If you want to at least launch a portfolio, I recommend looking for VRBO and AirBnB listings in your area, to see if there's anything that needs to be “updated”. To have a successful career as a real estate photographer, you need large scale equipment, such as a digital camera (DSLR or mirrorless), a tripod, a flash and a wide-angle lens to efficiently capture different aspects of real estate. The rates will also vary depending on where you live. Unfortunately, a small-town real estate photographer simply won't be able to charge as much as one in a big city.
What differentiates professional real estate photography from “amateur” photography is to focus on what makes each room special and to emphasize that for the viewer. If you can't find a name yourself, you can turn to a real estate photography business name generator. While earning a degree can increase your chances of success and instill confidence in your abilities, it's important to keep in mind that a degree is not a prerequisite for real estate photography. When you're thinking about how to start a real estate photography business, you should be prepared to play a lot of roles, as you'll be dedicating more time and resources to things like staging a house, editing photos, marketing, sales, and administrative work.
Once you have the photos, it's a good idea to review them with the real estate agent while you're on site to avoid dissatisfied customers and having to revisit the property in search of of lost photos. Real estate drone photography can provide spectacular and eye-catching photos that help a home stand out on the Internet. By following these strategies, you can begin to build your client base and establish yourself as a reputable real estate photographer. Search engine optimization (SEO) is a key component to help increase the visibility of your website when users search for local real estate photography services.
Without doing that, you won't be able to carve out an individual niche in the industry and stand out from thousands of other real estate photography companies. As you can see, being a real estate photographer in 2025 involves much more than just shooting properties. A big part of working as a real estate photographer also involves developing a social media strategy to get your work seen. However, with the right guidance and training, you can accelerate your learning journey and start capturing stunning real estate photographs in an instant. There are lots of great online real estate photography courses you can take from the comfort of your home to hone and develop your skills. Surprisingly, as a real estate photographer, you have the opportunity to bring properties to life through the power of photography.
