hello realtors,

how many of you take your own photos of properties you have listed? if not how much do you pay to get pictures taken? curious and want to know if my plan to become a 'real estate' photographer is a viable business idea.

Thank you in advance for your help and guidance!

Rob

If you take it up, I've got a tip for you. Assuming you shoot a digital SLR you can overcome the huge contrast problems you face shooting interiors by bracketing your shots (often two or three stop difference) from a tripod with a cable or remote release. Then blend them in Photoshop using the same technique landscape folks use to handle situations that used to call for a graduated ND filter.

Unless you've got a full lighting setup (big bucks), it's the best way to get warmly lit rooms without blown highlights outside.

Yes, I take my own photos. Most of the photos in my local MLS are absolutely terrible. Which seems a shame, since a bit of work can make a big difference.

I should add that nobody out here hires pros unless the property gets into the seven figure range. The best guy in town does a lot of other photo work (advertising, headshots for agents, etc.) and I'm pretty sure he'd be broke if he didn't. Not sure what he charges.

I'd say get the license and join a big office. Then offer to do photos for busy agents. It might be a nice way to bring in cash starting out. Come to think of it, maybe I should be doing that...

Mac

Technically, I guess I do pay for photos. I do take my own, and within a few days of listing the home I have a professional company take stills and virtuals. If the stills are better than mine I will put them into the listing, but the listing still has a link with all stills and virtuals.
This service costs up to $200 but it is built into my plan with my company, so I am never paying out of pocket for the photographer and I'm definitely not paying anywhere near $200 per setup.
--A

Our 8 office firm has one on staff that can make a dump look like a million dollar property!

Hmmmm.... I guess it really depends on whether you want to be poor or make a decent living. I would get my license and try to sell a few houses a year to support my photography habit. You will have a hard time finding anyone willing to pay you $200 for pictures. I pay someone $25 to take mine if I don't do it myself- but I usually do it myself. I think you would be doing great to photograph 2 properties a day at $50 each. Even if you could do 3/day at $50 each that's only $45K/yr working 6 days per week. That's probably the very best case- barely enough to put a roof over your head and buy groceries. I bet you would more likely do half of that.

what area are you in - that can make a big difference.

I have shot all my own photos.

Once I get back from sabbatical, I plan on getting one of those egg lenses to shoot my own virtual tours as well.

For appropriate properties, I plan on doing video tours of homes. I would suggest you get yourself setup to do that as well - including the video editing and titling. I will probably have someone else do this for me.

r

I have something similar to an egg lens (i own the Kaidan). Its a pain in the butt to learn. Hope you know a bit about photography. Looks like a good camera and stitching is the best method.

speaking to Arthur's question - I'm in Toronto, Canada. the real estate market (houses/condos/commercial) has been booming for years now and there appears to be no end in site!..so I hope to appeal to busy agents who would like to, but can't afford the time to take pro shots of their properties.

I would like to give a big THANK-YOU to you all for taking the time to address this topic..especially to MAC for the smart tech tips for shooting interiors and to CARLA for the straight-up feedback on how much income this kind of venture could generate. I am an artist at heart (actor/songwriter/designer/photographer) and single! - so working as an agent probably isn't and (doesn't have to be) in the cards JUST yet!

Speaking to Arthur and Robert who are shooting with egg-shaped lenses and the 'Kaidan' - I think its a great idea and I have done some investigation into the tech side of VR/virtual tours photography, and correct me if you think I'm wrong but my gut feeling is that this kind of marketing may appeal only to agents with million dollar plus+ listings.
By the way there is a great site on the topic with some stunning 360 images at www.panoramas.dk

AND thank-you to 'A' and 'Barbara' for your comments. I'm planning on getting my business going in the next month. ANY other feedback or thoughts are greatly appreciated!

The one thing you will realize quickly is that the vast majority of REALTORS will not spend a dime on their marketing if they don't have to. Many aren't even willing to spring $250 for their own digital camera to take lousy pictures - they rely on the 'office camera', which is a 1 megapixel camera and floppy storage!

Of course, many are driving around in $60K cars and dripping in jewelry, but to pay $200 to professionally photograph their listing.... nada. Just not a priority. They really 'don't get it'. (not all, but the vast, vast majority!)

Now that the market is slowing in most parts of the country, I would 'hope' that these people will realize that they, in fact, actually DO have to market homes (as opposed to putting a sign in the front yard and having the secretary enter the listing into MLS). Most REALTORS who have entered the business in the past 6-8 years don't have a clue - they've never actually had to DO marketing.

As it gets more difficult to sell properties, I'm hoping that SELLERS will put pressure on agents to do SOMETHING in regards to marketing, and maybe things will change.

Otherwise, I'm afraid photographers and videographers that rely on the real estate industry will be starving to death.

Tough crowd.

Upscale, What company are you with?

not sure this will sound positive like you hope. I have a passion for photography, so I tend to show that in my pictures and website (at least the new one).... So, that's my business.

When I was younger, I used to think that I will live for the moment, do what you like to do, but now that reality kicks in, family, house payment and all, a passion/ hobby and a job/ career may not be the same thing.

So, yes, I take my own pictures. All of the agents in my office do (80 of us)- if we have listings. Maybe offering a virtual tour type with "high quality" still photos could be something you may offer. Might get your foot in the door alot faster, I hope!

Fred,
Just what would you know about what agents spend on Marketing properties? You are not even an agent so have zero personal experience to comment on. You are a web designer that target markets to agents for their websites and does virtual tours so stick with your area of knowledge and don't make assumptions on what agents spend marketing.