One of the many decisions to consider within the process of selling or renting a property—and perhaps one of the most crucial for generating interest in what you’re offering—is the publication of property images on social media and websites.
This is the stage where you can finally showcase the highlights of your property to potential clients or buyers, emphasizing what makes it special and, ideally, connecting with the specific clients or buyers you’re targeting.
If you’ve made it this far, it’s likely because you’re weighing your options to determine the best choice for you. And if I had to guess, your options probably look something like this:
Option 1: Take the photos yourself. After all, your phone has an amazing camera, right? This way, you won’t have to spend a dime. How hard can it be? It’s just pressing a button, isn’t it? Let me tell you right now—this is a mistake!
Option 2: Ask your friend’s son or daughter, who owns a “professional” camera and takes great photos, to help. That way, you can save some money and still get amazing shots!
Is it really that simple?
Option 3: Perhaps you’re considering hiring a professional real estate photographer but, for one reason or another, you’re still undecided. You’re not sure if it’s the best option given your budget—or maybe budget isn’t an issue, but you don’t know how to distinguish the right photographer for you. One photographer might seem very similar to the next.
Where do you start when trying to find the right professional? And how can you be sure they’ll deliver what you’re looking for?
Well! Let me help you out a bit. I have some experience in this field and believe I can guide you in making this decision.
Taking photos with your phone.
Whatever your decision, don’t go with the first option. You’ve got your phone ready, maybe you’ve cleaned and tidied up your property a bit, and now you’re all set to take that amazing shot with your latest-generation phone and its 46-megapixel camera. Click! … Wait, what is this? It’s an ordinary photo—nothing special. The walls’ lines are distorted, the interior is too bright, and the exterior is blown out—just white! You can’t see anything.
You try again. Click! The exterior looks amazing, but the interior is dark.
Your photos look amateurish! And that’s because they are! There’s no way around it.
Real estate photography isn’t as easy as you thought—it really isn’t.
Photographers face challenges we have to solve right on location while taking photos, and even more issues later during post-processing.
Real estate photography comes with significant challenges, such as wide dynamic ranges (the ability of your camera to capture details in both dark and brightly lit areas). This is a huge challenge, especially in enclosed spaces.
Indoor lighting is usually much dimmer than outdoor lighting, so achieving a “natural” balance (the way our eyes perceive it) is difficult without the proper knowledge.
Technical Issues to Solve
Another challenge is color treatment—dominance of unwanted colors in your photos. Too much blue or too much yellow? This issue is common, and I’ve seen many photographers, even knowledgeable ones, make mistakes here.
As I mentioned earlier, it’s not just about taking a good photo on-site (often using flashes). A significant part of our work happens later, during post-processing at the computer. This involves applying HDR (High Dynamic Range) techniques, Photoshop layers, or other methods that allow us to present everything in the best possible way.
It’s also about knowing what you’re doing and having a distinctive style and taste. Not every property is the same, and not every photographer is the same. Some will deliver acceptable work, while others will execute it with elegance and style. It’s up to you to decide whom to hire.
The Friend’s Friend’s Son
“You get what you pay for.” I know, I’m not telling you anything new, right? We’ve all heard this phrase and know it well. Yet, for one reason or another—more often than we’d like to admit—we end up choosing the option that seems “good enough,” costs little, and we believe will meet our expectations.
What’s the problem with this choice? We often end up regretting it shortly afterward.
That light bulb you bought at the supermarket because it was cheaper? It breaks as soon as you turn it on. Or that folding bike you purchased for a fraction of the cost of a more expensive one (and were sure it would meet your needs)? It starts falling apart after just a few rides.
The same applies to real estate photography. As I’ve already pointed out, real estate and architectural photography fall under some of the most technical and challenging fields in photography.
Why Can’t an Amateur Achieve Superior Quality Photography?
What happens if you choose the friend of a friend who owns a camera? Well, the answer is quite clear—they won’t be able to take the photos the way you’re looking for. Why? Simply because they lack the technical resources, the knowledge, and probably the right equipment. (I recommend this article if you’re interested in starting out in real estate photography.)
