Are you a real estate photographer looking for some marketing tips?
I’ve got 4 reasons why real estate agents aren’t hiring you as their real estate photographer.
Now, there are more reasons than this, but these are 4 common ones, and I think if you can get these sorted out, then you WILL have more work coming in.
If you’d like me to work alongside you and your business …
Click here to submit an application to join the Real Estate Photography System.
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So what’s on my list of reasons why real estate agents aren’t hiring you as their photographer?
1. COMPETITION FROM OTHER PHOTOGRAPHERS.
If agents see real estate photography as a commodity where all providers are delivering the same thing, then we have a problem. That’s when price from your competition comes into play.
To get around this you need to stand out above your competition, and superior photography is only part of the answer, but it won’t completely solve this problem. So you need to have something unique that separates you from other photographers in your area, so agents see you as not just another apple in a great big pile of apples.
2. YOU’VE PRESENTED A BORING OFFER.
If all you’re putting out there is something like, “I do real estate photography. Call me.” … Well, that’s hardly a compelling sale. It’s a little bit boring, and really doesn’t say anything. So what are you putting together to make sure you’re not making a boring offer? I’d suggest that you need to think creatively and come up with something that is much more than just your name, rank and serial number. Be creative – think outside the square, and make it interesting, a little quirky, maybe something fun or even something that’s just really different.
3. AGENTS ARE UNWILLING TO PAY YOUR PRICES.
Some photographers think this is the only reason they aren’t getting work, and whilst it is a factor, I don’t think it’s necessarily the big thing that some of you might think it is. You see, even if your local real estate agent understands the value of what you do, they may be unwilling to pay for it because they can take the photos themselves, or they can hire another photographer for $60. This is why you want to attract the kind of agents that can afford your photography, and are prepared to pay for it. The way you do that is by communicating with your potential clients in ways that are meaningful for them, so that’s talking about investment returns, increased competition and value when it comes to the property, and their own brand positioning. When you do it the right way price becomes less of an issue, because the focus is all on the outcome rather than the photography itself.
4. YOU’RE NOT ACTIVE ENOUGH WITH YOUR MARKETING.
I think this is the biggest reason why so many photographers close down – they are not active enough when it comes to marketing to new clients and current clients. If you’re actively approaching agents in multiple, creative ways – so again that goes back to the 2nd point we made about not making boring offers – if you’re staying in touch with your current clients regularly, and if you’re creating fresh, interesting media for your website and social media sites, then you will grow. Absolutely no doubt about it, and it doesn’t matter what market you’re in. However, you need to be smart, you need to be busy, and you need to be really efficient with your time so that you can fit all of this in to your daily schedule.
If you’re stuck I’d be happy to help you with this, so have a chat with me sometime if you’d like to find out more about my program, called the Real Estate Photography System. However, places are limited to just one photographer in each area, so if you wait too long you could miss out.