How is the volume out there? I am in California & it has slowed down a bit for my company. We specialize in BPO photography all over California and have over a hundred clients! Are any States busier than others?

Thanks

Daniel Bradford

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It's because we aren't allowed to use a company or assistant to take pictures.

But realistically if you want to make any kind of money in doing BPO's you have to outsource. How hard is it to get the BPO, go take the photos, then come back and actually complete the BPO all while the asset management provider is calling all the time on the status.

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You're right. Why do I need to call and bug one more company about where my pictures are. If you take a picture of the wrong house can we make a claim on your insurance?

Why would you have to bug another company if your photos are right the first time. You have to remember that I have been doing this business for years and never had a complaint. Plus we are moving into Arizon next week. If this service wasn't used I wouldn't be expanding and obviously I am successful but doing what I promise and that is to save my clients time and in turn make them more money.

Thanks

Daniel Bradford

Dan, there is not much $$$$ in taking BPO pics in AZ especially if you do not have a Real Estate License. The market is saturated with people that are licensed who will do them for $10-$12 a house already. Also it is not allowed by most asset management companies. A licensed Realtor must take all photo's.

Good Afternoon Bsareo,

I am a licensed agent in both California & Arizona and I also have a team of licensed agents that are all dedicated to this type of work on the side, while they sell houses and etc. We are extremly successful in California & I belive I can set the new standard for real estate field services in Arizona.

Watch out but here comes DansBPOphotos.

Thanks for you feedback!

Dan

So how much will you be charging per house for your photo's and what pics does your fee provide? Just curious.

Well it all depends we have a scale we use for our clients currently:

(EXT)
1-15 per week: $12.00 per
16-40 per week: $10.00 per
41-... per week: $9.00 per

Reasonable?!?

Thanks
Dan

Anyone that is intersted can pm me or can place an order at any time on my site. Arizona Coverage will be up and running in the next couple of days.

Have a great one! Hope to talk with you soon!

Dan

It is so unethical for an agent to do a BPO without even seeing the outside of the house that I can't even describe it. Your entire BPO photo business is built upon a foundation of bad ethics. It is also VERY temporary, as the foreclosure craze is already starting to wind down. You might already begin considering your next business. BPO photos will be gone before too long. I plan to report this to my ethics board, and in due course it will be illegal for agents to do BPOs while having third parties shoot their photos. You would think that an agent would know better, it is so obviously wrong, but there it is.

I find i intereesting that a veteran member starts dropping the ethics bomb on agents that are already successful at creating systems that work for them. Get others to do photos, data and validate their work - then submit the completed BPO, then collect the check.. distribute payments then keep the process going.. making money.. getting bpos done on time and accurately. Its not hard.. get accouts that drop orders.. get a photo person, data person, supervise.. make 5000 k a month. Systems - Dual monitors, macros, data person.. i currently take t he photos. my business partner does the data.. between both of us.. 8 to 10 k a month. Plus a weaak [censored] CALHFA REO closing once in a while.

Oh ya.. my business partner just mentioned.. you dont need a real estate license to take a picture.. are we in 2010.. reo, bpo.. fannie mae.. come on.. make sytems work for you.. make money and submit a quality product.. AM.. BPO clients dont care if you ( personally inspect a property.. then need a quality product(VALUATION) on time. so they can submit it to their client.. and MAKE MONEY!

I find this amazing. The other day I was talking to an agent who needed to do a bpo on one of my properties(which I have many), but what I found amazing is that she was willing to do this bpo for $40 and it was an interior. Do you not have any respect for yourselves anymore? I took 1 yr working as an assistant to an appraiser and would never work for less than $80 for a drive by. Is your license worth nothing??? Your suppose to experts act like one!!Creat systems and make money. There is not ethics in photos!!!Your not an appraiser so quit thinking that you are!!!

Many of the BPO mills now have Terms of Service that state something like "I certify that I have driven by the property and completed this report" Having someone else take the pix is a violation of the agreement you signed, or the disclainer at the bottom of the report.

Yep - PA exactly. I just did one for a listing that asked that question. There are listing agents here who NEVER see the inside of their own listings. I do not know of a BPO company that I work for that doesn't ask the question. While I certainly agree with putting systems in place, any system that violates the expectation of the company that hired you - is not a system you should use. I would like to know if you are using a BPO picture taker, and QC calls - who answers the questions from QC? How do you answer a question regarding the exterior of a property you have never seen? Not for me - I prefer to sleep at night and not have to worry if I am getting away with something.

PA and OTE.. I like your style.. I understand your angle on the ethics of a BPO Agent taking their own photos - referring to exterior BPOS. Maybe some of the BPO mills have this disclaimer of the agent taking the photos themselves but many do not. I have never been ask if I took the photo or if my assistant took the photo.. while QC has asked many other questions, for example- comps used etc.. If a picture of the subject property is taken.. date stamped and is the correct photo ..is it not the correct photo to use in the bpo form? Am i getting away with something by using the correct photo that my assistant took. If QC asks me questions about a previous bpo I completed, I reference back the completed BPO and pictures. I sleep fine.

I had one this week on one of my REO listings. Called me for access and I gave him directions. It's one of those places that's about a half mile from the mailbox address and couldn't be found if you don't know where to look.
Anyway, I mentioned if he came that morning, he might see me there, since I had to go back and take after trashout photos.
So he asked me if I'd email him my photos to save him a trip.

The only time all of my big name BPO co's (and there are several) gave me the OK to use someone else for pics was after I had my last surgery a few yrs ago. Couldn't drive for about a week, but could still work, emailed/called a bunch of reps, explained the situation, and all was good. This was def an exception, and not a rule.

The BPO industry in my view in the residential side has gone into the toilet over the last few years.

Someone asked would you do a BPO for 40 dollars ? NO and I haven't done maybe 1 to 2 BPO's a month in the last year. It's below my pay grade and I make much more per hour doing other activities.

Before I got real busy and the market was hot I was getting 125 to 150 for exterior rushes and even more for interiors but this was years ago.

The BPO mills know many agents can't sell so they give them that hit of BPO crack for a 30 or a 40. I think it's pretty sad actually.

The ones that do it full time and do well more power to you.All I know is I didn't open up my own brokerage and get the license to do 30 to 40 dollar reports and have some idiot in another state that probably has a GED tell me my value won't work.

If people don't believe BPO's are going downhill just go to the BPO/REO section and look at posts on fees and requirements from a few years ago versus now.It will astonish you.

LOL.. Hit of BPO Crack.. that was a funny one.. Ya, I have only been doin BPOs since 2007.. I didnt even know what a BPO or REO was... but like many..i adapted and am now profiting..thanks in part to this forum. Just in my short time I have seen changes in BPO fees and the increasing amount of additional data required..for less money with quicker turn over times need. I remember seeing mainstreet sending out 35 bpo orders.. 35 DOLLARS!!... for that long crazy form. OMG crazy, but sure enough someone took them. After time, fuel, frustration, taxes, what is your profit? I dont care what business your in thats just a bad business decision to take a 35 dollar order because in the end you made 10 bucks for 2 hrs work...But if I was the owner of a BPO mill.. I would do the same thing..business is about profit so you hammer down the costs, get products done faster, more efficiently etc. ...negating other topics of course..like ethics, etc. Anyway- Agents STOP taking 35 dollar orders. My two cent..

I remember when I use to do exterior bpos for $80 and interiors were $220. :cry: I long for those days again!! I had to kiss some of my long term bpo companies away when they started reducing their prices..sorry won't do!!