Don’t get me wrong! If you’re only looking for photos that simply show the space, and you don’t care whether they look professional or not, then go ahead! Give the friend of a friend a chance—they’ll likely produce something acceptable and better than what your phone can capture.
But if you’ve already invested time and a significant amount of money in renovating your property and making it look incredible, I strongly advise against cutting costs on what is arguably the most important step: showcasing the property to potential clients.
All the time and money you’ve invested will be undermined by this decision, and you’ll end up wondering what you were thinking when you hired the friend of a friend. And yes, you’ll eventually have to go through the trouble of finding a professional photographer to showcase your property the way you wanted.
Why Should You Seriously Consider Hiring a Real Estate Photographer?
As I’ve mentioned, in many cases (not always, because some people do understand the added value of hiring a professional), we tend to look for the easiest solution—the one that’s within reach or doesn’t involve a significant expense.
I think this happens partly because of how photography is perceived nowadays. It’s often portrayed as something easy that anyone can do. There’s always this lingering thought of, “I could just do it myself!”
And sure, that’s true in some cases. There are simple photos you could take yourself, and many people buy the latest camera models and produce decent photos. Some even start offering their services after only a short time without any technical knowledge. Is this ideal? Absolutely not—but that’s a topic for another article.
The issue we’re discussing here is that the profession of photography has been devalued. From the perspective of an average person, it’s often seen as, “If anyone can do it, why should I pay a professional?”
A Real Estate Photographer Is Not an Expense—It’s an Investment
The reasons for investing in a professional photographer are compelling. When you think it through, hiring one isn’t an expense but a smart way to invest your money.
If your goal is to sell, rent, or promote your resort, hotel, or similar property, then what you have is a business. And as such, you should approach it from a purely economic standpoint.
What’s your ultimate goal? If you’re looking to sell, your aim should be to do so at the best price, as high as possible.
If your goal is to rent, the same logic applies, right? Rent it out daily for the maximum rate possible, and—importantly—keep it rented for as much time as possible. Ideally, demand for your rental should exceed your supply.
And if your goal is to promote your resort, hotel, or similar establishment, you’re not only looking to keep it consistently occupied with guests but also to showcase your business in a way that aligns with the style your company wants to convey.
The colors that represent you, the way you present your services, and the feelings you want your guests to experience upon arrival—they should start living the experience even before they get there. You want potential clients to feel an overwhelming desire to visit you!
Trust me, all this cannot be achieved by just anyone with a camera. It requires a specialized photographer with sufficient technical knowledge and the right equipment. A professional not only handles adverse conditions (low light, heavy shadows, tight spaces, etc.) but also presents your property in the best possible way.
At this stage, you’re sending a clear message to potential buyers, tenants, or guests about the quality, care, and level of the property or service you’re offering. In essence, you’re showing your client how much you truly value providing something of high quality.
If you’ve done everything right up to this point, this is where you’ll set yourself apart from the competition, offer your property at a higher price, and maintain better occupancy. Don’t overlook this crucial step!
4 Tips to Keep in Mind When Hiring a Photographer
If you’ve decided to hire a real estate photographer but don’t know what to look for when choosing one, let me help!
As a real estate photographer based in Barcelona, Maresme, and Garraf, with over four years of experience in the field and having worked with various clients, I can offer you four tips to consider when deciding which photographer is right for you.
Consistency and Quality
As a first tip, I’d recommend starting by spending time reviewing the websites of the photographers you’re interested in. Analyze their portfolios and pay attention to how well-maintained and elegant their website is. This often reflects the level of care they’ll put into each of their projects.
When it comes to their photos, don’t be swayed by just a few dazzling images that catch your eye. What you should look for is a photographer with a consistently high-quality body of work as a whole.
Their work should maintain a high standard in terms of color treatment (realistic colors without dominant tones, especially for white walls if present), composition (logical framing that gives the viewer a clear understanding of the space), style, and more.
Consistency Across All Their Work, Not Just One Project
This consistency should not only be present within a single project but across all the photographer’s work. It’s not enough for them to have just a handful of impressive photos.
It’s easy to cherry-pick attention-grabbing photos to showcase on a website, but only a select few photographers can openly display all their projects, photo after photo, with consistently high quality.
Why Is This Important?
