Finding the best real estate photographer for your listing can be a challenge.
You want a real estate photographer who can truly showcase the property, calling out its best features and selling points.
But how exactly do you find the best real estate photographer?
Therefore, this post will share with you 7 tips for finding the best real estate photographer for your listing.
How to Find the Best Real Estate Photographer for Your Listing
There are many real estate photographers out there competing for your business. The following 7 tips will help you narrow your search and find the right one!
1. The Preliminary Research
To find the best real estate photographer you’ll rely on primarily two sources — word of mouth and the internet.
In terms of word of mouth, consider the following:
- Ask real estate sales agents whom they would recommend for real estate photography
- Check with friends and family for additional recommendations
Then take your research online, using the following search methods:
- Use your favorite search engine/browser and type in “real estate photographers near me”
- Explore social media, looking for real estate photographers on Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms
- Don’t forget to look through sites such as Craigslist and other local advertising sources
Once you have an initial amount of possible photographers that seem like good options you can move on to the contact and interview phase.
2. Make Sure Real Estate Is Their Specialty
All photographers are not alike. For example, photographers often specialize in different forms of photography, such as:
- Weddings
- Children’s school pictures
- Fashion or food photography
- Product marketing photos
These are all valuable types of photography but they’re not what you’re looking for.
What you need is a photographer who specializes in real estate sales. An experienced real estate photographer will know how to easily:
- Capture each room from its best angle
- Use the correct exposure levels and light for each space
- Know which shots to include to tell the full story of the property
You don’t want to hire an amazing portrait photographer to shoot your home. That’s not what they’re used to and neither of you will be likely happy with the results.
3. Ask Them About Their Equipment
First, and foremost, the photographer’s skills, eye, and experience are most important. That being said, the right equipment and gear matter, too.
You’re looking for a photographer who has the following real estate photography gear at his or her disposal:
- A quality DSLR digital camera
- Steady tripods, guides, and glides
- The correct lens for the space being shot
- Adequate flash and lighting options
You want bright, clear, and detailed photos to allow your potential buyers to get a feel for the home. The right photography equipment will help achieve this.
Have You Ever Thought To
Outsource Photo Editing?
Try it today with 10 free edits from three professional photo editors.
4. Look Through Portfolios
You’re going to want to check out the photographer’s portfolio before you officially hire them for the job.
Most photographers have websites with online portfolios, making it easy to see samples of their work. Here are some things to look for:
- Images from a wide variety of property types, rooms, and spaces
- Every photo looks clear, bright, and without flaws
- Both interior and exterior photos look great
Each photographer will have their own style, so keep that in mind, too, when comparing portfolios.
5. Discuss the Editing Process
Any good digital photographer can tell you that the photo that comes straight from the camera isn’t the finished photo.
There’s always a bit of work that has to be done behind the scenes to make the photos pop — and that work is photo editing.
Here are some things to ask any potential photographer:
- What editing tools and applications do they use?
- Do they edit their photos or outsource the work?
- How experienced an editor are they?
You should consider it a red flag if your photographer doesn’t edit at all.
However, If their portfolio is solid then don’t eliminate them from your possible choices, but do keep it in the back of your mind.
The Ultimate All-in-One
Real Estate Photographer Business Platform
Grow a successful real estate photography business with PhotoUp.
6. Look Into Reviews and Testimonials
You should also search through online testimonials and reviews of the photographer’s past work. Look at these possible sites as sources:
- The photographer’s business website
- Their Facebook business page
- Google and Yahoo Business
- Local professional review sites
If you know people personally who have worked with the photographer, what do they have to say? Were they pleased with the work and results?
Happy customers are always a good sign.
7. Find the Price That Suits You
The cost of real estate photography can vary greatly based on your region, the property type, and the experience level of the photographer.
To help narrow your search, keep a budget in mind, looking further into the photographers who are within your price range.
Many sellers and even sales agents are tempted to save some money and try to take the listing photos themselves. This is usually a mistake. Why?
- Professionally taken and edited photos provide noticeably better results
- 97% of home buyers begin their search online and use the listing photos to help them decide which homes to see
- The photos provide your home’s first impression — and a good first impression is crucial in real estate sales
As with most things in life, you get what you pay for.
And remember, you’re not just paying for the few hours that the photographer is spending to take your photos. You’re paying for the editing time as well as the experience and equipment that they’re bringing to the table.
We’re Here to Help With Your Real Estate Marketing Needs
Real estate sales require much more than a good real estate photographer. There are a variety of marketing needs for each listing — and that’s where PhotoUp can help.
As a leader in the real estate visual marketing industry, PhotoUp can help sell any listing while also helping real estate photographers and sales agents grow their businesses.
We offer high-quality, cutting-edge real estate marketing tools such as:
- Virtual staging — show potential buyers a home’s full potential and make every room and space in your listing look simply stunning
- Single property websites — showcase a single property without competing listings or other distractions
- Virtual assistants — who can help with your marketing and sales efforts on a part-time or full-time basis
- Video editing — video tours and property highlights professionally edited and featuring your branding and information
- And more — including property flyers, custom home portraits, and floor plans
Sign-up for a free PhotoUp account, now, to start using highly-effective marketing tools for your real estate sales. And as a bonus, you get 10 free edits when you sign up.
We hope you benefited from this blog post on how to find the best real estate photographer for your listing.
If you found this post valuable you may also want to check out some related resources:
