Texas Tech researchers, published by Matterport (2020): across 143,575 MLS listings in four U.S. markets (November 2016 to November 2019), listings with 3D tours sold for 4% to 9% more and up to 31% faster, depending on the market. The results controlled for size and bedrooms but were labeled preliminary, and the publisher sells the tours.
• Peer-reviewed (2022): a study of Singapore listings from 2015 to 2018 found listings with 360 virtual tours or drone video drew more potential buyers, were more likely to sell and sold for higher prices, though virtual-tour listings stayed on the market longer.

All three point the same way, but none proves video causes a higher price: agents who invest in tours may also price and prepare listings differently.

Figures you'll see repeated but can't verify

These appear on many marketing blogs, usually credited to NAR or "industry reports". None traces to a published survey with a stated sample and method, so leave them out of listing presentations; REALTORS also have to keep advertising truthful under Article 12.

• "Listings with video get 403% more inquiries." Credited to NAR, Realtor.com and others, but no report from either that we could find contains it, and pages repeating it name no dataset.
• "73% of homeowners are more likely to list with an agent who uses video." Credited to NAR with no report, year or question wording.
• "Only 9% of agents make listing videos" and "38% of agents use video." No primary source found. NAR's real seller-side figure is the 12% above.
• "Homes with video sell for 6% more." No study found.
• "Homes with aerial photos sell 68% faster." Pages repeating it cite unnamed "MLS statistics".
• "58% of buyers expect a video tour." Likely a garbled version of NAR's 2021 finding that 58% of buyers want virtual tours, a different feature and a different claim.
• "Virtual tours sell homes 31% faster." The Matterport-published "up to" 3D-tour result above, from one market, not a video statistic.

What the platforms say about short-form

• Instagram: Adam Mosseri said in January 2025 that the top three ranking signals are watch time, likes and sends. Reels and YouTube Shorts can both run up to three minutes.
• YouTube search: ranks on relevance, engagement and quality, including watch time for a given query (see real estate video SEO).

For formats to shoot, see the Reels ideas.

How to act on these numbers

1. Get the photos and floor plan right first. They are what buyers rate most useful; video builds on them.
2. Make two kinds of video: a walkthrough of the home and a short clip of the area's parks, shops and commute routes.
3. Bring a video plan to listing appointments. With about one in eight sellers' homes marketed with video, it sets you apart.
4. Post where buyers already look: YouTube, your listing page and the portals, plus short vertical cuts for social.
5. Start from photos if you have to. You can turn listing photos into a video. SofaBrain's listing video tool does this for 30 credits per video, with captions, narration and vertical, square and landscape exports. If staged rooms appear, label them and keep the originals (disclosure language).

Methodology and sources

Figures were checked against the original publications in October 2026. The NAR Generational Trends figures come from Exhibits 3-2, 3-6, 7-5 and 7-7 of the 2026 edition (a mailed survey of 173,250 recent buyers in July 2025, 6,103 responses) and Exhibits 3-2 and 7-8 of the 2025 edition. Other sources are linked where they appear. Survey percentages describe recent U.S. buyers and sellers, not any single listing.

FAQ

Do listings with video really get 403% more inquiries?

There's no published study behind that number. It is usually credited to NAR or Realtor.com, but no report from either that we could find contains it. A better figure to cite is NAR's: 52% of recent buyers used online video sites in their search.

What percentage of home buyers use video in their home search?

In NAR's 2026 Generational Trends report, 52% of buyers who purchased between July 2024 and June 2025 used an online video site during their search. Only 29% of buyers who searched online rated listing videos "very useful", compared with 81% for photos and 57% for floor plans.

What percentage of real estate agents use video?

In NAR's 2025 Generational Trends report, 12% of sellers who used an agent said the agent marketed their home with video. NAR's 2026 Technology Report found 48% of agents use drone photography or video and 29% use virtual tours. The often-quoted "only 9% of agents" has no traceable source.

Does video help homes sell faster or for more money?

Studies of 3D tours and drone video point that way. A Texas Tech analysis published by Matterport found 4% to 9% higher prices for 3D-tour listings, and a peer-reviewed Singapore study found higher prices and sale rates. Both show correlation, not a reliable price lift.

Do sellers prefer agents who use video?

The "73% of homeowners" figure has no published source. In NAR's 2026 report, under 1% of sellers said video tours were what they most wanted from their agent, while 23% most wanted help marketing the home. Video is one way to deliver that marketing, even if sellers rarely ask for it by name.