What does Estate Agent Photography Include?

Estate Agent photography, or Real Estate photography, for our cousins across the pond, is typically aimed at sales of a residence. It’s typically to maximise perceived space, and covers all major rooms, and the garden, of a house or flat.

How is it usually done?

Often, it’s shot using a super wide, 17mm lens, which makes spaces look much larger than they do in reality. Which I think is something we’ve all been fooled by when visiting subsequently, and realising it’s not nearly as spacious. Super wide angle also warps the edges of the photos, making floors, tables and other furniture look elongated, and round spotlights like long flying saucers overhead. Some are also shot on phones.

How CAN it be done?

For high end residential sales photography, I think that aesthetics are much more valuable than conveying raw space. A place looking like somewhere you’d like to spend time, captures your attention; makes you want to see more, and see if the rest of the space, and being in it is as appealing. I like to used a 24mm lens, or more, to provide more of a realistic view, and highlighting lifestyle type aspects of the space, including smaller details. This helps people imagine how they would inhabit the rooms, and what kind of relationship they could have to the spaces.

Is anyone succeeding with this approach?

Yes! Among several, The Modern House, and sister company, Inigo, employ professional photographers who offer more of a lifestyle shoot, showing the large scale shots mixed with details to show quality of material, and get a better sense of how the rooms feel.

A quote from founder, Matt Gibberd, “A photograph of a room with the light falling across it in the right way, showing how it connects to the nature outdoors, for example, is going to embed itself into someone’s psyche a lot more then them faffing around with a mouse trying to work out which door they’re going to go through on their 3D tour.”

Mews house, Notting Hill The focus is on the space, not showing ‘the entire room and alllll the floor & ceiling’.

What’s included?

This can depend on cost, time available, and size (and cost) of the listing. Cursory photos can be done in a few hours, getting a broad feel of things. For a larger, or premium listing, I’d recommend anywhere from a half day, to a full day to shoot. This does increase cost, but also allows for a wider range of shots, and to work with the sunlight to show off the spaces in the most flattering light conditions.

A full day shoot can expect anywhere from 20-50 finished photos, or less, with a few video clips included that can be used on social media or on websites to help market the home.

Home? Or listing?

I think this is the Architect in me, but it can be important, the language we use when talking about houses and homes. Architects tend to discuss ‘units’, and this can detract from what they really provide, which is homes. The visual, and written language can marry, to paint the picture of a home, whether for individuals, a couple, or a family. People often don’t want ‘space’ as a primary need, they want somewhere to feel welcome, relaxed, that they can retreat to, to welcome friends. The emotional response to photos is important, as that’s what people act off. It’s how we conduct most of our purchases; we want to feel something when we buy a product, including a home. So showing the intimate areas of the house, including soft furnishings, small nooks, little moments, are all a tapestry for finding that connection.

The details and sense of calm and comfort speak more than the wide out shot can. Both can be included, but this one stirs emotions more than square footage.

OK. How much though?

In the London area, standard estate agent photography is around £300 for a set. This allows 2-3 hours, providing basic shots, wide angle, all one focal length. This is fine for standard, run of the mill shoots on small comission jobs.

My shoots start at 4 hours, for £400, and edit costs vary on amount provided. The total will be 2-3x the cost of the standard photographers. Selling a listing quicker, and having excited and engaged buyers pays for itself many times over. And for listings over a million pounds, which is very common in London, the extra cost is a very small percentage of the overall estate agent fee.

The value added, and perceived quality of the homes, and of the agency as a whole can be hugely uplifted with above average photography.

How do we get started?

If you’d like to chat about improving your listing photography, and uplifting your estate agent brand, send me a quick message in the button below, and we can schedule in a phone call to chat further. For ongoing regular, or retainer commissions, I’m happy to talk rates on repeat work.

Look forward to hearing from you!