As a real estate photographer, one of the most important things is to have a steady stream of clients. Whether you’re just starting out or have been in the business for a while, it’s important to understand how to market yourself and your services effectively. In this blog post, I’ll be sharing my tips and strategies on how to get clients based on my own personal experience. So, whether you’re a newbie or a seasoned pro, read on to learn how to get more clients in the world of real estate photography.

SEO

For the past 6 years, we have built three main sources in getting clients. The first one is through SEO, in other words, search engine optimization. This means that when someone is looking for a real estate photographer in Utah, we will be listed on the first page of Google’s search results and people will naturally find us.

We focus on SEO by creating video content that targets what people are searching for, which helps us rank higher on Google search. We also make sure our Google Business Profile is complete and refined, which takes time and effort. 

Additionally, our website is designed to make it easy for potential clients to book appointments and make payments. It’s important to have a user-friendly website that is easy to navigate and provides all necessary information.

One of the biggest challenges we faced was getting payment from clients. This was primarily due to the fact that we didn’t have a proper follow-up system or a way to capture payment upfront. In the first two years of business, our pricing structure was based on square footage, which meant that we couldn’t ask for payment until after we had validated the square footage of the property. This led to situations where agents would tell us that a house was 1600 square feet and we would send them an invoice for that amount, only to later discover that the house was actually 2400 square feet. This resulted in us missing out on a lot of money.

To solve this problem, we had to adjust our pricing structure into a tiered system so we can have a hard dollar amount to collect up front. We still have our per-square-footage package and made that really attractive, but we still have to wait to invoice our customers until after the listing was live, so that we can validate the square footage and bill them accordingly.

In order to avoid these issues, it’s important to have a website with a way to capture payment upfront. Even if you use a token method, meaning that clients can’t book unless they put credit card information in there, it’s important to have a disclaimer or terms and conditions that state, for example, that you will pull the money out of their card on file three days after sending the invoice. This way, you can ensure that you’re getting paid in a timely manner.

Without payment, your team cannot be funded to be able to take care of the customer and business.

Referrals and Networking

Networking with lenders and agents, Attending Connect Utah, and Business Networking International.

Another way we acquire clients is through referrals. However, it can be difficult to rely solely on referrals because, from my experience, some agents may not want to share us with other agents.

Agents will tell me that they see us as their “secret weapon” and they fear that we may become too busy to work with them. Despite this, what I recommend is to network also with real estate brokers and lenders. This can be more beneficial as they have a network of agents they work with on a consistent basis. It’s important to remember that as a real estate photographer, we are a business-to-business service, so it’s important to focus on building relationships with other businesses in the industry.

We have a lot of for sale by owners that have found us online and that was because of all the effort we poured into our SEO. You can attract consumers, but it should not be your primary focus. You want to have repeat customers and building relationships with agents who are high volume and will use your services repeatedly is crucial for success. These agents are the ones that you should focus on providing exceptional service to, in order to establish a strong working relationship. This not only guarantees repeat business, but also helps to attract new clients through positive word of mouth.

Organic Outreach

Organic outreach has been a game changer for our real estate photography business. If I were to start again, I would focus on this method from the beginning. It is a great way to connect with agents, advertise your services and solicit business without any cost. It may take time, but the returns are worth it.

The approach is simple: reach out to agents on social media platforms like Instagram or Facebook, ask how their business is going and if they have any upcoming listings. Offer them a deal and let them know that you would be happy to work with them.

We have tried offering free services in the past, but it is not a sustainable approach. It does not earn their business and it puts the cost of the service on you, the photographer. We have found success in pricing our packages competitively and providing added value to attract the right clients and avoid any potential issues.

By over-delivering on our services, we are able to capture payment and provide more value to our clients, rather than offering free services and receiving no compensation.