How Much do Real Estate Photos Cost (2022)
Are real estate photos necessary? Real estate photographs are very important, especially for marketing and advertising purposes. If you want to dabble in the real estate industry, it is important to hire a competent real estate photographer who knows how to edit real estate photos.
One of the most common questions asked by real estate enthusiasts, like yourself, is how much do real estate photos cost? New entrants into real estate photography would usually charge you around 80 dollars. This is because they are trying to test the water and are looking to establish a customer base.
Another important question you might have asked is how much professional real estate photos cost. A typical professional real estate photographer will charge you between 110 and 300 dollars for a basic real estate photography shoot.
Lots of real estates agents aren’t just bothered about someone who has the knowledge of how to edit real estate photos in Lightroom. They are also concerned about enlisting the services of a real estate photographer who has poor work ethics and no invoice procedure, among other concerns.
Real Estate Photography Types & Price Ranges
Naturally, different real estate properties will need different types of photography services. This is something we inform all potential clients because we want to render the best of services.
For instance, a property such as a New York City apartment may only need a minimal amount of standard photos. But, aerial drone photography that will showcase the surrounding landscape is required for a mountain house in Montana. It is important that you note that real estate agents prioritize photography services that highlight their property’s best selling points.
The location of the property is another factor that will determine the overall cost of your service. You should also consider the post-processing of the photographs. This is because the photos will need some editing to make them suitable to be used for advertising and marketing.
Typical editing will include things like enhancing colors, brightening the images, removing unwanted objects, as well as cropping. It is important that editing should be included in your overall photography pricing package.
Let’s look at the three types of real estate photography as well as real estate photo rates for each type.
Standard Photography
The images of properties that fill the pages of property listings are those of standard photos. These kinds of photos usually include a photo of the front and the back of the property. The living room, kitchen, bathrooms, bedrooms, and other rooms on the property are also pictured.
The objective of this type of photography is to capture images that will impress potential buyers and cause them to visit the property in person.
There are various models of standard residential real estate photography pricing. Sometimes, you may choose to charge based on the number of photographs made available. You may also opt for a flat fee package or the size of the property.
The price points for standard real estate photography provide an avenue for a faster turnaround time. This is because it doesn’t require too much post-processing like videos or 3D photographs.
Here are some standard photograph services along with their costs that you may consider.
Basic service (up to 10 photos) will cost $125.
Standard (between 20 and 25 photos) will cost $175.
Flat fee packages cost $125.
Pricing on homes up to 2500 sq. ft. will cost $200.
Pricing on homes up to 7000 sq. ft. will cost $350.
2D And 3D Photography
2D and 3D images are important especially when a property is being marketed using a standard photograph. These images help potential customers to understand the property’s layout.
2D and 3D photography present a unique opportunity to showcase a property digitally that hasn’t been developed. Clients can also make better decisions as regards properties without the hassle of finding time to see the property.
The prices of this category of real estate photography depend on the square footage of the property. The larger the property is, the higher you can charge. The standard pricing for 2D and 3D photographs would look like this:
- 2D black and white floor plan that is up to 2,500 sq. ft. will cost $250
- 2D black and white floor plan that is between 2,500 and 5,000 sq. ft. will cost $350 dollars.
- A 2D color floor plan that is up to 2,500 sq. ft. will cost $299
- A 2D color floor plan that is between 2,500 and 5,000 sq. ft. will cost $399
- 3D virtual tours up to 2,000 sq. ft. will cost $250
- A 3D virtual tour that is between 2,000 and 5,000 sq. ft. will cost $350
- A 3D virtual tour that is between 5,000 and 8,000 sq. ft. will cost $450
- 3D tour that is over 8,000 sq. ft. will cost $500
- Anteroom 3D tours cost $325
- Anteroom imaging package costs $59 per hour.
Luckily, we have software like Matterport, which has created a platform that allows real estate agents and photographers like yourself, easily process 2D and 3D images. They can do all of this while keeping their clients engaged on the property listing.
The software’s all-in-one platform changes spaces into digital twin models for a great virtual experience. The software allows you to create custom 3D tours of the properties so as to help guide viewers through the space.
Aerial Drone Photography
The aim of aerial drone photography is to capture the property’s unique features. The resulting images will help the client in making an informed decision. Aerial drone photography can be useful if the property is situated near a body of water or on a large plot.
With aerial drone images, you can also create a better visual representation of a property and its environment. You can also employ drone imagery to stimulate the curiosity of potential buyers and draw traffic to their websites.
Drone images contribute to the story of the property by highlighting in detail the features of the property in one shot.
Aerial drone photograph rates vary from photographer to photographer. While some can charge fixed flat fees, other photographers may charge per hour or square footage. Whatever a real estate agent’s budget may be, here is some useful information regarding aerial drone photography price structure that you should know.
