Meet Cody Boone | Architectural Photographer and Cinematographer, Drone Pilot, and Supervising Producer at SERHANT. Studios

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cody Boone and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cody, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I have always leaned towards art and the creative field ever since I was a kid. I remember making videos with my friends early in elementary school with my dad’s VHS camera, and saving up to buy the iPod Touch (remember the ones with the silver backs?) when it first came out. Going into high school, my passion for photography and videography was still a large part of my life, and when the time came for all of us to start thinking about colleges, I had started shooting real estate and knew that college was not going to make sense for me. I would much rather go out on my own, try my own things and make my own mistakes, compared to sitting in an auditorium for another 4 years and having a professor teach antiquated ideas and techniques from decades ago. For me, real estate media is a perfect fit for me, as I have a strong passion for architecture and interior design, and also love the art of cinematography and photography.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My career in real estate started at the ripe age of 16 as a junior at Mission Viejo High School. I was passionate about filmmaking and photography, and had the entrepreneurial spirit ever since I was a kid. I started to see videos on YouTube and Instagram of these sick homes all over the country, and figured, “why not? I could do these”. It’s funny looking back on it now, but some of those videos that got me into shooting real estate were from Ryan Serhant, who I now work for in New York City and lead a team shooting all of his property tours for his entire company of 300+ agents.

My first shoot was in Newport Beach at a beach rental property on the peninsula that my friend’s parent’s managed. I borrowed a camera from my high school photo teacher, Mark Tsang, and a camera stabilizer from the film teacher at my school (I was not enrolled in the film class at MVHS, but thankfully he trusted me), and borrowed a drone from another friend. I shot this house for free, and put together a video to post on Instagram. I spent the last $200 I had saved up on Instagram ads targeting real estate agents in the area, and to my surprise, I actually got some DM’s from it. Instead of partying on Friday nights like a typical high schooler, my Friday nights consisted of scrolling through Zillow, and finding listings that had open houses scheduled for the following day, but didn’t have a video on the listing. I would drive my 1998 Toyota Corolla to all these multi-million dollar homes, and pitch myself to these agents, offering to shoot a property tour for the home since there was not one already done. I kept at this for about 9 months, until agents started reaching out to me through word of mouth. I was juggling growing this new business, along with trying to finish high school, and also participating in my high school’s music program.

I definitely attribute this work ethic to my father, Randy Boone, who would always teach me the importance of working hard and doing a good job at it all through my childhood. In early 2020, when COVID hit, I was in my senior year of high school, and got out of school in March. This turned out to be one of the busiest times of my life, when I was shooting 2-3 homes per day all while trying to uphold the strict quarantine measures. Throughout the summer of 2020, my clientele expanded into the Los Angeles area, as well as San Bernardino/Riverside, and even out to Joshua Tree. I learned how to truly operate a business on my own, and was proud of the growth I had achieved as the quality of my work kept increasing.

My opportunity to move to New York City initially started in April of 2020, when Adrian Vasquez, Ryan Serhant’s Creative Director, posted a comment on Instagram that he was looking to expand his team. I quickly sent him a DM on Instagram with all of my work, and even had one of my real estate agent clients send Ryan an email with a recommendation for me. I didn’t end up getting a reply then, but I would occasionally follow up with him or interact on social media throughout the summer. In October of 2020, he posted an Instagram Story, asking for anyone who shoots or edits property tours to DM him. I can’t exactly recall what I was doing at the time, but I replied on a whim, “I will drop everything in California and move to Manhattan to work for you and Ryan”, and went on my way. 2 days later, I get a reply from him, and start editing videos remotely for the newly formed real estate brokerage, SERHANT. I told Adrian I was planning to visit NYC and would love to meet up with him and the team, and in December of 2020, I went to New York City for the very first time to visit Adrian and meet Ryan and the team. Adrian sat me down at lunch on my last day there and told me if I wanted a job that I have one if I move here, and so I went back to California, emailed all of my real estate clients that I was moving to NYC to work with the most followed real estate brand in the world, packed up my Toyota Highlander, and drove to New York!

I’ve now been in New York City for 2 and a half years, and lead a team of 6 people in New York, Miami, and the Hamptons, shooting some of the most expensive and coveted real estate in the world. I still haven’t turned 21 yet, but I am incredibly proud of the progress I have made since I started shooting real estate 4 years ago, and I wouldn’t change a thing.

My age has always been a factor in the work that I produce, but I always make sure to carry myself in a confident and professional manor, and thankfully because of that, most people I meet always think I am much older than I am. I would say I am most proud of my work at SERHANT. listing the highest apartment in the entire world, the Penthouse at Central Park Tower. My work has been featured in numerous publications worldwide, including the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Architectural Digest, NBC, Daily Mail, and more.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well, if we’re talking California, the first stop would have to be Snooty Fox in Lake Forest for breakfast. I’ve been going there since I was a kid, and the food never disappoints. After, you have to head over to Papa’s Tacos in Laguna Beach for some of the best burritos EVER, and it’s right across the street from Table Rock, which is honestly one of my favorite beaches. After you’re done laying on the beach, driving up PCH with the windows down, feeling the ocean breeze, heading towards Newport. Kamea Poke in Dana Point is always a great go-to spot, and if you have an off-road vehicle, taking the trail up to Santiago Peak for sunset is one of the most beautiful spots ever. If you like backpacking, I highly recommend doing the Trans-Catalina Trail, which is a ~40 mile hike around the island of Catalina. I did this over New Year’s once, and watching the fireworks go off across the water in Los Angeles while you’re camping out at the beach is one of my favorite memories in California.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
A major part of my growth within the real estate realm is because of the mentorship of the late Tim Krueger. I met Tim at one of my first paid real estate shoots in Costa Mesa. He was hired to shoot the photos, and I was there for video. He was super impressed that I was only 16 at the time, and we eventually got in contact after the shoot and became close colleagues and would often shoot together all around Orange County. Tim taught me a lot of valuable information that I still utilize today, whether it was client management, photography techniques like composition and lighting, and editing tips and tricks. I always knew I could count on him for advice on any topic, and I credit his mentorship to where I am at today. He was always kind enough to lend me equipment for shoots, and because of that I was able to get my hands on some professional equipment I would not have if it wasn’t for Tim. Shortly after I moved to New York in 2021, Tim was diagnosed with stomach cancer, and after a year of fighting, he eventually lost the battle and passed on New Years Day, 2022. There are a lot of times where Tim pops into my mind, and they are always happy memories; him sharing stories of crazy shoots he’s had, or giving me life advice while shooting a home. I would not be the professional or person I am today if it wasn’t for Tim, and I am extremely grateful for that.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cody.boone/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cody-boone-b21116112/

Image Credits
Nikki Arya, Carlos Tejera, SERHANT. Studios