Marketing
Unique ways real estate photographers can make money.
Unique ways real estate photographers can make money.
As a real estate photographer, you have more opportunities to add money to increase your revenues than a lot of other professional photographers: your network is made of professionals who have consistent demand for quality photography, plus a client base of consumers that may want to commemorate their new home.
Whether it's the middle of the slow season and you’re looking for new revenue streams or you’re trying to increase sales year-round, here are some out-of-the-box ways you can use your skills and network to grow your photography business.
Turn home shots into closing gifts.
Both the buyer and seller agents will likely be purchasing a closing gift for their client. And they’ll want to keep their brand front and center for their next purchase, sale, or referral. A gorgeous photo of the home they just helped buy or sell could be a great way to do both!
You’re photographing the property and already have a relationship with the seller’s agent, so why not show up at golden hour and take a couple of gorgeous photos of the home? Show the agent what your photography skills can do, and offer to make their clients some framed prints as a gift. As a bonus, this gets your photography in front of happy new homeowners who might have non-real estate photography needs in the future.
Create art galleries for open houses.
Agents either stage the house themselves or hire interior designers. Either way, they’re going to need art and furniture. If you see the staging, why not bring your photography portfolio on your iPad or phone and show how your artwork from non-real estate photos amplifies the experience of touring the home?
- Offer to lease the work for use at each open house.
- Come by and hang the work based on the furniture and room, then collect it after.
- Let the real estate agent or designer have access to a private and secure photo gallery where they can pick and choose which prints they want.
Then, in exchange for them getting high-quality photos, you can ask them to list your name and contact info by the photographs, or place your business cards as the artist by the sign-in sheet for the open houses.
The added benefit here is that you’ll be in front of home buyers that will need to decorate. Even if they don’t buy that house, you’re getting free exposure to an audience who will potentially be upgrading their living spaces and in need of new art in the near future. Offer the home buyers a business card where they can find your portfolio. Create a gallery for “Open House Art” so they know where to find the photo(s) they were drawn to on display.
Product and marketing shots for vendors.
When photographing a property for listing, find out who the vendors that worked on the house are.
- Landscapers
- Masonry companies
- Interior decorators
- Pool companies
- Etc….
Each of these companies has to advertise, update portfolios, and showcase work samples, and many forget to do this regularly. While you’re taking photos, snap a couple pro shots with these vendors in mind. (This could be updated patios, the staging of the home, and even a nicely trimmed lawn with flowers.)
Process the photos (and remember to add your watermark for protection), then send sample images to the respective companies along with a link to your portfolio.
Create fine art to sell.
Some real estate photographers like to create creative and evocative images within the homes they’re hired to shoot. As long as there are no restrictions in your contract, why not take advantage of a beautifully staged home for some fine art photography?
Show up for golden hour to capture natural light coming through a window, or a scenic sunset over the back yard. Work on your food photography with that beautifully renovated kitchen as a backdrop. Your options are endless.
Making money with real estate photography doesn’t end with snapping photos of the house—it becomes a lead magnet for you to earn revenue in multiple ways. And if you’re not currently securing your images from theft and selling prints, give SmugMug a try for free by clicking here.
How SEO can boost your holiday sales this year.
How SEO can boost your holiday sales this year.
Whether you’re offering keepsakes to holiday portrait clients, or specialty items to art fans, we’ve taken the guesswork out of choosing which items to offer in your store beyond those gorgeous prints. How, you ask? With DATA.
We’ve taken the most commonly searched-for items and terms to help you pick and choose just what you’d like to feature this holiday season. Beef up your photography packages, list these items front and center in your shop, and feature them in customer gift guides or newsletters for a gift that will delight your customers and their families.
Photo gift #1: Magnets.
We know that photo magnets are always a big seller for portrait clients. But just how popular are they? By using Google data we can find out, down to the sizes people commonly search for. Here’s how many people search for photo magnets by month:
- 8x10 photo magnet - 6,600 monthly searches
- photo magnets - 4,400 monthly searches
- photo fridge magnets - 720 monthly searches
There are over 6,000 people every month searching for 8x10 photo magnets, so that’s an easy win right there. Try using a smaller size in your photo packages, and offer the more in-demand size to your clients as an upsell! Or you could offer discounts on orders including multiple sizes to capitalize on a diverse range of magnet options.
Photo gift #2: Mugs.
Another holiday classic, photo mugs are a popular search term. Here’s what they look like by the numbers:
- photo mugs - 3,600 monthly searches
- photo coffee mugs - 1,000 monthly searches
- custom photo mug - 880 monthly searches
The word "custom" here is sneaky: It could mean someone is looking to upload their own image to the coffee mug. As a photographer that’s not going to build your business. But if you primarily do retouching work, it could be an ideal offering!
Like magnets, mugs are a popular item you can benefit from featuring front-and-center in your store. They work nicely as upsell items in your photo packages, too.
Photo gift #3: Stocking stuffers and wrappable wonders.
The numbers don’t lie: People love their keepsakes. Here are a couple other options that came up in our research:
- photo mouse pad - 1,000 monthly searches
- photo puzzle gift - 880 monthly searches
- photo collage gifts - 720 monthly searches
While these may seem like small potatoes in comparison with your first two options, we included the word “photo” in each of these for specificity. If we take that away, you get a bigger picture of the kinds of demand you can tailor your offerings toward:
- jigsaw puzzle - 165,000 monthly searches
- playing cards - 49,500 monthly searches
- mouse pad - 40,500 monthly searches
- coasters - 33,100 monthly searches
- coffee mug - 27,100 monthly searches
- postcards - 18,100 monthly searches
- keepsake frames - 18,100 monthly searches
- keepsake box - 8,100 monthly searches
- refrigerator magnet - 5,400 monthly searches
Each of these photo gifts offers an opportunity to sell your photos, you’ve just gotta get creative with your messaging: “A photo mousepad is a great way to make sure your favorite vacation memories are always with you at the office.” “Playing cards featuring your photos make great stocking stuffers, and will always spark conversation around the card table!” etc.
By including some of these popular items in your store, or featuring them as add-ons during the checkout process, you can inspire your customers to go the extra mile—and make an extra sale in the process.
Happy selling!
