Matty and Moses, the co-founders of propmedia.com and pixlmob.com, host Reed Fish, a 13-year industry veteran and co-founder of Upmarket Media, on the PropMedia podcast. Reed is also known for his podcast, the Upmarket Podcast.

Reed Fish talks about his background in film and fine art. He shares the "desperation" that led him to transition from the film industry to real estate media. He notably wrote a feature film called I'm Reed Fish that was produced in 2006, had a million-dollar budget, and was picked up by Netflix for streaming. The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and starred Alexis Bledel and Jay Baruchel.

After returning from a year of traveling, Reed and his wife moved to Ojai, California. He started his real estate photography business as a side gig.

Reed discusses the decision to merge his real estate media company with his biggest competitor, Mark Corcoran, about five years ago to form Upmarket Media, which is located in Ventura, California. The merger allowed them to hire a full-time administrator, Chelsea, who took so much off their plate. This also allowed Reed to stop shooting and focus on growing the business.

The Upmarket Podcast was started to build credibility before Reed spoke at PMRE in 2022. Reed shares how the podcast has been personally fulfilling because it helps other real estate media professionals and has led to the formation of other companies through the concept of merging businesses.

Reed shares his philosophy on growing a business in real estate media, emphasizing that the goal of having a business is to have a better life. He states that being good at the real estate photography business will lead to success and being "run racket" if one doesn't adopt a scaling mindset. He posits that the only options are to do nothing, raise prices and serve a few select clients, quit, or scale. He highlights the benefits of a collaborative environment, which combats the loneliness of being a solo real estate photographer.

Reed talks about building a company culture by:

• Always reminding employees that you are grateful for them.
• Giving them an avenue to bring up issues and ensuring they feel supported.
• Having regular meetings and asking for feedback (e.g., meet them for lunch twice a year).
• Hosting a couple of parties a year to get the team together.
• Having vibrant people who bring a fun energy.

Finally, Reed discusses the shift in the industry over 13 years, from convincing people they needed real estate photography to realizing the importance of marketing realtors, not just property, and becoming a full media agency.

Tune in to hear more about Reed's journey and his "hot takes". You can follow Reed and his work:

• Upmarket Podcast across all social media (Upmarket Pod).
• Up Market Media's Instagram (upmarket media).
• Reed's other podcast, I Love You So Much (IYSM Pod on YouTube), which is about two divorced dads getting better.

In this episode of the PropMedia podcast, Matty & Moses, co-founders of Pixlmob.com and PropMedia.com, discuss everything relating to property media. This episode focuses on new legislation recently passed and coming into enforcement in California that is highly relevant to real estate photography, videography, and image alteration. They discuss licensing, usage, copyright, and how California's AB723 law now mandates disclosures for digitally altered real estate media, moving regulation from the private sector (MLS systems) into law with potential civil and criminal penalties. The hosts explore the impact of AI on image manipulation, the specific types of alterations the law covers (like changing fixtures, furniture, or views through windows), and which types of normal editing are excluded. They also discuss their positive view of the bill as a necessary step for data veracity and share details about a tool Pixlmob is developing to help realtors and photographers comply with the new disclosure requirements.

Chapter Markers:

- 00:00 - Introduction to the PropMedia Podcast and the episode's topic
- 00:37 - Discussion of licensing images in real estate and media pricing based on usage
- 02:15 - Copyright ownership, protection, and how it applies to real estate versus architectural photography
- 05:35 - California's AB723 law on image alteration and the shift from MLS regulation to state law
- 05:53 - Disclosures and the impact of AI on media alteration
- 11:05 - Specific enforcement details of AB723, including the requirement for a publicly accessible link to the unaltered photo
- 11:32 - The definition of a "digitally altered image" in AB723, including examples of covered and non-covered alterations
- 14:18 - Discussion of HDR blending, the "window pull" technique, and concerns about generative AI
- 17:21 - The law is primarily aimed at the people publishing the material, specifically realtors, brokerages, and those acting on their behalf
- 19:10 - Concerns about AI models creating fictitious elements, such as lighting from non-existent windows, and the high stakes of real estate photos
- 21:51 - Digital alteration is not new; examples of non-AI manipulation and the inherent manipulation of reality in photography
- 24:44 - The rapid proliferation of easy-to-use AI tools is the driving force behind the bill
- 26:21 - A non-lawyer suggestion for realtors: consider if a change would materially alter a buyer's decision to see the house
- 27:03 - Disclosure is the safety net that allows for creative tools to be used responsibly
- 28:43 - The law applies to *all* advertising, not just the MLS, setting a precedent for future laws in other states
- 29:34 - Reading the specific text of the law regarding disclosure and the required publicly accessible link
- 30:35 - How the law might include videos with digital alterations, such as digital actors
- 33:20 - The high stakes for authenticity in real estate compared to other fields
- 34:50 - Pixlmob's upcoming tool to simplify compliance with the disclosure law by providing a long-living site with the before-and-after images

This episode of the PropMedia podcast features Brendan Hsu, co-founder of Aerial Canvas and Acre Partners. Brendan discusses his journey from fixing phones in a college apartment to building Aerial Canvas into a $7 million per year business. He also shares insights from his coaching company, Acre Partners, which helps real estate media agencies scale their businesses.

Brendan talks about the importance of a compelling offer and how Aerial Canvas pioneered the bundled real estate media services. He also shares why cold calling and "whale hunting" for top-producing real estate agents was a key to their success. A major theme is the shift in mindset from focusing on vanity revenue metrics to optimizing for profitability and building a business that can run on autopilot.

Chapter Markers:

• 00:00 - Introduction to the PropMedia Podcast and Brendan Hsu
• 00:40 - The moment Aerial Canvas became a "real thing"
• 01:01 - The entrepreneurial drive for growth and hitting the first million
• 01:39 - Achieving business "autopilot" as a key milestone
• 02:57 - What does $7 Million in revenue look like for Aerial Canvas?
• 03:33 - Aerial Canvas's geographic footprint
• 04:30 - The offer and partnerships that fueled Aerial Canvas's success
• 05:29 - Pioneering the bundled media services offer
• 05:40 - Scaling a real estate media business outside of major markets
• 07:13 - Winning over top agents through cold calling and hustle
• 10:19 - "Whale Hunting" vs. "Net Fishing" for clients
• 12:54 - Building Aerial Canvas vs. Building Acre Partners
• 14:14 - Who is the ideal candidate for Acre Partner coaching?
• 17:04 - The outcome of putting a business on autopilot
• 17:57 - The mindset shift from solopreneur to scalable business owner
• 19:19 - Why real estate media is a good market for a scalable business
• 23:37 - Shifting from a focus on revenue to optimizing for profit
• 25:10 - Managing growth, recession, and the risks of scaling too fast
• 27:57 - Target budget percentages for a profitable media company
• 28:51 - Making sacrifices and committing to growth
• 29:59 - Coaching to a budget model and financial literacy
• 32:49 - Lessons learned from "pulling an Aerial Canvas"
• 34:42 - Planning an exit strategy and building enterprise value
• 35:39 - The commitment required after hiring a team
• 38:36 - The difference between a Lamborghini and a Tesla business model
• 41:26 - Why you don't need to be a genius to scale
• 43:10 - Mergers, acquisitions, and the power of consolidation
• 43:51 - The easiest way to double your business
• 45:14 - Where to follow Brendan Hsu and Acre Partner