- 5 exterior images cost $150 flat fee
- 10 exterior images cost $250 flat fee
- Drone videos cost $300 flat fee
- Properties that are up to 2,000 sq. ft. cost $150
- Properties from 2,000 to 4,000 sq. ft. cost $225
- Properties that are over 5,000 sq. ft. cost $300
- The hourly rate for drone photography is pegged at $150.
Useful Tips For Hiring Real Estate Photographers
Employing the services of a competent real estate photographer can go a long way in helping real estate agents generate more leads. It also plays a crucial role in how quickly they enlist the property and how fast the properties are sold.
It is important that you form a mutually beneficial relationship with agents. This will ensure they get videos and photos of high quality for their property listing from you. Below are some tips real estate agents employ when hiring a real estate photographer.
Area of Specialization
Real estate agents make it a duty to find out the area a photographer specializes in before hiring them. Your area of specialization should be real estate photography. It requires different sets of skills to deliver high-quality real estate photographs.
Third-party sites can reject your real estate photographs if they include some items or signs. So clients are looking out for photographers who can avoid those mistakes.
Check Your Portfolio
What projects have you worked on previously? How well did you perform? These are some questions that need to be answered before you get hired for a real estate property photo shoot.
As a real estate photographer, you are expected to have an extensive gallery of real estate photos for potential clients. Make sure your style of photography matches your clients’ expectations. If your style doesn’t, you may lose out on potential clients.
Don’t Pay Much Attention To Cost
Just because your services are cheap doesn’t mean you’ll attract many clients. Ensure you do not trade quality for affordability. You may end up losing a lot of clients because you aren’t producing quality photographs.
Clients who understand that high-quality pictures play a major role in driving up sales will certainly pay whatever you charge. Do not be afraid to put a premium on the services you render if they are of high quality.
Real Estate Photography Pricing Hacks
Let’s look at some tips you can also consider to get the best out of being a real estate photographer.
Do Not Charge Per Hour
Hourly charges for wedding and event photographers are a common practice. As a real estate photographer, you are not afforded that luxury. Your charge should instead be based on rooms, type of property, or square footage of the property.
When you charge clients per hour, they may feel you are taking advantage of them when you’re taking time to finish up. Since real estate photography isn’t just any regular time of photography, the hourly charge wouldn’t benefit you or the client.
Place A Premium on Efficiency
Real estate photographers do not earn thousands of dollars. Instead, their earnings are usually in the hundreds. The profitability of your business then depends on how efficient you are.
Be sure to deliver on a project at the time you said you would. This will build trust in the minds of clients and would also get you referrals.
Quality vs Quantity
There are two ways you can go. You may decide to go with quality, which means you will focus on photographing high-end properties – this will allow you to take all the time that you would require for each shoot.
Alternatively, you can focus on quantity, which means photographing standard listings. This approach makes your process simpler and faster. You’re also given the liberty to do a large number of shoots.
Reverse Engineer Your Real Estate Photography Pricing
What reverse engineering means is to look backward at the pricing process used. This will help you come up with a better strategy on what you should charge for their services.
For instance, you can achieve this by factoring in how many hours you spend when rendering such a service. You can factor in the hours between communication with clients, travel time, actual shoot, and time used for editing.
Then consider how much you need to make per hour to cover your expenses, taxes, and other costs. Ensure you leave yourself enough profit. Then multiply the hourly rate that is required by the hours spent on taking a shoot. This will give you a clear idea regarding the real estate photography rate to charge.
Profit margin is very important. Let’s be honest, people run businesses for the sake of profit. The primary reason is to render service but the ultimate end game is to make a profit.
To arrive at your profit margin, first of all, find out what your net income is. Your net income is gotten when you subtract your business expenses from the revenue. Then find your net sales by dividing your net income by the revenue. Profit margin is what you get when you multiply the net sales by 100.
This isn’t straightforward to determine because sometimes, photographers spend different amounts of time on each shoot. However, the first part of the calculation gives you a clear indication of what you’ve been getting per hour.
The second part involves profit margins – this will help you determine whether you need to increase or decrease your rates.
Your shoots will take a longer time and the time spent on each will differ if you’re just starting out. But, as your workflow develops, the time spent on shoots will begin to stabilize.
Talk to clients to understand market needs
The best way to improve your offering is to ask clients what they are looking for in a real estate photograph. This will help you meet their needs in the best possible way and allow you to charge higher fees.
For instance, if a client prefers to relate with their real estate photographer in person, you know you have to remain available always when you deal with that client.
If a client is searching for a quick turnaround time, it means you have to tweak your schedule in a way that allows you to deliver on time. Generally, real estate only leans toward a quick turnaround time. This is because real estate agents are eager to get their properties on the market as fast as they can.
Real estate agents can also demand extra needs like video tours, twilight photos, neighborhood photos, etc. Ensure you factor all these in before coming up with your rates. You can consider offering them as add-ons that agents can choose for individual listings.
