Photos show a buyer what a home looks like. A floor plan shows them how it lives.

That difference matters more than most listings give it credit for. A buyer can love the kitchen in photo three and still have no idea whether it opens to the living room, or sits at the far end of a long hallway.

So before we get into the numbers, a question. On your current listing, could a buyer sketch the layout from the photos alone?

The Chicago picture

In September 2026, there were 20.9% fewer homes for sale in the City of Chicago than a year earlier, according to the Illinois REALTORS City of Chicago Monthly Local Market Update for September 2026.

With fewer homes on the market, buyers have time to look hard at each listing. They want to know how the space works before they give up an evening to see it.

Chicago adds its own twist. Many listings here are condos, and condo layouts are hard to read from photos. Hallways, bedroom placement and how much of the unit gets the windows can all look similar in a gallery. A floor plan answers those questions in a few seconds.

Buyers use floor plans to decide whether to show up

86% of recent U.S. buyers say they are more likely to view a home if the listing includes a floor plan they like, according to the Zillow Consumer Housing Trends Report 2024.

That survey covered about 12,000 buyers who purchased between March and September 2024. The number has held steady for years in Zillow's research, which tells us this is not a passing preference.

An honest note on what it measures. It is what buyers say about their own behavior, and it depends on them liking the plan. It does not prove a floor plan causes showings, but it does tell you buyers are looking for one.

Floor plans rank near the top of what online buyers value

Among buyers who used the internet in their search, 57% rated floor plans a very useful website feature, according to the NAR 2025 Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends Report.

Only photos and detailed property information ranked higher. So if your listing already has strong photos, a floor plan is the natural next piece buyers are looking for.

Why accurate square footage matters

Since April 1, 2022, Fannie Mae has required appraisers to measure and report a home's gross living area using the ANSI Z765 standard on appraisals with interior and exterior inspections, according to Fannie Mae's Appraiser Update.

To be clear, that is an appraisal rule for loans sold to Fannie Mae. It does not dictate how you measure a listing.

What it does mean is that the appraiser will likely measure the home a standard way. When the square footage in your listing comes from a careful, consistent measurement, you are less likely to face an awkward gap between what buyers were told and what the appraisal reports.

That is the reason we offer GLA reports alongside our floor plans. They give you and your seller a measured number to work from before the home goes live.

What a good floor plan answers for a buyer

A useful floor plan does more than draw walls. Here is what we make sure it shows.

• How the rooms connect. The flow from entry to kitchen to living space is the first thing most buyers try to figure out.
• Where the bedrooms sit. Split bedrooms, a bedroom off the living room or a primary suite at the end of the hall all appeal to different buyers.
• Room dimensions. Buyers want to know whether their sofa, dining table or desk will fit.
• Storage and the small stuff. Closets, laundry and the den that could work as an office often get lost in photos.

Options for your listing

Not every home needs the same thing. Here is what we offer.

• Floor Plan Pro. A clean 2D plan for the listing. It is $250 for homes up to 2,500 sq ft, plus $75 per additional 2,500 sq ft.
• 3D floor plans. A dimensional view that helps buyers picture the space, useful for larger or more complex layouts.
• 3D video. We take the 3D render from your 3D floor plan and turn it into a walkthrough video of the space, ready for listing pages and social media.
• CAD files. For architects, contractors and designers who need editable drawings.
• GLA reports. Measured gross living area to back up your listing square footage.

You can see examples and details on our floor plans page.

A recent example in Streeterville

In October 2026 we shot Units 404, 503 and 209 at 423 E Ohio St in Streeterville for Highland Partners. Each unit got listing photos and a 2D floor plan, which is exactly the kind of building where layout is hard to judge from photos alone.

On that job, floor plans came back as fast as the same evening. Timing depends on the home and the schedule, so we will always confirm it when you book. The full story is in our Highland Partners case study.

We also capture floor plans for single family homes in the suburbs, including recent shoots in Park Ridge and Crete, where buyers want to understand how a larger home flows across more than one level.

A question about your listing

Think about the buyer scrolling past your listing tonight. What might they be unsure about that a floor plan would answer for them?

And if that buyer moved on to the next listing because the layout was unclear, how would you ever know?

If you would like to add a floor plan to your next listing, you can book here, and we will help you choose the option that fits the home.

Sources

• Illinois REALTORS, Monthly Local Market Update, City of Chicago, September 2026: illinoisrealtors.org
• Zillow Research, "Buyers: Results from the Zillow Consumer Housing Trends Report 2024," Oct. 1, 2024: zillow.com/research
• National Association of REALTORS, 2025 Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends Report, April 2025: nar.realtor PDF
• Fannie Mae, Appraiser Update, March 2022, "ANSI required April 1, 2022": singlefamily.fanniemae.com