Do you love photographing houses and buildings? Real estate photography might be for you. Here's what you need to know to get started.

Photographers looking to become professionals have countless potential routes they can take these days, and some will opt for real estate photography in their early phases. If you’re already a big fan of architectural photography, taking real estate pictures is a logical next step; the differences aren’t huge compared to other sub-niches.

You might capture all kinds of properties in your photoshoots, from standard homes to fancy apartments and mansions. Regardless of where you’re shooting, you must try to create compelling images for potential buyers to make an offer.

Knowing what to do in real estate photography is tricky, but we’re here to help you. Keep reading to learn about the equipment you need, plus the most important skills and how you can impress buyers with your realtor photography.

Before we look at the most important skills you need, understanding the equipment you should invest in is a good starting point. Of course, you’ll need a good camera body; it doesn’t matter whether you choose DSLR or mirrorless.

In addition to the camera, you should purchase the following items.

Real estate photography is a versatile genre, and you’ll need a lens that can perform in multiple situations. Zoom and prime lenses can work in several instances, but we recommend picking a prime lens.

Since you’ll often take pictures in tight spaces, using something smaller—like a 27mm or 35mm lens—is a wise option. Your camera manufacturer will likely have a large suite of offerings, so it’s worth sifting through to see which ones best fit your needs.

Using a tripod in photography has several advantages, regardless of the genre you specialize in. Real estate photography is no different, and you can argue that it’s even more important here than in other verticals like portrait photography.

If you’re photographing indoors, having a tripod is critical for stabilizing your camera. You will probably need to drop your shutter speed to the point that your pictures become blurry, and putting your camera on three legs will stop that from occurring.

When taking photos outside at night, you will also need a tripod. If you’re capturing shots indoors and don’t have one, flat surfaces will suffice—but you’ll limit yourself to what's available on the day.

You’ll quickly learn that as a professional photographer, completing client projects sometimes takes longer than you would have hoped for. While many modern cameras have a good battery life, you don’t want to rely on only having one. Even if you can recharge it at the photoshoot location, you’ll needlessly delay the process for everyone.

Similarly, you might need to capture more pictures than you otherwise expected. Rather than flicking through your camera to delete the ones you don’t like, you’re better off investing in two or three extra memory cards. If you can, choose a 64 GB or 128 GB.

Check out these tips for maximizing your productivity as a freelance photographer.

Having read this far, you’ve got a good idea of the basic equipment you need for realty photography. What are the essential skills, though?

Below are three crucial traits you must have to enjoy a successful real estate photography career.

Real estate photography is more high-pressure than you think, and the images you capture can greatly affect whether an owner can sell their property for the desired price. You will probably receive a brief when you agree to take on the project, and you must follow this correctly.

Make sure you’ve read everything, and ask if you’ve got any questions; the client will appreciate that you want to do the best job possible.

Throughout the process, you’ll need to maintain good levels of communication with your client. Many photographers fail to get returning work because they struggle with the main people skills you need to grow a successful business in the long run.

Make sure you finalize details for meeting times and such well in advance. On the day, get the client to communicate exactly what they need—and show them the pictures you take to ensure they’re happy.

After the shoot, you’ll want an efficient way to send files. Aim to send them the pictures as soon as possible.

If you’re a beginner photographer, you probably won’t know every concept under the sun; even most professionals never reach that level. However, you should have a basic understanding of the most important ones—especially when it comes to the exposure triangle.

The exposure triangle describes how ISO, shutter speed, and aperture work together. If you overcompensate in one area, another will become unbalanced. And in residential photography, getting these right can drastically alter your pictures’ outcomes.

Okay, so you’ve got a better idea of the skills you need to become a better real estate photographer. For the final three subsections, we’ll advise you on making your images truly pop.

Every building has unique features, even if you might find it bland. To succeed in real estate photography, you must find the good in even the most mundane places.

Think outside the box. Is the building a listed World Heritage Site, for example? Or does it have a newly-installed bathroom that potential buyers will love?

Even if you’re shooting indoors, the time of day will dramatically change how your images look. While you might find it a little irritating to get up early or stay awake late, doing so is probably worth it to get the right shot.

Depending on when you shoot, you might also need additional lighting. The time of year will also dictate how high the sun is during the day, so you’ll also have to think about that.

While you should shoot a wide range of angles in real estate photography, we recommend that you make your images easy for the viewer to understand what’s going on. Cluttered spaces will not only confuse potential buyers; each room will also look smaller than if you only have a few elements in the composition.

Focus on one or two essential elements, and do what you can to make these stand out.

Real estate photography is trickier to master than you think, and going into a photoshoot with the idea that you’ll make an easy buck is the worst mindset you can have. Taking good photos requires you to focus on the most important aspects and paint the property in its best possible light.

Having read these tips, you should know what you need to buy to start. Moreover, you’ll know if you’ve got any particular skills you need to work on.

Danny teaches MUO's readers about improving their photography and creativity. He's been part of the team since 2020 and is also one of our editors.

Join our newsletter for tech tips, reviews, free ebooks, and exclusive deals!