Build your portfolio, create a website, create a social media presence. Get in touch with real estate agents, attend public events organized by their boards of directors. Are you wondering how to dedicate yourself to real estate photography in 2025? It's an exciting field that offers incredible opportunities to be creative, meet new people and travel to different places. In this post, we'll share some powerful tips and tricks to help you pursue real estate photography in 2025 and beyond. We'll also cover everything from what a real estate photographer does to the salary you can expect.
If you're thinking about starting a career as a photographer or changing your niche, here are 10 powerful tips on how to get started in real estate photography. In addition, look for the best equipment for real estate photography to ensure that you are familiar with the different options and their functions. Or simply check out our recommendation of the 12 best cameras for real estate photography. With PhotoUp, you can easily expand your product offering and grow your photography business in no time. We offer a quick response time of 24 to 48 hours for most of our services, so you can meet our clients' short deadlines.
Try it today with 10 free editions of three professional photo editors. As you can see, being a real estate photographer in 2025 involves much more than just shooting properties. You must ensure that your images capture the attention of potential buyers. The best way to attract real estate photography clients is to create a real estate portfolio website and start building a digital presence.
This can include cold calling, digital marketing, and sharing your website with your current network. In your quest to become a successful real estate photographer, you may be wondering: “How can I become a certified real estate photographer? It's a question that seems simple, but the answer is more nuanced than you'd expect. First, it's important to debunk a common mistake. There is no widely recognized certification for real estate photographers.
Photography is not a highly regulated field and, as such, there are no universally accepted accreditations. This can be surprising, especially considering the professional nature of real estate photography. In the past, terms such as “certified Zillow photographer” circulated, but they referred more to being in a Zillow directory than to having an actual certification. However, with Zillow's acquisition of VRX Media and the subsequent launch of ShowingTime's publicly traded multimedia services, the dynamic has changed.
Now, Zillow competes directly with independent photographers, so the idea of obtaining “certification” from them, if it's still an option, backfires. In today's real estate market, offering aerial photography isn't just an advantage, it's almost a need. Drone technology allows photographers to capture stunning high-angle photographs of properties, giving potential buyers a full view. This capability can significantly improve your portfolio and attract more customers.
An effective way to improve your reputation and job opportunities is through HomeJab, a platform designed for real estate photographers. Not only does it help you expand your customer base, but it also offers the “create your own agenda” function, which allows you to undertake projects when it suits you best. This flexibility is ideal for managing multiple projects and balancing work and personal life. Joining HomeJab can significantly improve your market presence, connecting you with diverse clients and reinforcing your reputation as an expert photographer.
It's the satisfaction and recommendations of your customers that will ultimately boost your career, not certification from an industry that doesn't require it. Photography school can help you build your credibility by offering clients peace of mind about your qualifications, which is especially important when dealing with real estate agents who may have decades of experience under their belt. If you feel like you want to improve your skills a little more before taking the plunge, let's see where you can learn real estate photography. Show your style, highlight the clients you've worked with (if you're working with clients), and let potential clients see your skills as a real estate photographer.
With these tips ready, let's take a look at the most interesting part: how much you can expect to earn as a real estate photographer. However, there are some real estate photography tips you can keep in mind as you enter the industry. As we mentioned before, it's crucial to edit your real estate photograph to offer high-quality images to your clients, so let's look at a quick and affordable solution for that below. Julia is a writer, researcher and expert in real estate education, marketing and lead generation.
In short, while the concept of “certified real estate photographer” is largely an inappropriate term, the path to success in this field is characterized by a combination of legal compliance (such as FAA certification for drone photography), mastery of skills, and building a strong reputation. As you can imagine, architectural photography can be applied to both residential and commercial properties. Being a real estate photographer means having to make the most of the lighting on the property you're capturing. From creating social networks such as LinkedIn to independent websites, there are several ways to find real estate photography clients.
Whether it's a full video tour of the house or drone footage taken from outer space, there are many real estate agents who want this from their photographers. In addition to a website for real estate photographers, consider buying business cards and make sure to keep your social profiles up to date. As images have become a more important element in the sale of a property, real estate photographers have secured a much larger role in the sales process.
