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No idea what to charge for real estate photography

black_magic100

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I contacted several real estate agents in the area, but some of them are unsurprisingly asking for prices and I have no idea what to say. I have my part 107.

Obviously I am not trying to make a fortune, but I also don't want to drive 30 miles there and back and only get paid like $80. Please help me out so I don't undercut myself and others in a similar profession. I've searched and read a few threads on google, but still not sure what to estimate.
 
try the reverse, call a video co. and ask what the will charge to film your house, "for Sale" see if you can get some quotes.
Me: travel .55 / mile + $120/ day
 
I contacted several real estate agents in the area, but some of them are unsurprisingly asking for prices and I have no idea what to say. I have my part 107.

Obviously I am not trying to make a fortune, but I also don't want to drive 30 miles there and back and only get paid like $80. Please help me out so I don't undercut myself and others in a similar profession. I've searched and read a few threads on google, but still not sure what to estimate.
What's your business plan?
Have you calculated all the costs that you will incur in providing the service?
Insurance, licensing, transportation, overhead, maintenance, phone service, editing, delivery of products, legal fees, advertising, accounting, depreciation on equipment, etc?
 
What's your business plan?
Have you calculated all the costs that you will incur in providing the service?
Insurance, licensing, transportation, overhead, maintenance, phone service, editing, delivery of products, legal fees, advertising, accounting, depreciation on equipment, etc?
Yea definitely didn't do half of that. I'm only 21.just trying to make some good money this summer.
 
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I contacted several real estate agents in the area, but some of them are unsurprisingly asking for prices and I have no idea what to say. I have my part 107.

Obviously I am not trying to make a fortune, but I also don't want to drive 30 miles there and back and only get paid like $80. Please help me out so I don't undercut myself and others in a similar profession. I've searched and read a few threads on google, but still not sure what to estimate.
Real estate photographer for about 18 yrs. Been offering drone footage for about 2 months. I start at $100 for interior & exterior photos. About 25 photos in all. If they want drone footage that starts at additional $150. I've done 17 drone shoots in the last 2 months. I'm fortunate because I have a large client base asking for drone footage. They love the stills & the short video puts them over the top. Sky's the limit [emoji4]
 
try the reverse, call a video co. and ask what the will charge to film your house, "for Sale" see if you can get some quotes.
Me: travel .55 / mile + $120/ day
Great answer right there.
 
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Real estate photographer for about 18 yrs. Been offering drone footage for about 2 months. I start at $100 for interior & exterior photos. About 25 photos in all. If they want drone footage that starts at additional $150. I've done 17 drone shoots in the last 2 months. I'm fortunate because I have a large client base asking for drone footage. They love the stills & the short video puts them over the top. Sky's the limit [emoji4]
Do you shoot jpegs and just send them to them immediately afterward? What about if the house is decently far away? I'm starting to learn, but honestly it's so hard to find clients. I just had one guy tell me his son does aerial shots for him when necessary. I can only assume his son doesn't even have a license [emoji849]
 
Do you shoot jpegs and just send them to them immediately afterward? What about if the house is decently far away? I'm starting to learn, but honestly it's so hard to find clients. I just had one guy tell me his son does aerial shots for him when necessary. I can only assume his son doesn't even have a license [emoji849]

That’s the problem nowadays. If you happened to be in controlled airspace (even class E) you are supposed to get an airspace authorization from the FAA and it takes 90 days for them to approve (or decline) your request. Meanwhile the customer doesn’t have 90 days to wait for u, so Joe Schmo who has a drone and NO part 107 cert is gonna do it for 100 bucks cash.
 
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That’s the problem nowadays. If you happened to be in controlled airspace (even class E) you are supposed to get an airspace authorization from the FAA and it takes 90 days for them to approve (or decline) your request. Meanwhile the customer doesn’t have 90 days to wait for u, so Joe Schmo who has a drone and NO part 107 cert is gonna do it for 100 bucks cash.
Sad but true
 
very tough business to make money at, so many people with a drone or a decent camera who will work for peanuts, i think the 100 mentioned is a good start, if u can make 20 buks an hour i think ur doing ok and by that i mean shoot,edit and deliver, and i woud shoot in raw always and edit the raws and give them a jpeg, keep the raws for urself,
 
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Do you shoot jpegs and just send them to them immediately afterward? What about if the house is decently far away? I'm starting to learn, but honestly it's so hard to find clients. I just had one guy tell me his son does aerial shots for him when necessary. I can only assume his son doesn't even have a license [emoji849]
Jpeg 100% of the time. I do very basic post editing. Avg home takes me about 40 min interior & exterior, 10 min post & my avg ride is about 30 min. Send photos same day via Dropbox or emails. This time of year if weather is ok I do 3 or 4 shoots a day. If I am using the drone it's about 30 min on location & 5 min post. If I do a video that takes me about 40 min to put together. I've always thought I'm really lucky to do what I do. I enjoy it, meet a lot of good ppl & my "commutes" are awesome most of the time. I'm my own boss & set my schedule. I've never missed my sons school events or Dr. appt's. And now there giving me $ to fly a drone over a beautiful property. I'm not complaining.
 
