It’s common knowledge in the real estate industry that listings accompanied by professionally shot photographs (i.e., shot by a professional real estate photographer using a digital single-lens reflex camera) ‌command good sales prices. 

Moreover, professionally photographed houses ‌sell faster than comparable properties that are listed using low-quality photos.

The challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic have made professional real estate photos even more critical to the real estate sales cycle. The 2021 Profile of Home Staging report published by the National Association of Realtors confirms this.

According to the report, 83% of buyer's agents and 58% of seller’s agents affirmed how important having photos on property listings has become because of the pandemic. 

Even without all these statistics, your instinct should tell you how crucial photos are in selling real estate. Yes, you can be very good at home staging, but that wouldn't matter if you can't get potential buyers through the door.

‍Professionally taken photographs — these are key to getting potential buyers to want to look. 

So, how do you choose a real estate photographer to work with on your real estate listings? Read on for our tips.

 1.Find someone with relevant photography experience

Ideally, your photographer must have experience shooting property for real estate listings. While ‌the principles of taking good photographs are universal among all professional photographers, specialized experience has genuine value. It is an additional filter that informs the photographer about their subject and directs their eyes to what truly matters.

Think of it this way. Experienced wedding photographers know which types of photos their clients want to see and which scenes are essential at a wedding ceremony. Thus, they know how to pose the wedding party members and how to elicit desirable facial expressions and responses.

Likewise, experienced real estate photographers would know what potential home buyers want to see in real estate listings. They would know which parts of the property to shoot, how to shoot them, and how to stage the scenes for the best-looking and ‌the most effective and convincing photos.

Real estate photography pros also know which shots they must avoid — say, photos that show your realtor’s sign — so your listing does not get rejected by multiple listing services.

 2.Look for a substantial real estate photography portfolio

To help you decide, ask the photographers you’re considering to give you a link to their online portfolios. Professional photographers usually have a website showcasing their past work.

Look at the photographer's real estate photographs. That's your primary concern. It shouldn't matter that a photographer's work made it to a highly acclaimed print ad or that they produce fantastic food flat lays. What matters to you is that they know how to take professional real estate photographs.

Therefore, check each one of their real estate photos. Look at those critically and gauge, using your experience as a real estate professional, if those are the types of photos that would attract your target property buyers.

3.Consider the terms and conditions of the service

Choose a photographer with clearly laid out, easily understandable terms and conditions of service. Here are a few things the photographer must make clear and put in writing.

Image Ownership

Normally, when you hire a real estate photographer to shoot a property you're listing, you pay them for the service and the license to use the photos, but the photographer retains ownership of the pictures.

You should go for a work-for-hire agreement if you want outright ownership of the photos and not just the right to use them.

Cancellation

What will happen if you cancel the photoshoot? Can you reschedule? If yes, does cancellation forfeit your deposit, and does re-booking come with a fee? 

Whatever the cancellation terms are, make sure those are clear and in writing.

Payment

When should you pay? Do you have to make a deposit, and if so, when is the entire amount due?

Deliverables

The terms must be clear about the photograph resolution and formats agreed upon. They should also clearly specify how you’re supposed to get the photos.

 4.Check if they can offer a fast turnaround

How long after the photoshoot should you receive the photos? 

Remember, the sooner you are to market, the less chance you’ll miss a sales opportunity.

A fast or reasonable turnaround time is an important criterion for choosing the right real estate photographer. Naturally, you want a fast turnaround, so you need to come to an agreement with the photographer. This should also be clearly stated in your contract.

Choose Wisely

Any commercial photographer can take a good photo of your real estate listings, but only an experienced real estate photographer can take compelling photos that sell. Therefore, you want a seasoned real estate photographer with a portfolio to prove their experience, clearly stated terms, and quick turnaround times.

Take the hassle out of hiring a real estate photographer, and get your professionally shot, enhanced and processed property photos within 24 hours by booking with Flashy.