Ugly Hedgehog - Photography Forum
Home Active Topics Newest Pictures Search Login Register
Post-Processing Digital Images
A question for USA real estate photographers/agents
May 16, 2021 03:02:56   #
twosummers Loc: Melbourne Australia or Lincolnshire England
 
I live between UK and Australia (subject to current Covid-19 restrictions). I am a freelance real estate (estate agency) photographer (amongst other things). Most R/E photography in Australia is handled by professionals whilst in the UK the photography is still predominantly undertaken by the agents themselves - usually terrible and often taken on their phones.

I make a very good living from my hobby in Australia and in the UK it just about covers my expenses.

Recently I've been getting more and more requests for photography editing services from some agents - I suppose it's a "half way house" for them and cheaper - they now send me their photographs and I turn them from embarrassing to just about useable as best I can. Surprisingly significant improvements can be made thanks to the power of today's editing applications.

My question to my USA colleagues is - how does the market work there and is there a "half way house" opportunity for an editing service? Clearly an option if travel to sites is restricted.

Keep safe everyone and happy editing!

Reply
May 16, 2021 12:26:57   #
E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada
 
https://realestatephotoservice.com/#:~:text=Real%20estate%20photo%20editing%20services%20include%20many%20critical,Still%20Image%20Enhancement%2C%20Panorama%20Stitching%20and%20much%20more.

https://www.boxbrownie.com/s/image-enhancement-ca?ts=Bing06

https://www.proglobalbusinesssolutions.com/real-estate-photo-editing-services/

Here are 3 links to well-known photo-editing services used by real estate photographers in the u.S. and Canada. They should give you some idea of their services, prices, intake procedures, and quality. They seem to be doing well.

I am a commercial photographer and part of my work is architectural interiors and exteriors and some high-end real estate assignments. I do my own retouching and editing in-house but I am not a high volume operation. I could see where many of the real estate shooters do a significantly high volume and have not time or facilities for editing and prefer to outsource these services.

As you alluded to someof the photography is, as we say, rough-stuff and can do with some enhancelmt. Some of it may be beyond repair.

I've worked in Canada and the U.S. The market varies from state to state and province to province. You will need to do a bit of market research in your area and determine if there is enough business on a local level, however, it seems that some of these services are international in scope and receive work from everywhere.

Good luck with your venture!

Reply
May 16, 2021 12:30:09   #
bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA
 
We sold a home two years ago, pre covid. The agent paid her favorite photographer out of her commission. The photos were excellent. Between the two of them, the photos were the best published in the area that week. Traffic to the open house was good and the home sold in a couple days.

This particular photographer used his skilled wife for the post processing.

There is lots of bad real estate photography. There may be a market for "half way house" processing, but I don't know how you would tap into it.

Reply
 
 
May 16, 2021 13:19:02   #
DWU2 Loc: Phoenix Arizona area
 
E.L.. Shapiro wrote:
https://realestatephotoservice.com/#:~:text=Real%20estate%20photo%20editing%20services%20include%20many%20critical,Still%20Image%20Enhancement%2C%20Panorama%20Stitching%20and%20much%20more.

https://www.boxbrownie.com/s/image-enhancement-ca?ts=Bing06

https://www.proglobalbusinesssolutions.com/real-estate-photo-editing-services/

Here are 3 links to well-known photo-editing services used by real estate photographers in the u.S. and Canada. They should give you some idea of their services, prices, intake procedures, and quality. They seem to be doing well.

I am a commercial photographer and part of my work is architectural interiors and exteriors and some high-end real estate assignments. I do my own retouching and editing in-house but I am not a high volume operation. I could see where many of the real estate shooters do a significantly high volume and have not time or facilities for editing and prefer to outsource these services.

As you alluded to someof the photography is, as we say, rough-stuff and can do with some enhancelmt. Some of it may be beyond repair.

I've worked in Canada and the U.S. The market varies from state to state and province to province. You will need to do a bit of market research in your area and determine if there is enough business on a local level, however, it seems that some of these services are international in scope and receive work from everywhere.

Good luck with your venture!
https://realestatephotoservice.com/#:~:text=Real%2... (show quote)


It looks like at least two, maybe all three of these companies are based in India. That might make it hard to compete on price.

Reply
May 16, 2021 13:40:24   #
E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada
 
DWU2 wrote:
It looks like at least two, maybe all three of these companies are based in India. That might make it hard to compete on price.


So it seems. I found these online and a real estate shooter I know sues one of them and he is satisfied. Of course, years ago back in the film days, photographers who outsourced retouching and printing preferred to use local services or at least deal with labs in the same country. Nowadays with online image transfer, it really doesn't matter where the source operates from. If there are skilled technicians in India I can see no problematic issues. As to price, any service would need to be competitive. Also, if you Google "photographing services" you will find many more, however many of them are more geared toward portrait and wedding photography.

I assume the Op is researching the market so as to potentially setting up his own service- not seeking out an outsource for his own work. He will have to see what is being offered and assess the potential of offering his services.

Reply
May 17, 2021 11:10:53   #
Fotoartist Loc: Detroit, Michigan
 
twosummers wrote:
I live between UK and Australia (subject to current Covid-19 restrictions). I am a freelance real estate (estate agency) photographer (amongst other things). Most R/E photography in Australia is handled by professionals whilst in the UK the photography is still predominantly undertaken by the agents themselves - usually terrible and often taken on their phones.

I make a very good living from my hobby in Australia and in the UK it just about covers my expenses.

Recently I've been getting more and more requests for photography editing services from some agents - I suppose it's a "half way house" for them and cheaper - they now send me their photographs and I turn them from embarrassing to just about useable as best I can. Surprisingly significant improvements can be made thanks to the power of today's editing applications.

My question to my USA colleagues is - how does the market work there and is there a "half way house" opportunity for an editing service? Clearly an option if travel to sites is restricted.

Keep safe everyone and happy editing!
I live between UK and Australia (subject to curren... (show quote)


Send some of the overflow my way. I love to retouch real estate having done it for 20 years now. I have been told my retouching work has helped sell and reap much. There is an ethics code to doing this which I subscribe to also.

Reply
May 18, 2021 05:59:30   #
twosummers Loc: Melbourne Australia or Lincolnshire England
 
Thanks everyone - most informative.

Reply
If you want to reply, then register here. Registration is free and your account is created instantly, so you can post right away.
Post-Processing Digital Images
UglyHedgehog.com - Forum
Copyright 2011-2024 Ugly Hedgehog, Inc.