Frequently Asked Questions
 

WHY DO I NEED PROFESSIONAL PHOTOS OF MY PROPERTY?

Technically speaking, you don’t need professional photos of your property taken. However, for better or worse, most people do judge a book by its cover. Professional photos will help your listing stand out and will get clients in the door faster.

WHAT IS HDR PHOTOGRAPHY?

High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography is the process of taking multiple images at different exposures and merging them together to create a single image. This ensures you’ll see details in both the highlights and shadows, ideal for real estate!

HOW LONG WILL THE PHOTOSHOOT TAKE?

Depending on the size of the home and how well prepared the home is for the photo shoot, a standard listing requires between 1 and 1 1/2 hours. Homes that have special architectural or environmental details could take closer to 2 hours to ensure those details are captured properly.

WHAT STEPS SHOULD THE HOMEOWNER TAKE TO PREPARE THE PROPERTY?

No matter how good the quality of the photography, if the home is not adequately prepared for the photo shoot, it will not show well. A documented, comprehensive guideline to The Ultimate Checklist: Preparing a Home for a Professional Photoshoot may be viewed and downloaded for the homeowner to use.

HOW MANY PHOTOGRAPHS WILL I RECEIVE?

A minimum of 20-25 images will be delivered to ensure adequate cover in the MLS. The goal is to provide you with a sufficient number of images (usually 45-60) from which to choose for online listing.

WHAT SIZES AND TYPES OF IMAGES WILL I RECEIVE?

All images are delivered at full resolution, as well as 72 dpi suitable for uploading to most MLS website and social media uploads; these will all be made available for downloading on a customized property website. The entire photo gallery also remains on-line so the agent may provide potential buyers with access to view the complete gallery of high-definition images.

WHEN WILL I RECEIVE MY IMAGES?

The real estate market moves fast, and so does Realty Shots! You’ll receive an email with a digital download of your property’s images within 24-48 hours of your scheduled appointment.

HOW MUCH DO YOU CHARGE?

Please refer to the BOOK NOW page for further information.

WHAT AREAS DO YOU SERVE?

Realty Shots is based out of St. Louis, MO and serves the greater St. Louis area, including St. Louis County, St. Charles County, Franklin County, Jefferson County, and more. Not sure if your in our service area? Contact Us today!

DO I NEED TO BE PRESENT AT THE SHOOT?

Access to the property will need to be provided, but you do not need to be present. However, it is strongly recommend you be there at the beginning of the shoot to walk through the home to ensure it’s ready to be photographed. De-cluttering the home is the responsibility of the owner, but you may want to see for yourself how things look and make any changes needed prior to the start of shooting. You may also want to point out any special details that are of extreme importance to you to ensure those items are covered in the shoot.

WHAT IF I NEED TO RESCHEDULE OR CANCEL A SHOOT?

Situations sometimes arise making it necessary to reschedule a shoot, for example inclement weather. For bad weather days, we work with our clients to reschedule at the next available opportunity at no additional cost.

However, if a client asks to reschedule within 12 hours of the set appointment, if we arrive on site and the home is not ready for the shoot, or if the property is not accessible, a cancellation fee of $50 will be charged.

WHAT TYPES OF THINGS DO YOU DO IN POST-PROCESSING (EDITING)?

Each image is individually processed to ensure the composition is optimal, exposure is balanced, color is accurate, vertical lines are vertical, and any lens distortion is corrected.

Note, however, that each property will be photographed "as is" - this means if something is there and visible, it will be in the shot. Homeowners should be given a copy of The Ultimate Checklist: Preparing a Home for a Professional Photoshoot to ensure the home is ready to be photographed before Realty Shots arrives.

WHO OWNS THE IMAGES?

All fees reflect the limited use of the images by the listing Real Estate Agent or in some cases the homeowner – whoever is paying for them. During the period of time you have an active listing, you can use the images however you wish to promote and advertise the property, including posting on MLS, Realtor.com, or other web sites, ad placements in on-line and print media, post cards, flyers, brochures, banners, billboards, etc. Once the home sells or if you lose the listing, all rights to the use of the image expires. In all cases Realty Shots retains full ownership of the images.

WHAT IF I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS?

Ask away! You can read more of our Frequently Asked Questions or you can Contact Us at any time. We’re available 365 days a year to answer your inquiries.