Great photographers deliver more than high-quality imagery—follow these tips to get the total package. 

Imagine a professionally dressed photographer arrives on time, engages the homeowner with a friendly greeting before expertly capturing every angle of the house. She opens all doors so she doesn’t miss a room and adjusts the lighting to portray a warm, inviting ambiance. The next day, the agent receives a complete media package and your stand-out listing is live. 

This is all possible, and easy. 

1. Do your homework 

As listings linger on the market and home prices stagnate and fall, photography has never played a more pivotal role in the buying and selling of a home. 

In today’s competitive market, it’s more important than ever to ensure your listing stands out with a variety of high-quality photography and media. 

Ask for referrals, look at photographers’ portfolios and check for consistency, which comes with experience and training. 

2. Stand out from the pack 

After the pandemic, technology has emerged in support of virtual open houses. Moving forward, agents will see more options in real estate media vying for the buyer’s attention during the home-buying process. 

For instance, AI-powered interactive floor plans by ShowingTime+ have transformed the static listing into a fully immersive client experience by providing an all-in-one virtual tour and floor plan that lets buyers click and view a room from any perspective on the floor plan. 

You might also look to increase the variety of your listing media, including drone photography and add-ons, such as amenity photography and virtual staging, particularly for vacant properties. 

3. Determine turnaround time

As every agent knows, a photographer’s turnaround time can make or break a listing. To ensure efficiency, check referrals and review the company’s policy to see how long you can expect delivery. 

While smaller one- or two-person teams might not have the bandwidth and operational support to ensure a fast 1-3 day turnaround, a larger, well-run operation equipped with editors, customer support and a delivery team may be more likely to have the resources to guarantee your images as fast as the next day. 

4. Test the booking experience

Real estate is a fast-paced business, so agents need real-time booking information that’s fast and easy to navigate. A great first question to ask when vetting photographers is, “What does the ordering process look like?” According to Abby Kopp, Manager, Photographer Network Operations for ShowingTime+ Listing Media Services, Listing Media Services provides an open and flexible booking system to maximize photographers’ availability and give agents real-time scheduling visibility. 

5. Prepare with a pre-shoot checklist 

Another key to a great shoot is in the preparation of the home. Great photographers will help coach agents and clients on how to prepare the home including turning on lights, turning off ceiling fans and removing cars from the driveway. 

Get a copy of a pre-shoot checklist from ShowingTime+ now for a list of simple but often overlooked steps. Get the checklist.

• 
• 
• 
•