A polished property video starts before animation. It starts with permission, selection, and a clear reason for every frame to exist.
The photographer owns the photo by default
Copyright belongs to whoever pressed the shutter, from the moment the image is created. Commissioning and paying for a shoot buys a license to use the images, not ownership of them, unless the agreement explicitly assigns copyright or establishes work made for hire. This is the fact most real estate marketing mistakes trace back to.
What a standard listing license usually grants
Most real estate photography licenses permit the commissioning agent or brokerage to market that specific property for the duration of the listing. Video derivatives are commonly included, but not universally, and some licenses restrict distribution to named portals. The only way to know is to read the agreement you signed.
Four situations that cause problems
Reusing photos after the listing expired or moved to another brokerage; using images from a previous sale of the same property; taking photos from a listing you do not represent for a portfolio sample; and a property manager reusing owner-commissioned images without authority. Each is infringement even when the intent was harmless.
The one email that resolves most of it
Ask your photographer whether your license covers using the images in a marketing video for this listing, including social distribution. Most confirm within an hour. Save the reply with the listing file, and add the same language to your standard agreement so it stops being a per-listing question.
When you cannot establish rights
Do not publish. Use a listing you represent, a property you own, a home you have written permission for, or licensed stock property photography. None of these are as convenient and all of them are available.
This is not legal advice
Copyright and real estate advertising rules vary by jurisdiction and by contract. For a specific dispute or an unusual arrangement, talk to a lawyer rather than relying on general guidance, including this page.