A successful real estate photography business is not just made up of interior photos. The development of new photographic technologies is proceeding at lightning speed and the market has become more competitive than ever. Not to mention the growing demand for new real estate photography services enquired by agents who are always looking for fresh & appealing content. It is true that your career is always full of new opportunities and you should not miss the opportunity to take advantage of these new technologies to expand your list of services.
But what are the add-on services needed to make your real estate photography business successful? Below we’ll highlight the most commonly used photography add-on services.
Twilight shots
What better way to showcase a property than using the romantic glow of a sunset? When we talk about twilight shots we are referring to a particular technique that involves taking pictures of the exterior of the property at dusk. Such a photo undoubtedly makes the house look amazing and many agents who usually list higher-end properties are asking for it.
This service involves much attention to detail. For example, before organizing a shooting you can check the weather (you can use apps such as Weather forecasts on Google Play Store, Weather on Apple Store, or websites such as wunderground.com) and find the right time to shoot. For example, remember that in summer the perfect time for a good sunset can be very late in the evening. On the other hand, if the weather is not on your side, you can do a sky replacement and adjust the scene in Lightroom. Here you can learn how to edit sunrise and sunset photos in Lightroom.
This service will add high value to your product list and all the efforts are worth it.
Below you can find some key tips for a wonderful twilight shot:
- Take the photo 15 minutes after sunset
- Open anything that covers windows such as blinds or window coverings
- Put all the house’s lights on
- Don’t forget to bring your tripod to keep the camera from moving
However, for more in-depth knowledge on how to photograph real estate houses during sunsets, you really should take a look at this explanatory video by Mike Kelley and fStoppers.
360 images
360 images are one of the real estate photography services that can make a significant impact on your business. All you need is the right equipment and to slowly turn while shooting continuously at a certain pace. Be careful: the risk of getting blurred or misaligned photos is very high!
Otherwise, you can always buy a 360 degree camera, like:
Recently, 360 degree photos have become increasingly popular, especially since social platforms like Facebook have allowed their publication. Nowadays many real estate agents are using this material to better showcase the properties of their listings. In fact, the customer can navigate the scene with a click of the mouse or a movement of the fingers and thus see the property in all its parts. It will look just like being in front of the house!
And there is more: RICOH360 Tours, Kuula, and theasys.io can also create 3D tours from 360 images. Thanks to these companies creating a 3D tour could not be easier: you just need to use your smartphone and shoot the property.
Floor plans
The floor plan is certainly one of the most important add-on services. In fact, potential home buyers are much more interested in listings that show a floor plan. Why? Because it allows you to get to know the layout of the house and understand its flow. In short, through the floor plan, you can imagine your life in the house.
Research has shown that floor plan is the 2nd most important feature when purchasers are looking for a home, which is the reason why real estate agents will surely ask you for this service. If you want your real estate photography business to stand out from the crowd, you need to provide floor plans!
There are many options to create one but they usually require a lot of effort, the time investment in additional equipment, and training. However, CubiCasa developed an app, available on iOS and Android devices, that allows you to scan the property in a few minutes. After that, just send us the scan and you will receive the floor plan by the end of the next business day. In short: easy, fast and above all convenient given the reasonable prices.
Property video
Real estate agents are looking for new content that is able to more engage the customer. Video marketing content is just what they need: it is both more exciting and more effective for advertising a property since it is easily shareable. In short, the potential of a video should never be underestimated: it allows the customer to visit the property digitally before going there personally. In this way, the customer is already interested in the house before the actual visit and for the real estate agent, it will be easier to sell it.
This is the reason why the photography market is currently focusing on the use of Virtual Reality (VR). Thanks to VR, it is possible to highlight the best features of the property and you can include information points where you can click for more details. If your clients are still unsure about this add-on service, let’s check this material about how those videos can benefit their sales. Moreover, you can find below an example of a good property video.
Drone photography and video
An increasingly requested add-on service includes aerial images and a video of the property taken with a drone (you can find here which drones are the best ones on the market). Thanks to this tool, you can create an image from a few feet above the earth up to a couple hundred. Do not forget that you can also stop the drone at a certain height and thus spend a lot of time until you get the desired composition.
With a drone, you have the opportunity to provide a video that shows the exterior property in all its entirety and such a service can only increase the quality level of your add-on services offer. It’s also a great way to highlight features of the neighborhood, such as a golf course, lake, or other features that wouldn’t normally be seen from the ground.
Aerial and elevated photography services
Elevated photography is a process for taking aerial photos that involve the use of elevated support systems such as a telescoping pole. The aim is to obtain photos similar to aerial photos taken from an airplane. This add-on service aims to better showcase the property. The price is usually reasonable and considerably lower than aerial photos, however, this technology is still not popular.
Why should real estate agents ask you for this service? Because not all properties are clearly visible from the street: for example, trees can block the view of the house. With this type of photography, you can put your camera higher in the sky and avoid any obstacles!
Here you can find the equipment needed for elevated photography and we want to suggest this tutorial:
There are so many options and as technology gets better, so will the options. So stay on the lookout for what’s next. It’s also important to share these amazing add-on options, whichever you choose, with your realtors. Many of them are super busy and may not know how awesome floor plans or aerial photography really are. Add links to your website, showcasing what you offer and how it will benefit them. It may also be a great idea to offer a limited-time offer for a new product just to get them to try it out. We hope that this list of real estate photography services will inspire you to include more add-ons and grow your business.
Until next time, happy shooting.
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