What do Realtors Look For?

[pxchoi]

Hello, I'm an amateur photographer but I wanted to make some cash on the side and I thought maybe taking photos of property might be a good way to make some extra cash on the side. What do most realtor's look for in terms of format and size. I have a T1i so I was thinking I could include a 360 degree HD video of a preferred room if it makes the deal more compelling.

Any advice would be great!

[Fenster]

Having recently worked in realty myself (I handled BPO comparisons), my strong impression is that realtors really don't care much for the quality of the image so long as it meet these two simple criteria:

There are no people in the image.
It usefully meets the required criteria (Subject Front View, Subject Street View, Subject Bedroom #3, etc.).

The idea of virtual home tours and professionally taken interior and exterior images is one worth exploring, but you have to be able to do this for a price that meets the agent/agencies budget and also handle this in a manner that is compatible with existing BPO and listing websites.

You might find better reception with housing developers, as they are the ones who want slick images to sell their new sprawling estates.

[sas8888]

after talking to a few agents... right now the way the market is they are looking for cheap (free if possible)

[troutfisher]

I work part time for an agent and among other jobs take photos of rental properties.
A couple of externals ( front and rear) and one of each room.
These go in a B&W Brochure and on a web site.The main thing is to get as much of the room in as possible so I use a 10-20mm sigma on a 40D invariably with flash.
Because I like them to look reasonable I do a bit of PP ( brightness/contrast.sharpness and straighten verticals if needed.BUT before I did the photos the Boss did them with a P&S and no PP.Unless you are very good and doing very expensive houses,as sas8888 says most agents want them for free.I would agree with Fenster about developers.It might be worth keeping your eyes open for expensive properties that are not selling and make your pitch for one of those, BTW make a demo DVD to show the effect.

[shaggymatt]

Your best bet is to somehow finagle your way into working with a high performing realtor. The houses that are $1 million+ are the ones where they are still paying premiums for the photos. Granted that price tag is going to vary by market, but you're still looking at the upper tier properties.

A "clean" picture coming from a photographer who is charging is of the utmost importance. There shouldn't be any clutter in your photos. While the homeowner *should* do most of the prep, you will likely find things that you don't like in the picture. Make sure you are insured, would hate to break something in the house and be held responsible!

[form]

Real estate photos are generally low quality and 99% of realtors don't care or want to pay for professional photos. About 1% are interested in that service.

Getting hired to take architectural/interior/exterior photos of high profile, high quality spots requires a much greater amount of skill than any fresh dSLR user has. It's not a startup field. After about 3.5 years of shooting, I know that I'm still way under that league.

[sas8888]

Real estate photos are generally low quality and 99% of realtors don't care or want to pay for professional photos. About 1% are interested in that service.

Getting hired to take architectural/interior/exterior photos of high profile, high quality spots requires a much greater amount of skill than any fresh dSLR user has. It's not a startup field. After about 3.5 years of shooting, I know that I'm still way under that league.


If that high :)

[shaggymatt]

Check out the professional realtor photograph groups on flickr. You'll start to get an idea of what they are looking for.

My friend's mother has a Nikon SLR, she shoots in auto for a realtor, and garners $100 per shoot with nothing more than the kit lens. No image corrections, literally off the camera. So yes, part of it is the connections.

[Gatorboy]

Check out what goes into making a quality interior photo: Scott Hargis: Timelapse living room shoot (http://scotthargisphoto.wordpress.com/2009/08/21/timelapse-living-room-shoot/)

[carshop]

Check out what goes into making a quality interior photo: Scott Hargis: Timelapse living room shoot (http://scotthargisphoto.wordpress.com/2009/08/21/timelapse-living-room-shoot/)
great piece, thanks