I'm a Real Estate Agent and I own a camera.  Why do I need to hire a professional photographer?

The short answer is sure, you can take your own photos.  But having your property professionally photographed is going to showcase your listing to its fullest potential and will get you more people through the door as well as get your listing sold quicker and, quite possibly, for more money.  So why hire a professional Real Estate Photographer?

  • You're not just selling a home for a client - you're selling and creating your brand and showing the client that both their home and business matter. Whether it's a $100,000 condo or a $10,000,000 estate, professional, well-lit photos are what will draw buyers into the home - and they will.

  • Marketing is everything when it comes to sales. When I was young, I used to buy and sell cars to earn extra money. I would buy a fairly inexpensive, sought after car, fix everything, drive it for a few weeks and sell it. Sometimes, it needed nothing and was just dirty and had lousy photos. In other words, it was marketed incorrectly. I would simply clean and detail the car, then take extremely good, detailed photos of it. Buyers would tell me that they were looking at cars 2-3 times as expensive as mine online but the photos were so horrible that they would scroll right past them and came to look at mine solely based on the quality of photos. That's when I realized how truly important professional photos really are.

  • Redfin states that "'DSLR Photos = More Money, Less Problems (Selling)"'Across all price tiers, homes with DSLR photography were more likely to sell within six months than homes with point-and-shoot photos. In the $400,000 to $500,000 price range, 64 percent of homes with DSLR photos sold within six months, compared to 46 percent of homes with point-and-shoot photos. For those difficult-to-sell million dollar homes, 35 percent of professionally photographed homes sold in six months, compared to 30 percent of homes with point-and-shoot photos.'"

Perfect!  I own a DSLR so I can just take my own photos and get the same results, right?

  • I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but owning a DSLR doesn't allow one to make good photos just as owning a Wolf range doesn't allow one to make good food! It is true that a DSLR can do certain things that a cell phone or point-and-shoot can't, but you still need the knowledge and creativity behind the camera to know how to bring it all together and create and amazing photo.

  • I have spent years studying, practicing and building my gear collection to create the absolute best photos possible for you, regardless of the size or price of your listing. I am still constantly reading, watching tutorials and refuse to remain complacent when it comes to the art of photography.

  • A fellow Real Estate and Architectural Photographer Brian Doherty of South Boston sums it up well in this short video:

What do you do that's different?

  • Some photographers use a technique called HDR (High Dynamic Range). They snap three or more photos and let the software do the rest of the work. I do use HDR occasionally, but it is mainly on the exterior of the property and very, very sparingly indoors.

  • Others will throw a flash on their camera, stand in the corner of the room and shoot away. This definitely gives a 'flashy' look to the photo.

  • I show up with an array of equipment, mainly flashes and light modifiers to replicate the actual feel of the space provided. If there's a view of the ocean (which is fairly common in the South Bay), my techniques allow me to showcase that view and make it look as natural as your eyes would see it.

  • I'm not in and out in a flash (pun completely intended) but I'm also not dilly-dallying, either. I'm working hard to get your listing photographed and on the market but I'm also taking great care to capture the home to its fullest potential.

How long will it take to receive the photos?

  • Great question! My turnaround time is less than 24 hours, so you will almost always receive your photos by the end of the next. There may be a very rare case where something beyond my control inhibits me from getting the photos within 24 and this is extremely rare. In fact, I can't remember the last time that has happened!

By the way, who owns the photographs and how does licensing work?

  • Another great question. I, Dan Solomon Photo, own all of the photographs and provide you, the listing agent, with a license which allows you to use the photos for the duration of your listing and only on your listing. This does not allow for you to give or sell the photos to the builder, architect, home-owner or anyone else. If one of these parties would like some or all of the photos, we can definitely discuss licensing later on.

What are your costs for a shoot and what do I receive?

  • I charge by square footage. All properties less than 1000 sq. ft. start at $200. Add an additional $50 per 1000 sq. ft., so 1000-1999 is $250, 2000-2999 is $300 and so on.

  • I often get asked how many photos are included. Every property is different but a good estimate is for properties less than 1000 sq. ft., My typical delivery is 15-20 photos. 1000 sq. ft. to around 2500 sq. ft. is around 20-25 photos and 2500-3500 sq. ft. is around 25-30 photos. 3500-4000 sq. ft. is 30-35 photos and 35-40 photos is typically the limit and many more than that and potential clients get bored. I know this because I am constantly checking out the MLS and even talk to many buyers who feel the same way.

  • You receive all the photos in two sizes - full-size for printing and other advertising and resized for MLS uploads.

What can I do to prepare the home for a shoot?

  • Another great question! In fact, probably the best one of the day!