6 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Shooting Real Estate Photography

Real estate photography can be a highly lucrative business for photographers. However, it's important to avoid certain common mistakes that many beginners make. In this article, we will go over six such mistakes and how to avoid them.

Mistake #1: Not Having the Proper Lens One of the most common mistakes beginners make when shooting real estate photography is not investing in a wide-angle lens. A good wide-angle lens helps to capture an entire room, and using the standard kit lens that comes with your camera will not produce the professional-looking photos that your customers are looking for. So make sure to invest in a quality wide-angle lens.

Mistake #2: Parking Your Car Directly in Front of the Home This one is pretty simple. If your car is directly in front of the home, it's going to show up in the pictures. Even if you park your car across the street, there's a chance that when shooting interior photos, you will see your car through the windows in some of the pictures. Make sure to park your car a few houses down the street to ensure that it doesn't show up in the pictures.

Mistake #3: Not Removing the For Sale Sign If an agent sign shows up in photos on the MLS, the agent can actually receive a fine. So, you always want to remove signs when possible. If for some reason you're unable to remove the sign, make sure to blur it out during the editing process.

Mistake #4: Not Prepping the Home Properly There are a few simple things you must do in order to prepare a home for a shoot. This includes having vehicles removed from driveways, turning on lights, turning off ceiling fans, and putting toilet seats down. Just make sure that before you start shooting, everything inside and out is photo-ready.

Mistake #5: Not Creating a Great Customer Experience Make sure to introduce yourself, be well dressed, and ask the homeowner or agent if they have any specific things that they would like you to focus on. These simple gestures will help to create a great customer experience. If your customers like working with you, they will most likely refer more business to you.

Mistake #6: Setting Unrealistic Expectations You never want to tell a client one thing and not be able to make it happen. Saying that you're going to deliver photos the same day and then delivering them the following day will always leave your customers feeling disappointed. Think about it like this: have you ever been waiting for a package that was supposed to be delivered any minute now? And then you get a notification that the package is now coming the next day? How does this make you feel as a customer? Frustrated and annoyed, right? That's the same way your customers feel when you don't deliver on time.

Knowing these six mistakes and avoiding them will help you deliver professional photos and a great customer experience. Keep in mind that in addition to your photography skills, your professionalism and customer service can make a big difference in the success of your business. So, always be prepared, be courteous, and deliver on your promises. Happy shooting!