Special offer

Spam prevention
Rainmaker
630,251
Ajay Pandya
e-Merge Real Estate Unlimited - Columbus, OH
Realtor Ajay Pandya

For regular listings, it is a professional photographer. Not for BPO/REO.

Mar 07, 2018 08:48 PM
Rainmaker
5,104,931
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

Ashley -- also forgot to mention that offering professional photography at a listing appointment is a big incentive to many sellers who see second rate photos on the web.

Mar 14, 2015 10:19 PM
Ambassador
6,393,404
Bob Crane
Woodland Management Service / Woodland Real Estate, KW Diversified - Stevens Point, WI
Forestland Experts! 715-204-9671

We are professionals, and sometimes we hire others to take the photos, really depends on the property.

Dec 17, 2019 07:48 PM
Rainer
279,878
Dipti Thakkar
LAER Realty Partners - Andover, MA
On a team with Praful Thakkar

Professional photographer.

Jul 24, 2018 10:15 PM
Rainmaker
4,800,082
Gabe Sanders
Real Estate of Florida specializing in Martin County Residential Homes, Condos and Land Sales - Stuart, FL
Stuart Florida Real Estate

I take my own.

Jun 12, 2018 05:12 AM
Rainmaker
3,071,489
Tony and Suzanne Marriott, Associate Brokers
Serving the Greater Phoenix and Scottsdale Metropolitan Area - Scottsdale, AZ
Haven Express @ Keller Williams Arizona Realty

Professional

Jul 18, 2017 05:18 AM
Rainmaker
544,892
John Mosier
Realty ONE Group Mountain Desert - Prescott, AZ
Prescott's Patriot Agent 928 533-8142

I hire a professional photographer every time if I have a listing for a luxury home. In our market and in my opinion, that would be anything above the $600,000 market. I would consider hiring a professional photographer for any home that is unusual and priced to sell, especially with a Seller that will do staging and is otherwise cooperative. I would not hire a professional photographer to show off a home that is not in top showing condition.

I do all my own photography for listings that are remote or when the cost of a professional photographer is out of line with the potential commission.

I have a listing for a piece of land that is ALL boulders and rock outcroppings. It is 17+ acres and I cannot get to all of it to photograph it. Here is a blog post I wrote about it.

Wikutepa Boulders

In the blog post, the big boulder with the cracks in it is around 60 feet tall.

Now that I am just getting it renewed, I am hiring a professional photographer with a drone to fly over it to show it off.

Mar 15, 2015 02:08 PM
Rainmaker
538,287
Patty Clark
Morningside Homes, LLC 720-231-5200 - Denver, CO
Helping Families Move with Care

I hire a professional for $149.00.  Includes virtural tour, traffic report, fliers, 25 photos.  I used to take my own photots but I get so much more with the service.

Mar 15, 2015 12:38 PM
Rainmaker
1,027,602
Susan Haughton
Long and Foster REALTORS (703) 470-4545 - Alexandria, VA
Susan & Mindy Team...Honesty. Integrity. Results.

I hire a professional always, no matter the property or the price point.  I use different services depending on the uniqueness of the property and the price point, but it's always a professional taking the photos and videos.

Mar 15, 2015 02:42 AM
Rainer
12,445
Ashley Alred
Pullman, WA

Thank you for all your answers do you have a photo editor you recommend? Most my photos turn out on the dark side.

Mar 15, 2015 01:24 AM
Rainmaker
631,962
Vern Eaton
Askov, MN
Realtor 651-674-7449

Take my own...not hard if you take your time.

Mar 14, 2015 11:11 PM
Rainmaker
5,104,931
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

I always, but always do professional photography. I use Tour Factory. I pay $30/month and about $75/photo session on average (more if a much larger home). They do all the work for me and my time cost would be much higher than what I pay them to do it myself and I would never have photos half as good as what they do for me.

