NAR (National Association of Realtors) research shows that between 88 and 90 percent of home searches start online and that listings with professional photos generate 61 percent more views than listings with agent-taken photos.

In today’s competitive and sophisticated real estate market, your photos, videos, and virtual tours are without a doubt your first showing. Quality images are essential for effectively attracting buyers to your listings, and for branding yourself as a professional and successful Realtor.

Full-motion videos and 3D virtual tours take it to the next level. If you are looking to differentiate your listings, and/or to stand out in your competitive profession, take a look at these products, too. Savvy sellers know that people are watching – and being influenced by – video. In fact, 69% of all consumer internet traffic is projected to be video by 2017 (Cisco). A Domain.com study also showed that MLS listings with video generated 400% more inquiries than those without.

This is the photo technique that we utilize in all of our packages. Each time the photographer shoots a photo, he or she is actually capturing seven to nine images. Those images are merged in the editing process to create one beautiful image in which all planes are properly exposed for and in sharp focus. So, picture a kitchen shot…. In the foreground, the gorgeous grain of the granite countertop will be in focus. In the background, the expansive lake view and mature palms outside the kitchen window will also be in sharp focus. HDR closely emulates what the human eye sees, so it’s naturally pleasing to the viewer. Every photo we deliver is HDR. We feel it is the only way to properly capture real estate listings.

Call us at (561) 600-3824. Our Sales Representative will speak with you personally about your listing and its marketing needs. We will help you select a package, schedule the appropriate photographer, and give you important information about what to expect before, during, and after the shoot.

An optional online “Request a Shoot” form is available on our website for your convenience. We use this to gather all of the relevant information so that we can be prepared and efficient when we call you to schedule.

We will provide you with our “Preparing Your Home for Professional Photos” checklist. Many clients find it helpful to share it with their sellers. Following these guidelines helps to achieve the best results possible.

If you must cancel or re-schedule, we require you do so by 5 pm on the business day before the shoot. Canceling or re-scheduling after this deadline will incur a cancellation fee of $40 (for basic shoots) or $50 (for video packages and twilight shoots). These fees compensate our photographers for reserving their time for your shoot.

We always prefer that the Realtor attend the entire shoot.

Our photographers are experienced with selecting angles that enhance the best qualities of a real estate listing. They have photographed hundreds of homes and bring extensive training and experience to the shoot. However, many elements of listing photography are subjective. As the Realtor, you are the expert on the features and attributes of the particular property, and you are familiar with the expectations of your client, the seller.

Being onsite gives you an opportunity to communicate to the photographer any specific preferences you have or shots you have in mind. Otherwise, we’ll use our best professional judgment and will take the photographs that we believe will best market the property.

When we’ve worked with you before, and have a good idea of your preferences, it’s okay with us if you opt not to attend. In this case, we will ensure you’ve provided all access information needed. We will also ask you to indicate the number of photos you wish to purchase based on the square footage of the listing.

IMPORTANT:

Please keep in mind that we do charge (our minimum shoot charge of $185.00) for return trips, so please be sure to communicate any of your preferences.

NOTE REGARDING AMENITIES:

When we are shooting community amenities along with the listing, it is especially important for the Realtor to attend. There is a good deal of subjectivity in what you’d like shot, and there may be amenities that are not visible to the photographer, who may not know the community as well as you do. Plus, some community amenities cannot be accessed without a Realtor. Finally, there are occasions when we arrive at an amenity (like a gym or pool) and there are people there, so we cannot shoot (for legal reasons). If the Realtor is present, he or she may choose to ask the people to leave the shot briefly.

Don’t panic! We rarely need to cancel shoots. If it’s overcast or raining lightly, we still shoot and get great results. With still photos, we always replace the gray sky with a blue sky when it is needed at no additional charge. And, because we only shoot HDR photos, we can enhance the light and reduce shadow as needed in the editing process. We understand that as a Realtor in our area, you aren’t simply selling homes, you are selling the beautiful South Florida climate.

Post-production techniques also help mitigate the negative impact that rain has on your marketing schedule (and your nerves!). Most of our Realtor clients contact us to schedule a shoot “asap!” and would like to get photos on MLS right away. Typically, your sellers are anxious to get the process moving. From a sales perspective, it’s best to take advantage of that momentum. Post-production techniques allow us to cancel fewer shoots and get you your photos faster.

Here’s our protocol: If the weather is questionable, the photographer will generally call your mobile number about an hour before the shoot. (We wait until this time to get as accurate a read as possible on the radar. South Florida weather is quite unpredictable!) Based on the radar and the circumstances, we will make a call about whether to shoot. We often find if it’s raining hard if we wait a bit, it passes and we can shoot again. You know what they say about South Florida… If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes or drive five blocks!

Please keep in mind that if you wish to cancel or re-schedule, we require you to do so by 5 pm on the business day before the shoot. Canceling or rescheduling after this deadline will incur a $40 (for basic shoots) or $50 (for video packages) cancellation fee. These fees compensate our photographers for reserving their time for your shoot.

For still photos, we guarantee that your photos will be delivered to you via email within two business days. (We often deliver them on the first business day!) If you haven’t received your images by 3 pm on the second day, please get in touch with us immediately to make sure payment has been processed successfully and we have the appropriate contact information for you!

Please note that as a convenience to our Realtor clients and their sellers, our photographers shoot listings on select Saturdays and Sundays. When the photographer shoots on a weekend, the photos are edited with our MONDAY shoots. This means that photos shot on weekends will be guaranteed back to you by Wednesday at the latest (day two of our two business day turnaround promise), and often by Tuesday. (If Monday is a holiday, one additional day is added to this turnaround schedule.)

Processing and editing full-motion videos generally take 2 to 3 business days.

If you’ve ordered a package that includes a voiceover, it may take up to 5 to 7 business days to complete the final product. This timeline applies if we receive your completed voiceover content form on or before the day of the shoot. (You will receive your video without the voiceover sooner so you can begin your marketing if you wish.)

Our post-production team is available to personally answer any questions after you receive your photos! So, if a tour photo is labeled “Family Room” and you’d prefer it to be labeled “Sitting Room,” or if you have questions about downloading our photos for the first time, please give us a call! We are happy to help.

In the editing process, we merge approximately 7 to 9 raw images to create the HDR image. We can enhance the light and reduce (but not completely eliminate) shadow. We lighten and brighten or increase contrast as needed. We take out gray or overly-cloudy skies and add in a beautiful blue sky (no extra charge to you!).

We do not “photo-shop” items in or out. Part of our policy is not to alter anything in the photos that is part of what a buyer would purchase. Our affordable prices are based partially on this industry-standard practice and on the labor involved in editing our real estate photography products.

We do sometimes get requests to edit out discolorations, rust stains, dirt or debris, etc. Because this is not something that we do, preparing the listing in advance of the shoot is critical to getting the best results possible. We also sometimes get requests to add green grass where there is none, remove power lines, remove a damaged section of fence, or similar requests. We do not include this as part of our services or pricing.