Presenting a home for sale is a process. The market today is 100 percent visual. That means if you have a home that does not show well, your chances of selling quickly for a great price are significantly diminished.
It takes a village to sell a home. A Realtor that knows your neighborhood demographics and is deeply networked is only the first step. You also need an excellent stager and a great photographer. We’re lucky to have a great pool of photographic talent in Dallas, and we are exceptionally fortunate to have the skills of Costa Christ who is raising the bar to a new level in real estate photography.
Costa Christ is a Dallas native that attended SMU and met the girl who would become his wife, Jackie, the first day of orientation. Majoring in accounting may have seemed like the right path, but it did not light any fires for Costa. “I cannot tell you how much I did not want to sit behind a desk,” he said. “I graduated and started to do anything I could not to become a CPA.”
Fortunately, Jackie became the CPA, and now handles all of the company’s scheduling and billing. Although it seems like Costa’s been around for a long time, he only began his company, Costa Christ Media, in 2014. He works for not only builders, but also for well-known interior designers, architects, and some of the leading real estate agents in Dallas.
Jonathan Rosen with The Rosen Group was one of the first to discover Costa Christ Media. “Costa has such a good eye and understands what we’re looking for. He very good at making the product look different.”
Daltxrealestate.com: How did you break into this crazy business?
Costa Christ: I’ve always liked houses and real estate and beautiful spaces. Jackie found a job listing on the SMU job board for Altschuler and Company, a real estate advisory services firm. It was part-time, and they just needed a few shots of the office. Jon Altschuler is the founder. We just clicked. He’s a mentor of mine, and I would not be here today without him. He hired me on staff for a year and a half. Then I started my own business. I made thousands of phone calls to builders and Ben Coats with Coats Homes gave me a break.
CD: You studied accounting at SMU, so how did you learn to be a photographer?
CC: Trial and error! I’m completely self-taught. I watched a lot of YouTube videos! I figured out a technique no one else uses that I’ve ever met, and I shoot in completely natural light. My competitors from Los Angeles and New York arrive with vans of equipment. I walk in with a tripod and a camera.
CD: What do you love about being a photographer?
CC: I really love that every day my job is to be creative. There is just so much freedom in the way I get to approach every project.
CD: Who are your clients?
CC: I mainly work with designers, architects, and builders. The top real estate producers like me because I have a unique style. I give my Realtors an expedited version of what I do for my high-end designers.
CD: What’s your most rewarding project?
CC: Anything that lands me on the cover of a magazine, the projects that get editorial coverage!
CD: What’s next?
CC: I take one day at a time. I want to continue to build a reputation of being the hardest-working photographer in Dallas. No one is out-working me. If it’s Christmas morning, I’m working for a client. Every single day of the year I work except for July, I take that month off! I’m Greek, so I go to Greece every July.
CD: Do you live by any words of wisdom?
CC: Yes, I read “The Four Agreements” by don Miguel Ruiz. I try to live by the principles: Be impeccable with your word. Don’t take anything personally. Don’t make assumptions. Always do your best.
Karen Eubank is the owner of Eubank Staging and Design. She has been an award-winning professional home stager and writer for over 25 years. She teaches the popular Staging to Sell class and is the creator of the online course, The Beginners Guide to Buying Wholesale. She loves dogs, international travel, history, white paint, champagne, artificial turf, and homes with personality. Her father was a spy, and she keeps secrets very well. Find Karen at www.eubankstaging.com
