An agent’s guide to hiring a real estate photographer by Ashley Harwood, Gina Baker for HousingWire

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As a listing agent, showcasing your sellers’ properties in the absolute best light possible is a vital component of the service you provide them. It translates to getting more buyers through the door, more offers and more money in the sellers’ (and your) pockets.

Studies have shown that listings with professional photos sell 32% faster than listings without. Why? Because professional real estate photographers are trained to take beautiful, enticing photos. And let’s face it – almost always better than we can do ourselves.

We’ll cover why to get a photographer, how and when to hire one, interview questions to ask, what to look for when choosing a real estate photographer plus how much a photographer will cost you.

Why hire a real estate photographer?

Besides great-looking listing photos, there are several other reasons to set the standard in your business of always hiring a professional property photographer. And although a professional will set you back some money, the return on investment is worth it for these reasons:

Sell your listings faster and for more money. Buyers are more inclined to stop by an open house or set up a private showing on listings that look great online. The more buyers through the door, the more offers you’ll receive quickly and the higher the sale price will be. This is assuming, of course, that the listing is priced appropriately. A few hundred dollars upfront makes a world of difference.

Win more listings. Include professional photography in your listing presentation when you meet with potential sellers, and assure them that you always pay for listing photos no matter the price point. This will set you apart from the competition, as many agents cut corners and do not provide this service consistently.

Build your brand. Everything you put out into the world (and the internet) becomes part of your brand, including how you showcase your listings. Use this opportunity to position yourself as a professional real estate agent and build credibility in your network. This can make a big difference for newer agents just starting out.

How to create real estate branding that attracts your ideal clients

How to compete and win with your listing presentation (+ scripts)

When to hire a photographer

While paying for real estate photography services is an added expense and many agents wonder if it’s worth hiring a professional for every listing, in my opinion, it’s absolutely worth it. Always. Every time. No matter the price point.

My very first listing was a one-bedroom condo north of Boston that sold for $165,000. This was a decade ago, so prices were much more buyer-friendly. Yet I still hired a professional real estate photographer, and we had an accepted offer after just four days on the market. The fact that the photos showcased how much light the small condo got made it attractive to buyers and made it stand out from the other listings on the market. We had busy open houses and a full-price offer that first weekend.

Hire your photographer as soon as you have a signed listing contract and you know when the property will be ready for photos. Often, we take listings weeks or even months before it’s ready to go on the market, so you may not know exactly when photo day will be if it’s too far in advance.

As a general guideline, book your photo session a week or two in advance, especially since the best photographers get busy and their schedules fill up quickly. Giving photography companies as much notice as possible helps build relationships with them. It’s a sign that you respect them as a fellow small business owner, not just another vendor.

How to hire a professional real estate photographer

If you’ve never hired a real estate photographer, you may be wondering where to start. Here’s our step-by-step guide for hiring a photographer for your listings:

Step 1 – Research

The best place to start is online. Do your research by logging into your local MLS and searching through the listings in your area. Which photos stand out? Which grab your attention? Since these photos are on listings in your area, odds are the photographer that took them are, too!

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You can also place a want ad online or research on Google for real estate photographers near you. Review each prospect’s portfolio to ensure quality work before reaching out to schedule an interview with them.

Step 2 – Ask for referrals

Once you’ve found several property pictures that wow you, reach out to the listing agent directly and ask who did their photos. Start with a compliment like, “Your photos are stunning! Which photographer did you use?” Most agents will be happy to introduce you or pass along the name of the company they used.

Step 3 – Do your due diligence

There will already be a level of credibility and trust since you will have already seen the photographer’s work, but I’d still recommend looking up their website and reading other agents’ reviews of their work. Look for a photographer whose style you like, whose listing photos have that “wow” factor and whose reviews say they’re easy to work with and show up on time.

Step 4 – Reach out

Call the photographer directly and tell them you’re considering hiring them for your next listing. Always mention the agent who gave you their name, as well. Prepare questions to ask when interviewing real estate photographers (or use ours below!), and decide who is going to work best for you.

Interview questions to ask prospective photographers

My market in the Boston area has hundreds of real estate photographers who specialize in listing photography. So, how do you decide who to hire? Here are the most important interview questions to ask:

1. How long have you been a photographer?

2. Do you specialize in real estate listing photography or do you do other types of photography, as well? (Look for the companies who really specialize in listing photos. It’s like hiring an attorney – you don’t want a divorce attorney handling a real estate transaction. It’s a totally different skill set).

3. How long have you specialized in real estate listing photography?

4. What geographic areas do you cover?

5. Is there an additional fee for a listing outside your coverage area?

6. How does pricing vary according to the size and type of listing?

7. Do you have a team? If so, will I be able to select which photographer shoots my listing?

8. What’s your turnaround time; how quickly will I receive the photos after the photo shoot?

9. What other services do you provide? 3D tours, virtual staging, drone photos or video, etc. This will make your life easier and potentially save you money if you plan to provide any of these other services. It would be one less vendor to manage, and many photographers will offer a discount on multiple services.

10. Do you offer packages or discounts for purchasing multiple services?

11. Is editing included? If not, what’s the cost per image of editing? (Sometimes, you’ll need a power cord photoshopped out of an image or a pretty blue sky added).

What to look for in your property photographer

You’ve interviewed several photographers, and now it’s time to hire one. Here are some additional aspects to consider when deciding who to hire:

Responsiveness: How quickly do they get back to you? Waiting around to hear back from a photographer about their availability can cause delays in bringing your listing to market, not to mention added stress. Timely responses are key.
Ease of communication: How easy is it to get in touch with them? Do they provide their direct cell phone number or communicate only via email? This may not be a pain point for every agent, but for me, it’s important to be able to reach my photographer quickly and easily, especially when there are last-minute changes in the schedule.
Transparent pricing: I appreciate when photographers have pricing readily available on their website. This ensures the price doesn’t get artificially inflated for listings in higher-priced areas.
Extra services: Managing everyone involved in a real estate transaction is enough of a chore on its own; if your photographer can also take care of the floor plans and a few drone images, that’s fewer people you need to coordinate.
Quality of work: This is the most important aspect, of course. Make sure you like their style before you make your decision.
Availability: It’s good to build your network of top-tier real estate photographers because there may be a time when your first choice is totally booked, and you’ll need to look elsewhere. Photographers who are newer to the industry yet still talented are a great resource, as they aren’t typically as in demand.

How much do listing photos cost?

This varies greatly across the country, but on average, professional real estate photos for one listing will run you between $150 – $300 for anywhere from 25 to 50 images (depending on the size of the property).

Virtual tours are generally $200 – $500, while drone images range from $50 – $150 per image. As an example, our professional photographer charges around $450 total for listing photos and floorplans.

And yes–it’s recommended that you pay out of pocket for photos. Be sure to keep your receipts, as it is a business write-off for taxes. Some agents write into their listing agreements that if the property doesn’t sell, the seller will reimburse the agent’s out-of-pocket expenses for photos and staging.

The full picture

Listing photos are some of the most impactful marketing tools you have, so it only makes sense to invest a little money to make sure they are as spectacular as possible. A great real estate photographer will be able to highlight the best features of every listing, regardless of condition or price point, and help you get the highest dollar amount for your sellers.