As a client, you want peace of mind knowing that the professional you’re paying will deliver quality work, just as they showcase on their website.
To clarify, photographing a large, bright property under ideal natural lighting conditions (not necessarily on a sunny day but with ample incoming light) is not the same as photographing a property in low-light conditions.
Only a technically skilled photographer can consistently produce great photos, even in challenging situations, and always deliver high-quality work.
Style and Cohesion
This is a more subjective point, but it’s equally important as it indicates the quality of the final work you’ll receive. Cohesion in the photographer’s style means their approach to shooting and editing images maintains a distinctive and consistent manner.
If, when reviewing their website, you get the impression that the photos in their portfolio could have been taken by different photographers—with no clear style—it may be a red flag.
What Do I Mean?
If the photographer’s portfolio shows images that are very dark in some projects and overly bright in others, with some having bent wall lines while others do not, or if some appear very warm and others very cold, this could indicate the photographer lacks direct control over the final result. It’s also likely they don’t personally handle the photo editing process but outsource this vital step to external companies.
Outsourcing Photo Editing
It’s common in the industry for photo editing to be outsourced to companies in places like India or Vietnam, where the work is done at a fraction of the cost and time it would take a real estate photographer. However, this often comes at the expense of losing control over this critical part of the process, leading to inconsistent results.
As a client, you want a balance between fast delivery and high-quality photos. An excessively fast turnaround can be a warning sign for one of two reasons:
1. The photographer handles editing personally but likely rushes through it without attention to detail.
2. The editing process is outsourced to an external company that prioritizes volume over quality. These companies aim to handle as many projects as possible from photographers worldwide, sacrificing quality for speed.
Delivery Timeframes
Depending on the number of photos to be delivered, the timeframe can vary. However, as a reference, a reasonable delivery time is around 3 to 5 days for approximately 25 to 30 photos.
It’s important to note that editing is more time-consuming than it seems. It requires significant technical expertise, proficiency in editing programs like Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom, a clear understanding of what’s being done, and a lot of attention to detail.
Punctuality and Professionalism
A common complaint I hear from clients is how unprofessional some photographers can be when it comes to starting and delivering their work.
They don’t show up at the agreed time, fail to deliver the work within the promised timeframe, or don’t clearly communicate the steps involved in the process.
This is a tricky issue because, as a client, it’s difficult to know whether the person you’re dealing with will deliver on time and professionally until you’ve closed the deal and hired the photographer.
My advice here is to pay attention to any signals before signing the contract. Does the photographer respond to emails or messages clearly and promptly? Is there clarity about the stages involved in the process? Are they transparent and forthcoming with all the necessary information?
If they have testimonials from previous clients, that’s a good sign. If you see they have a stable client base, even better! These are indicators that can help you make your decision.
The Price of a Professional Real Estate Photographer
As a photographer, I can tell you that the work we do is often not fully appreciated by clients.
There’s a common misconception that our job starts and ends when we show up at the property, take the photos, and that’s it. Job done!
The reality is quite different.
As a general rule, the time spent on-site at the property accounts for about 1/3 of the total time, with the remaining 2/3 spent on post-processing at a computer. And that’s not including the time it takes to travel to the property, the cost of equipment and software used both on-site and during editing, or the value added by the photographer’s experience and knowledge required to consistently deliver great results.
Factors to Consider When Setting a Price
These are all factors that a real estate photographer must consider when setting their price. If you’re looking for quality and reliability, as with any service or product, it comes at a cost.
If you’ve invested a significant amount in preparing your property to be in the best possible condition, paid attention to every detail in its presentation, and maintained a modern design that you’re proud of, my recommendation is to showcase it in the best possible way. Look for a photographer who not only presents your property well but maximizes its beauty and qualities—someone who doesn’t just add value but multiplies the appeal of your property.
This, of course, comes at a price, but one that you’ll quickly recoup when you’re able to set your own prices in line with the increased demand for your property. Remember, hiring a good real estate photographer isn’t an expense—it’s an investment.
Transparent Pricing
My final recommendation is to look for a photographer who displays their prices publicly. This is a sign of respect for your time, their own time, and their commitment to transparency.
Contact Me
If you have any questions or would like to get in touch, feel free to contact me through the following link: [Insert link here]
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