Today we’d like to introduce you to Tony Marro.
Hi Tony, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My career was originally in graphic design and art direction of magazines, and I worked for a few different publishers in the Greater Philadelphia Area. About 10 years in, I started taking up an interest in producing videos and photos for my freelance clients, and amassed a decent collection of equipment for the purpose. In 2019, my [now] wife and I moved to Orlando for her career, and I had to figure what to do with all of my photo gear and drone pilot’s certification! I landed a gig at a national real estate photography company, and learned the ropes from some very nice people. With a child on the way and a buyout of said company, the writing was on the wall for me to start my own RE photography business in 2023. My experience in videography has helped me greatly, as videos are becoming the standard for most listings in this slower market.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Time. Balancing caring for a newborn and starting business was never going to be easy, but it is more challenging than anything I could have imagined. Duh. hahaha!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I own and operate a real estate photography business. When someone sells their home, they need photographs to list it online so potential buyers can see the home on sites like Zillow. Usually, this means being hired by the owners’ real estate agent. Other media that agents hire us for are Virtual Walk-through tours captured with a 360 camera, and videos of the home. My company, Alpha Real Estate Photography, is know for luxury-quality RE photography at a reasonable price. Even listings that don’t cost 7 figures still get the million-dollar treatment, and that makes agents look good to their clients.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I never even thought of “luck” as playing a role in my life until I started my freelance side-business in my twenties. Since that time, I feel that luck has played a role in the success of my business(es), however I believe that a lot of that good luck has been manifested through hard work and curiosity. “Hard work” because you have to prepare yourself to always be in the position to say “yes” when an opportunity crosses your path. “Curiosity” plays a role because without it, you would never have the urge to learn that new software on YouTube that has been piquing your interest lately. So when a client asks you about that cool thing they saw in another listing, and you just watched a video on how to do it last night, on it’s face it looks serendipitous, but in reality it was bound to happen because your curiosity and hard work combined to broaden the horizon of your skillset, and therefore, your value to customers.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://AlphaPicsFL.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alphapicsfl
Image Credits
Headshot: Astrid Sanchez
Houses: Alpha Real Estate Photography
