Meet Isaiah Markel Lesley.
Founder of Markel Media & Management. Chicago kid. Creative director. Realtor. The throughline: helping people tell stories that actually move their lives and businesses forward.
Work With The Studio
From South Side Stories To Full-Service Media.
I grew up on the South Side of Chicago, where every block, storefront, and family had a story worth telling—even if nobody was putting a camera on it yet. That lens shaped everything: how I see people, how I see homes, and how I see opportunity in places other people overlook.
I went on to study Television: Executive Production & Entrepreneurship at Columbia College Chicago, learning how to develop shows, pitch ideas, and think like a producer—not just a person with a camera. At the same time, I was falling in love with real estate: the contracts, the negotiations, and the way one closing can literally change someone’s life.
Markel Media & Management lives at that intersection: the structure of real estate, the emotion of film, and the discipline of brand strategy. I don’t just want your content to “look good.” I want it to make sense for the deals you’re chasing, the communities you’re serving, and the version of yourself you’re becoming.
Whether I’m documenting a listing, a live event, or a founder’s story, my goal is the same: make the work feel like you—and make it work for you.
Quick Snapshot
Name: Isaiah Markel Lesley
City: Chicago, Illinois
Background: BFA in Television: Executive Production & Entrepreneurship
Focus: Real estate media, event coverage, and cinematic storytelling
Markel Media & Management
The studio was built to serve agents, founders, and creatives who want strategy and story in the same conversation—not a disjointed chain of vendors.
How We Think About The Work.
Markel Media & Management isn’t chasing trends for the sake of it. We care about whether your media moves the right people—buyers, clients, attendees, investors—from curiosity to commitment.
Story Over Aesthetic.
Beautiful visuals matter, but if they don’t communicate who you are and what you do, they become noise. We start with the story, then build the shot list.
Deals & Decisions.
Coming from real estate, I know that a listing video or photo set is part of a larger transaction. We ask, “What decision is this asset supposed to help someone make?”
Systems, Not One-Offs.
Whether it’s a content workshop or a launch campaign, we design media with reuse in mind—clips, cut-downs, and assets that keep serving you after the first post.
Rooted In Chicago.
Chicago is more than a backdrop; it’s part of the story. The way we frame a block, a building, or a room is shaped by the city that built us.
Behind The Lens.
A few frames from the moments in between: walking listings, checking light, and making sure people feel like themselves on camera.
On site, balancing what the camera sees with what a buyer will feel.
Setting the frame before the client ever steps into it.
Let’s Build Something That Feels Like You.
If you’re a realtor, founder, or creative who’s ready for media that matches your ambition, I’d love to hear what you’re building. Tell me about your world, and we’ll design a project that fits—whether it’s a single shoot, a workshop, or a full content system.
Start A Conversation