By Sean Colón
When it comes to selling homes in Arizona, first impressions don’t start at the curb anymore. They start on a screen. According to Zillow’s 2024 Consumer Housing Trends Report, 94% of buyers use at least one online resource in their home search, and 81% use Zillow specifically. More telling, more than one in five new construction buyers first discovered their home on a Zillow Group site or app: a number that has doubled in just four years.
For Realtors in Phoenix, Scottsdale, and across the East Valley, this shift is monumental. The days when staging the front porch was enough to capture buyer attention are over. Today, “screen appeal” is the first filter that determines whether a buyer will even step foot inside a property.
Why Screen Appeal Matters More Than Ever
The New Construction Forum made it clear: immersive visuals are no longer optional. Bryan Mecsey, Zillow’s Senior Sales Director of New Construction, revealed that listings with interactive floor plans generate:
40% more page views
49% more saves
47% more shares
Compared to listings without them.
An interactive floor plan can help buyers visualize scale in a different way.
That’s not just online vanity metrics. These numbers translate into real market behavior. Listings with premium visuals like high-resolution photography, virtual staging, and 3D tours are more likely to go pending within 14 days and sell for an average of 2% more than similar nearby homes without those features. In a competitive Arizona housing market where buyers are balancing rising interest rates with lifestyle expectations, those numbers can make or break a deal.
What This Means for Arizona Realtors
For Arizona Realtors, the takeaway is simple: investing in professional real estate photography, virtual staging, and interactive tours isn’t just about making a listing look good. It’s about winning more clients, selling faster, and defending pricing power in an increasingly competitive landscape.
Think about it: if 82% of buyers are considering new construction (Zillow Consumer Housing Trends Report 2025), but 39% still end up purchasing resale homes, the deciding factor often comes down to presentation. A resale property in Chandler or Gilbert with next-level visuals can easily pull a buyer away from considering only new builds.
This creates a powerful opportunity for Realtors who position themselves as marketing experts rather than just transaction managers. By showcasing listings with the right visual strategy, you demonstrate value not only to buyers but also to sellers choosing which agent to work with.
Practical Ways Realtors Can Elevate Screen Appeal
Arizona buyers are making decisions before they ever schedule a showing. Here are some strategies Realtors can implement right now:
Invest in professional photography: Grainy, poorly lit photos signal “cut corners.” In contrast, high-res, well-composed images communicate value and care.
Use virtual staging wisely: According to Zillow, staged homes — virtual or physical — attract more engagement. Just avoid the common pitfalls (see my earlier blog on Top 5 Mistakes Realtors Make with Virtual Staging).
Offer 3D tours and interactive floor plans: These tools not only engage buyers but allow them to “live” in the home digitally before they ever visit in person.
Leverage twilight photography: Especially in Arizona, where outdoor living spaces are a selling point, twilight photos can transform a listing’s appeal instantly.
Highlight lifestyle, not just space: Buyers are motivated by how a home feels, not just how it looks. Show them what it’s like to live in a property through visuals that spark imagination.
The Revenue Impact for Realtors
Here’s the key: visuals aren’t a marketing expense; they’re a revenue driver. A listing that goes pending two weeks faster saves time, keeps sellers happy, and frees up Realtors to focus on building their pipeline. A 2% higher sale price on a $600,000 home in Scottsdale equals $12,000 more — value that sellers will never forget you delivered.
When Arizona Realtors embrace this shift from curb appeal to screen appeal, they position themselves as forward-thinking experts who understand today’s buyers. Those who resist risk being left behind in a market where first impressions are increasingly digital.
Moving Forward in 2025
As the Arizona housing market adjusts to higher mortgage rates and evolving buyer preferences, Realtors who embrace digital-first strategies will gain the edge. Buyers are trained by platforms like Zillow, Redfin, and Instagram to expect polished, immersive visuals. Meeting them at that level isn’t optional anymore — it’s the standard.
If you’re ready to elevate your listings with professional real estate photography, virtual staging, and 3D tours, I’d love to help showcase your properties at their best. Visit my website to see how high-quality visuals can transform your listings and attract more offers.
By the way, I help realtors improve their online and social media presence by providing beautiful photos of their listings. That is why I’ve created this FREE HOME PREP LIST for your clients to help your listings look their best. Feel free to share.
Let’s hear from you:
Have you noticed buyers making snap decisions based on online visuals before touring a home? Drop your experiences in the comments. I’d love to hear how you’re navigating the shift from curb appeal to screen appeal.