Choosing a Photography Company for real estate - "TOP 10 Q's To Ask"

Our clients have asked us all of the following questions, but never at one time. So to be of better service to the industry that has helped to support us over the last several years, we've listed the TOP 10 most important things to consider when choosing a Real Estate Photography Company for imaging and Virtual Tours.

Please consider the following suggestions when choosing the best real estate photography to showcase your work, and more importantly... your professional brand.

Here are our recommendations:

1. Hire a "Local" company rather than a national franchise.
   These companies will typically do a better job, and have more skin in the game (so to speak) towards your success. They will often even post your listing presentation on their own website, video platforms and in Social Media.
   
   
2. What Experience do they have?
   Be sure to know the photographer that will be representing your brand and listing. Many of the more inexperienced companies and especially national companies will hire intermediate photographers, interns, or anyone who pays to take their course on opening up their own photography/virtual tour business. Ask them for links to the "LAST 3" jobs that they have done. Then examine for quality, lighting, and emotion.
   
   
3. How long have they been in business?
   It's true that every company must start somewhere, but when it comes to Virtual Tours and Internet based photography, it's important to know that the company that you hire will be around for a long time so that you can get consistent quality time and time again. There are of course many more reasons to hire an established real estate photography company... but I'll leave that to your own imagination.
   
   
4. Copyright License?
   Are there any copyright license agreements that might hinder you from using the imaging on your website after the listing has sold?
   
   
5. How many images do they provide?
   Most MLS's and Realtor.com allow up to 25 images. It's highly recommended that you utilize every image place-holder possible. Remember... buyers want pictures!!!
   
   
6. "Print Size" imaging?
   Often overlooked in this industry... many (if not most) real estate photography and virtual tour companies don't deliver print sized imaging with their final publications unless asked to do so. It's recommended that you receive at minimum 1500p X 1000p @300ppi to use in your brochures or print. This is very important.
   
   
7. Do they have video services available?
   The importance of Video Production Services cannot be underestimated. This will eventually be commonplace and those doing it now, are ahead of the curve.
   
   
8. What is the turn-around time.
   Most should be about 24-72 hours unless the job has custom parameters.
   
   
9. Virtual Tours
   Fast loading and High Definition? Many of today's virtual tours are very beautiful, but they take 5-20 seconds to load. This is an eternity to a buyer that's sifting through dozens if not hundreds of listings and chances are that they will exit without seeing your listing if they wait too long. The tours that are the most productive almost always will load within 1-5 seconds, be in Full Screen HD, and will have most of the information available on one page. Be sure to do your research on this.
   
   
10. HDR or Flash photography?
    While neither process is necessarily better than the other, many companies that offer HDR imaging tend to over-compensate in color and this results in a cartoon-like image. A professional HDR company should be able to produce imaging that looks more like that in a magazine. On the Other hand, Flash photography has always been a must have in any photographers arsenal and yields great results too, but beware of intermediate professionals that might create unnecessary shadows from fixtures and furniture. Always inspect their recent works.

We hope that this has helped you choose a great Real Estate Photography Company or Virtual Tour Company to help you do well in your market.

About the Author's Photography for Real Estate Company:

If you're in the Colorado market, we hope to save you some time by answering the above questions about our Real Estate Photography Company, Hot Shot Pros.

1. HotShotPros is Local - HotShotPros of Colorado is a Colorado born and operated company that operates from Denver and Fort Collins, CO since 2006.
2. Highly Experienced - The owner (Nathan Strauch) has personally completed hundreds upon hundreds of real estate productions, and all of Hot Shots photographers have a minimum of 5 years experience in the respectful capacities of which they work in.(Architectural photography, Commercial photography, Video Production, etc...)
3. Since 2006 - HotShotPros has been in producing Real Estate Photography and Virtual Tours in Colorado since 2006. We also specialize in Commercial and product photography as well as video production for marketing.
4. Copyright License - To date, HotShotPros grants our paying real estate clients a license to use their imaging for any marketing purpose with no time limits. (Commercial and product photography is excluded however)
5. Lots of pictures - We always provide a minimum of 25 photographs to our clients in order to fully utilize the MLS and Realtor.com.
6. Print Ready Photos - HotShotPros.com is one of the few real estate photography and virtual tour companies to provide Print Size Imaging with every Real Estate Photography order.
7. Video production at HotShotPros.com - YES, video is one of our many core offerings at HotShotPros.com
8. Fast Delivery and Production - Real Estate Photography and Virtual Tours are typically delivered within 24-48 hours from the end of our session.
9. HD Virtual Tours - Virtual Tours are important in Real Estate and we provide the fastest loading tours in our Local Market of Colorado. Our tours are not only fast loading, but all of the information about the listing can be accessed from one screen... AND... custom links can be integrated to websites, video, custom brochures, etc...
10. Type of Photography - We do it all. HDR and Flash photography are both utilized in our work depending on the situation that we're presented with. Although seldom needed, we even have studio lighting that can be set up on location if needed.