Mar 14, 2015 10:18 PM
Rainmaker
911,338
Jeff Pearl
RE/MAX Distinctive / LIC in VA - Lovettsville, VA
Full Service Full Time Realtor

I take my own. Sometimes the owners take some they want me to use, but some owners aren't very good photographers, so I have to explain the importance of using quality photos.

Mar 14, 2015 08:18 PM
Rainmaker
1,622,432
Inna Ivchenko
Barcode Properties - Encino, CA
Realtor® • GRI • HAFA • PSC Calabasas CA

One of the Realtors on my team is a professional photographer. He does an excellent job. He also does marketing and is paid through the escrow when the property is sold.

Mar 14, 2015 04:58 PM
Rainmaker
5,772,575
Ron and Alexandra Seigel
Napa Consultants - Carpinteria, CA
Luxury Real Estate Branding, Marketing & Strategy

Ashley,

Our clients negotiate a flat price per house, no per photo, and not by the hour.  They also own the photos.  I would recommend a professional.

Mar 14, 2015 03:03 PM
Rainmaker
1,683,912
Larry Johnston
Broker, Friends & Neighbors Real Estate and Elkhart County Subdivisions, LLC - Elkhart, IN
Broker,Friends & Neighbors Real Estate, Elkhart,IN

It's usually a flat fee that we have negotiated before our first home.

Mar 14, 2015 02:55 PM
Rainmaker
4,319,419
Praful Thakkar
LAER Realty Partners - Andover, MA
Andover, MA: Andover Luxury Homes For Sale

Ashley Alred - I hire professional to take pictures. The fees depend on the size of the home and number of pictures, including Panoramas.

Mar 14, 2015 02:43 PM
Rainmaker
400,356
Jill Murty, Realtor - Orange County, CA
Movoto - Laguna Niguel, CA

I hire a professional to photograph my for sale listings.  I photograph my lease listings.  On occasion, the property owner will supply photos they've taken.  This can sometimes be good or not so good.

When I hire a professional, it is for a flat fee.  Hourly can tend to make people work at a more leisurely pace.

Mar 14, 2015 02:05 PM
Rainmaker
582,106
Eric Kodner
Madeline Island Realty - La Pointe, WI
CRS, Madeline Island Realty, LaPointe, WI 54850 -

I take my own photos and do my own editing.  I teach other agents how to take listing photos, so this is routine for me.

Regardless of who you hire, you get what you pay for.  I'd start by finding out if real estate photos are the specialty of whatever professional you are interviewing for the job.  I've met "professionals" who specialized in wedding photos or wildlife photography and didn't have a clue about how to do real estate shots or architectural photography.

Mar 14, 2015 01:48 PM
Rainmaker
2,443,250
Evelyn Johnston
Friends & Neighbors Real Estate - Elkhart, IN
The People You Know, Like and Trust!

I use to take my own photos, but the photographers here only charge $35-$40 for about 30 photos.  They look better than mine so I pay for it.

Mar 14, 2015 01:42 PM
Rainmaker
3,988,007
Debbie Reynolds, C21 Platinum Properties
Platinum Properties- (931)771-9070 - Clarksville, TN
The Dedicated Clarksville TN Realtor-(931)320-6730

i take my own and take really good ones. I use professional equipment and editing and my sellers are very happy. I know exactly how I want it presented and leaving it to the paid professionals, they do it their way or I have to be their showing them and so decided to learn to do it myself.

Mar 14, 2015 11:40 AM
Rainmaker
938,537
Bruce Walter
Keller Williams Realty Lafayette/West Lafayette, Indiana - West Lafayette, IN

Ashley, we take our own photos now with a Nikon D-5200 and it gives us the exact shots that we want.  We found unless we tagged along and suggested certain shots we were not quite getting the photos we wanted for the money.  Also many sellers are notorious for not being ready with their house when they say they will be and time is money with a professional photographer when you have to move clutter out of the way.

Mar 14, 2015 10:27 AM