They say the quality of a photo can increase the value of the real estate. As much as that may sound anecdotal, if anyone’s photos can increase the value of a listing, it’s 360 Real Tours. I had the pleasure of interviewing Sarah, the principal photographer and owner of 360 Real Tours. Below are some incredible insights she gave me into the real estate photography space.

Professional Perspective on Real Estate Photography from 360 Real Tours

Can you walk me through the journey of how 360 Real Tours started?

It happened out of a chance occurrence really. I was already very big into portrait photography at the time and I had a realtor come to my door when I was looking to sell my first house in Toronto. We got to talking and she asked me if I was willing to do the photography for her listings. I was open to that and that’s really how things started.

That’s a really great story, how long has it been since then, when you first started out in this industry?

8 years.

I understand you are a family business do you feel that improves your customer’s experience? How does that dynamic play out?

Yes! I think so because unlike working with an assistant I can take my husband everywhere I go. Haha!

His involvement started 2 years ago, out of a need to manage the demand  that we had been facing. He handles the drones and I am the principle photographer.

We work surprisingly well together, he’s very intuitive. He knows what I need before it’s needed which is great in terms of making sure what we do really works for the customer.

How much of your business revolves around real estate photography?

75% this year, more and more every year.  Business has been good, we’re growing fast and we are ready to handle more demand.

What compelled you to take your passion for photography and apply it selling homes?

Well the first few years were not easy as a photographer it takes years to build a reputation. Real estate makes sense for me because I love spaces, I love architecture. It goes hand in hand with what I do. It was a no brainer.

How much of an impact would you say the quality of photography services used by realtors affects their ability to sell? Is there an example that comes to mind?

Huge! If you think about it everyone starts their home search online, it could just be a post of facebook. Your pictures are not only a reflection of the property, they are also a reflection of your business. You can tour a home now online without having to come into the home. That weeds out a lot of the population bringing in clients that are only seriously considering the property.

People think what we generate is one picture but one picture can be comprised of 9 images. I feel like the market is image driven and it’s our responsibility to make you want to live there. It’s not only about capturing the room, it about what it’s going to feel like to live in. We’re selling the dream.

Can you walk me through some of the different services you offer to realtors?

Virtual tour packages where we come in and still image the property. These create a spherical image that lets you interact virtually with the property. We can create hot spots within the tour  to allow potential buyers to walk from room to room to see how the home works.

We do a real time walk through of the house as if you were to walk through yourself. Customers have the option of adding a voice over as well.

We have video that uses a slider to showcase the homes. This is one of our more cost effective products.

Twilight photography is very artsy approach, it makes your home look like eye candy. I think this works really well especially for big listings.

How important is repeat business to your operations?

Massively important! We concentrate heavily on customer service. I answer calls at 10pm at night because a happy client is paramount in any business.

Whether you are a Realtor or looking into the photography industry, I hope you’ve learned a great deal about real estate photography. If you area Realtor though and you happen to be in the Toronto, Ontario area, make sure to check out 360realtours.ca for your next virtual tour!

 



0Shares