Quality real estate photos are essential for your online listings and marketing materials. The best way to ensure you have the highest quality photos is the hire the best photographer.
But how do you know what photographers are worth their shots and which ones you should pass by? Just because you know someone good with a camera doesn’t mean they are who you should hire.
Use this guide to help you find the best real estate photographer for your real estate business.
Does Their Quality Represent Your Brand?
You’ve worked hard to grow your business and develop a reputation for your brand. You need to choose a photographer whose work aligns with that.
People will view your photos and equate them to your business. So choose a photographer whose work is something you’d be proud to have to represent your real estate company.
Do not use price as an indication of quality. Instead, look at their real estate photography work. Would you expect to see the images in a magazine or your aunt’s family photo album?
Compare Rates
While no guide is complete without a chat on price, you should never use price as your sole deciding factor. As a general rule, it is safe to assume that you get what you pay for.
However, it can be a bit more complicated than that. You want to find a photographer who produces quality work at a fair price.
The Low End
Photographers that are charging significantly lower than others in the industry are probably new. They might not feel that their skills are on par with others who charge more.
Or they may not understand how to price their services correctly. If this is the case, they won’t be in business for very long.
Neither of these scenarios is a good one.
The High End
When looking at photographers at the top end of the market, you risk overpaying. Remember, you need to balance the cost of the photography with the sale price of the home. Otherwise, you’ll cut into your profit too much.
The Sweet Spot in the Middle
The best thing to do is aim for somewhere in the middle. Then you get the perfect balance of price and quality.
These photographers have experience shooting homes, dealing with challenging homeowners, and delivering the photos on time.
Local or National Chain for Real Estate Photos?
You’ve probably seen those large national real estate photography services. The problem with these services is that they tend to pay the photographers low wages and have a high turnover rate. This will make it tough to develop a relationship as you could have someone new photographing your homes every week.
These photographers are also stuck to a script on where and how they shoot homes. This will severely limit your options when showcasing the home.
These photographers are typically focused on getting the job done as quickly as possible. This results in your having images of varying quality.
A local photographer that owns their own business is invested in making sure you, their customer is happy. You’ll have an opportunity to develop a relationship with them.
Do You Like Working With Them?
It doesn’t matter how great their photos are; you don’t want to work with someone who is a nightmare. This is a daily struggle that develops into a huge problem.
Avoid photographers that come off as arrogant, communicate poorly, or gives you a bad gut feeling.
Can They Handle a Challenge?
We all know that real estate can be quite unpredictable. Sometimes the best-laid plans go up in flames, and you’re left to scramble together the pieces.
When this happens, you need a solid team on your side. An experienced photographer will know how to help you and offer solutions.
Beware the Photoshop Fanatic
Photoshop is a useful tool, but only when used in moderation. Be wary of a photographer that relies heavily on Photoshop.
Not only will this increase your cost, but could result in an image that doesn’t accurately represent the home.
Do They Know The Real Estate Market?
Ask the photographer if they are familiar with the market. This can be a huge value to you.
If they know the market, they can focus on the features that are most desired. This will help your listings stand out, entice more buyers, and sell your homes faster.
Start Using Quality Real Estate Photos
When it comes to listing your homes online, every little bit helps to make your listings stand out. The best real estate photos draw potential buyers in. But it’s the text that can sell them on the home.
I can help you create descriptive and engaging descriptions for your homes. Each description will outline all of the necessary details.
Contact me today, and let’s Make your home listings shine.
