It was still dark on a recent Tuesday morning when the photographers began gathering in the lobby of Sutton Tower, an Upper East Side skyscraper that was still under construction. By the time the sun had broken over the Manhattan skyline, 30 of them were snapping away in the penthouse, creating social media content for a combined following of nearly two million.
Marketers have for years chased trendsetters who can shape consumer behavior with their recommendations, and influencers have used that demand to trade targeted posts for perks.
That’s true in real estate, too, where celebrities have peddled hashtagged images of luxury condos in exchange for payouts and swag. Just a few years ago, brokers were hiring models to attend open-house parties and paying people like the actress Tavi Gevinson in exchange for highly filtered photos hawking their properties.
But the currency of these transactions is shifting. Today, the exchanges are more low-key, and cash rarely changes hands. Instead, developers simply offer niche influencers entry to their towers, and in return they get a direct line to a more targeted audience.
At high-rises across the country, photographers, musicians and others are increasingly aligning their Instagram and TikTok accounts with these developers. For some, especially those who once had to resort to high jinks just to gain access to Manhattan’s most exclusive buildings, it’s now enough to be let in the front door.
“You’re definitely giving free advertising,” said Gregory Berg, a freelance photographer who has nearly 60,000 followers on Instagram, where his photos regularly feature skyline views and unique angles. He was invited to Sutton Tower along with other photographers with modest social media followings, and was happy to accept the invitation, despite its early start time.
“I’ve been rooftopping and climbing buildings for years,” Mr. Berg said. “To not have to climb scaffolding and just be able to ride up in the elevator to…
