As a new real estate agent or an agent hiring a real estate photographer for the first time, you may not know where to begin. There are also several questions you may have before you decide which professional real estate photographer to hire for your listings.
We compiled a list of the most common real estate photography questions our Client Success Team sees, as well as popular questions seen on the Google ‘People Also Ask’ section. We hope that the answers provided will help you find the right real estate photographer in your market and help you better understand what real estate photography jobs entail.
Here are some of the most popular real estate photography questions and answers:
How do I find a real estate photographer near me?
When you begin your search for the best real estate photographer in your area, start by searching through an online search engine like Google or Bing. For example, you can type in “real estate photographer near me” to quickly see reviews and locations of local professional real estate photographers in your market. Your search engine knows where you are located and will pull up the best options in your area.
Look at the first page results when looking through the “real estate photographer near me” or “real estate photography near me” query. Before selecting a company based on reviews alone, consider what is important to you as a real estate agent. See which photographer or photography companies offer easy online scheduling, professional images, and affordable pricing.
How much does a real estate photographer cost?
A professional real estate photographer will cost anywhere from $55-$200/hr, with the national average being $120/hour. The cost of a real estate photographer can also greatly depend on whether you choose a freelance professional photographer or a professional real estate photography business.
Typically, real estate photography vendors will offer real estate image packages based on a few variables, including the home’s square footage, the real estate agent’s needs, and the listing’s location. A real estate photography vendor may also offer additional marketing enhancements that a single professional photographer may not include, like a complimentary listing website, interactive floorplans, and a 3D virtual tour.
To give you an idea of pricing, let’s pretend we are scheduling a shoot with a Virtuance photographer. If we choose the most popular package, the 25 HDReal® image package, and set the listing location to Denver, we will spend $149. Not only will we receive 25 real estate images for $149, but we will also receive a complimentary listing website, a ready-to-print flyer, an automatic upload to the MLS, real-time viewing statistics reports, and lead generation.
In addition to an image package, be sure to consider other visual listing enhancements to help any property stand out.
Why should I use a real estate photographer?
Some real estate agents take their own listing images with a smartphone or a DSLR camera. While this option can get the job done, it’s risky when it comes to getting the most value possible for your client. Professional real estate photographers have a trained eye. They know the correct composition to use when capturing any room. They also are skilled in Lightroom and other photo editing programs that many people cannot access.
If you want your seller to get the most money possible at closing while selling their listing in record time, you need professional real estate images. Not only that but hiring a real estate photographer for your listings shows prospective clients that you are a professional real estate agent sellers want to use.
Lastly, a professional real estate photographer saves you valuable time. Instead of taking the photos yourself, you give that task to someone else and free up time to focus on your business, whether that be moving opportunities through your funnel, focusing on marketing, or winning listing appointments.
Do I need a real estate photographer for every listing?
It may be tempting to only use a professional real estate photographer for your more luxurious listings, but we recommend every listing feature professional real estate images. It’s essential to create brand consistency in the real estate space. When you use professional photography for every listing, it is evident in your branding and across all marketing materials.
Also, when you go to a listing appointment, and the seller sees that you only use professional photography for some of your listings, they may see that as a red flag and question if you will provide the same level of professionalism when selling their home. This is why you should use a real estate photographer for all of your listings, no matter the home’s size, look, or price point.
What type of listing photos attracts buyers?
Believe it or not, there is actual science behind which listing images attract buyers. In this study, researchers found that specific real estate images captured attention faster than other images. The difference in the images came down to composition, quality, and post edits.
Real estate images that attract buyers are crisp and clean, bright, well-balanced. Photographers capture the room from specific angles while ensuring the verticles are perfectly straight. Even the time of day can play a role in when to take listing images of a home.
What kind of equipment should a professional real estate photographer have?
A real estate photographer should always use a DSLR camera with a wide-angle lens. These items allow them to capture high-quality images that showcase the entire room. Additionally, your real estate photographer should always use a tripod for stability.
Depending on how your listing photographer captures and edits images for lighting, they will either have a flash/light kit or use bracketing and edit the exposure in post.
If your professional photographer takes aerial video or drone photography, they will have a drone and a pilot’s license.
Are real estate photography jobs easy?
Real estate photographers have a background in photography. They likely have a natural eye for composition and a vast understanding of how their equipment works. Many real estate photographers specialize in other niches of photography and have years under their belt.
Whether or not a real estate photography job feels easy to them, it is not easy for someone without a background or skillset in photography. Listing photography is the kind of service a real estate agent should leave to the professionals if they want the best outcome for their clients.
When should I hire a real estate photographer during the home selling process?
There is a lot involved in the home selling process. From reviewing market comps to preparing the home for listing photos, it can be hard to know precisely when to schedule a listing photoshoot.
It all depends on your marketing plan and when you plan to list on your MLS. Virtuance sends completed listing images to the agent the day following the shoot. With this in mind, you want to schedule your photoshoot one week to 3 days before you list, just to be completely prepared!