Many real estate photographers forget about this. It is important you establish some form of working relationship with other competitors. Yes, you are trying to beat the competition. However, it will be in your best interest to have an idea of what the current trends are.
Reach out to them and have a discussion. That discussion go can a long way in helping you decipher what you are doing wrong, what you ought to adjust, as well as what to eliminate from your work.
What the Data Says About Real Estate Photography Pricing
It’s important to note that the pricing is not the same for all professional real estate photography services. Your price will depend on the type of service you are rendering.
Data in the United States have shown that real estate photography services costs between $93-$300 in the 50 largest cities. The price is based on a 3,000-square-foot home and includes 10-25 MLS-ready photos.
Here is what real estate photographers charge in some states and cities across the United States.
- Maine: A real estate photographer charges $225 for houses that are over 3,000 square feet and $190 for those that are under 3,000 square feet. This charge doesn’t include videography.
- Utah: A certain photographer charges $130 for photos and $300 for videography.
- Miami: The charges for real estate photos range between $250 and $500.
- Charleston, South Carolina: A particular real estate photographer based in this location charges $500 per listing. The listing price for the properties this photographer shot averages around $1.3 million.
Making a decision regarding what to charge can be difficult. If you decide to set the price too low, you may miss out on making more money. If you raise it too much, however, you may only attract a handful of clients.
Charge for premium services
Real estate agents have other needs photographers cater to asides from taking photographs. As earlier stated, they can include Twilight real estate photography, videos, or drone photography.
With twilight real estate photography, different lighting equipment, and editing preset. Plus, you are required to work overtime to capture the images.
Complete real estates are best showcased via videos. They give a better impression of the space the property occupies as well as its environment. To edit the videos, you will need to purchase the right for the music you will use. Post-processing effort can be enormous hence the need to get paid adequately.
Drone photographs, on the other hand, showcase the surrounding of a property. Drones are used to make perspectives easier to understand and clearer. A lot of photographers are beginning to embrace the use of drones because of this.
It is advisable to check if the region you intend to use drones falls under those that require licenses. With drones, you can charge your clients higher than photographers who don’t use them.
Doing a 3D modeling of the interior of a property is another avenue to charge a higher fee. It should be stated however that this is expensive and time-consuming to execute. This skill come in handy for clients who are home builders. If you don’t mind the amount of effort it takes to acquire this skill, you can go for it.
Set the number of images you provide to your clients
Generally, real estate photographers provide between 25-50 final photos for their clients. However, there are certain situations where you will be required to produce more copies.
The size of the property or the special features the real estate agents want you to highlight can be one of such reasons. This will mean that you have to spend more time taking the images as well as editing them.
You can make things easier for yourself by setting a limit on the number of photos your basic packages contain. You can charge the client extra if they are asking for more copies. Another option is to set different prices based on the sizes of the property.
Ensure Quick Turnaround for an Extra Fee
The majority of real estate photographers work with a schedule. It is important though that yours is flexible enough to accommodate other needs. Real estate agents want to sell their properties as quickly as they can. That means they’ll need a fast turnover of photos.
Plan your schedule in a way that allows you room for last-minute calls. You can charge them extra for that. A 24-28 hours turnover can also be an avenue for you to request higher fees.
Flexibility is one way to differentiate yourself from others in the industry. This will also gain you more clients because they are aware that you’re always available on short notice.
Test your offer and see if your rates work
As soon as you are done with your research and have settled on an offering, put it up and see how clients react. Be open to feedback as much as possible but also ensure you are not swayed by everything you hear or read.
Ensure you cross-check your listings annually to audit your rates. This will give you an idea of what you need to change. Do not forget to factor in the feedback you’ve gotten from your clients.
Have a follow-up email that your clients get after each photo session and have them tell you if they are satisfied with the services rendered. Ask them if there are things you need to change or work on.
If you receive feedback from clients and you are faced with a decision, whether that decision is to alter an offering or remove it completely, you can follow this approach.
Does the feedback come from a client or potential client that you are looking forward to working with? Or has the feedback come from several other clients or potential clients?
If the feedback isn’t from someone you consider a good fit for a client, you can decide not to alter your offering. This is because they aren’t your target market. So it wouldn’t make any sense to make any alteration if they aren’t going to patronize you.
Also, if one client out of 40, for instance, raises that concern, you can hold off making any alteration. However, if another person raises the same concern, then a change is needed.
Wrap up
Coming up with your real estate photography pricing can be a bit tasking, especially if you are just starting out. It is important to know your industry and have at your disposal key information. Ensure you adjust your rates from time to time as you progress in your journey.
At Time Off Editing, our priority is to add color and life to your photography needs. We have a reputation for quality, standard, and premium customer satisfaction.
Reach out to us for your top-quality real estate photos today!
