HomeJab has launched Real, a non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace for real estate images as an alternative to stock photo services. Participating professional real estate photographers receive 96% of all sales proceeds, the highest compensation available from a major stock photo platform.
Photographers currently earn as little as 2 cents to 25 cents per month per photo through stock photo agencies, according to Phototutorial.
“We’re flipping the model upside down,” said Joe Jesuele, head of HomeJab.com, who led the development of real estate’s first NFT platform of images. HomeJab provides real estate agents on-demand professional real estate photography and other visual production services in every major U.S. market and all 50 states.
Real is designed for real estate agents and digital marketers to purchase one-of-a-kind iconic real estate images. The Real platform also enables clients to order custom NFTs to be shot and produced by professional real estate photographers for their exclusive commercial use as they will own the image.
“Buyers such as real estate agents and their web and marketing agencies can purchase unique images with nearly all the compensation going to the artist — the photographer. That’s the way it should be,” he added.
Jesuele explains that one of the most significant advantages of this new NFT marketplace is its “real-world utility.”
“Too many NFT projects today are designed to help the founders make money. The real NFT marketplace supports the hard work and gives new visibility to professional real estate photographers’ artistry while properly supporting their creative efforts,” he explained. “By bridging the physical world and the metaverse, Real can help cut through the current clutter of NFT scams and pump and dumps of worthless coins that have no real utility. While other NFTs’ value will collapse, we know from experience that good images will always have value and utility.”
Unlike images provided by stock photo agencies, which allows the same image to be used by anyone who pays a fee, images purchased on Real are unique and owned by the buyer. Real estate agents and brokerages avoid having the same photos on their websites by purchasing one-of-a-kind images on the real NFT marketplace. If the NFT resells, royalties flow back to the original photographer.
“Buying an NFT through real provides agents and brokers one-of-a-kind images that only you can use versus licensing a repetitive stock image that any of your competitors can use. Marketing agencies know that using unique imagery helps agents and brokers create stronger brand recognition and avoid brand confusion,” he added.
The Real NFTs currently available include images of destinations in the public domain, such as historical landmarks, streetscapes, downtown areas, commercial hot spots, parks, bridges, buildings and beaches.