Also, I've found that Realtors obviously don't want to spend a lot. Some have 30+ listings a year & they do pics at all there listings. Some don't even care about the photos. They use me to sign a client. I'm going to hire a professional photographer & yada yada yada.
 
What's your business plan?
Have you calculated all the costs that you will incur in providing the service?
Insurance, licensing, transportation, overhead, maintenance, phone service, editing, delivery of products, legal fees, advertising, accounting, depreciation on equipment, etc?


Best possible answer right there :) Well said :)

My first year of doing this (2012) I was shocked at how much it cost to do it "right". By right I mean insurance, business set up, advertising etc.

It's a shame to do it cheaply because not only are you leaving money on the table you're cutting the pants off of other legitimate operators who have the additional expenses. It's almost like walking into their house and taking food off their table right before they take a bite LOL.
 
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What's your business plan?
Have you calculated all the costs that you will incur in providing the service?
Insurance, licensing, transportation, overhead, maintenance, phone service, editing, delivery of products, legal fees, advertising, accounting, depreciation on equipment, etc?

This. Plus... What market are you shooting in? How good are you? What's the competition and how do you compare to others? A buddy of mine gets $1700 for a basic house shoot. He's exceptional at getting the interior and exterior lighting right. Another friend charges $400 for a similar package in terms of type and number of shots. The second friend is a quite good photographer but just doesn't have the eye for the perfect lighting that upper end clients demand. I could likely only get maybe $100 for an architecture shoot. I find architectural lighting rather confounding. When it comes to fashion or feature portraits the rolls are reversed.
 
wow! some great replies here. I might have to try to get some side work too.
Post some of your work, if you get any, I'd love to see it.
 
This was 3 flights, over 200 shots taken until client was happy, edited in LR, about $500 aud. Client gets all the shots. (jpg's and DNG's)resize2 180 pano 120.jpg
 
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Best possible answer right there :) Well said :)

My first year of doing this (2012) I was shocked at how much it cost to do it "right". By right I mean insurance, business set up, advertising etc.

It's a shame to do it cheaply because not only are you leaving money on the table you're cutting the pants off of other legitimate operators who have the additional expenses. It's almost like walking into their house and taking food off their table right before they take a bite LOL.

I've heard quite a few professional aerial photographers talk about this. I get what you're saying, and half of me totally agrees. But the other half thinks to myself, isn't that just how business works? The free market and all? I don't want to get into too much of a philosophical debate here, but if someone can do a job you do for half the price, they have every right. Then, one of three things will happen. One: they won't be able to sustain it due to not making enough revenue. Two: you'll have to lower your prices to compete. Or three: both of you will be able to continue due to people willing to pay more/less depending on quality of the product.

Now I'm not saying it's convenient. I don't know if I'd want to get involved in professional drone photography nowadays. Just saying, with the change in technology and equipment, things like this are going to happen.
 
"but if someone can do a job you do for half the price, they have every right."

If they're doing the same job. Quality and artistic ability is something the client has to judge and decide what they're willing to pay for what. A kid with a drone may well do a quite good job.

Insurance may be a different animal. If someone hires their amateur niece or nephew or neighbor to shoot some stuff for them and they end up damaging someone's car or kid then the client could be on the hook for damages if the person they hired is not insured properly. On the flip side 'the client' could be putting their niece at risk by encouraging them to do a commercial job wo a 107 and permit.
 
"but if someone can do a job you do for half the price, they have every right."

If they're doing the same job. Quality and artistic ability is something the client has to judge and decide what they're willing to pay for what. A kid with a drone may well do a quite good job.

^^ I was just going to say - basically - this. I've been shooting professionally for too long to price match some high school kid with a drone. Planning a shoot ahead of time, properly framing your shots, understanding the power of when to cut a scene... Etc... I have had clients go the cheap route, then come back to me. Charge enough to keep your business alive + profit, and charge for the quality you deliver (or don't deliver).
 
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