How To Charge For Commercial Real Estate Photography Jobs
Figuring out the right pricing strategy for commercial real estate photography can mean the difference between success and missed opportunities.
In this article, I’ll dive into the intricacies of pricing commercial real estate photography jobs. Explore practical insights on structuring fees, factoring in variables, and effectively communicating the worth of your expertise to ensure both you and your clients are happy.
Difference Between Commercial Real Estate and Residential Real Estate
Commercial real estate photography and residential real estate photography differ significantly in terms of their focus, usage, target audience, and the properties they capture.
Commercial real estate photography centers on showcasing commercial properties like office buildings, retail spaces, hotels, and industrial facilities.
In contrast, residential real estate photography is geared towards residential properties like houses, apartments, and condos.
For a much more detailed description, check out this article I wrote: Difference Between Commercial and Residential Real Estate Photography.
Why Commercial Real Estate Photography Cost More
Generally speaking, commercial real estate photography costs more than residential real estate photography due to several factors, with the usage of the photos playing the largest role.
Commercial properties are typically larger and more complex, requiring more time, specialized equipment, and expertise to capture their unique features effectively.
In terms of photo usage, commercial usage of the photographs for marketing and promotional purposes means you need to be charging a higher licensing fees.
How To Charge For Commercial Real Estate Photography Jobs
Charging for commercial real estate photography jobs requires a different approach than residential real estate photography. However, you can use the same techniques to figure out the going rate for you specific market.
Much of figuring out your market rate is understanding your market size and then researching your competition. I laid out these exact ideas in several articles, but you can give this article on architectural photography pricing a read since it outlines the idea in detail.
Day Rates
In general, using an hourly or day rate type pricing model is going to be the best bet for commercial real estate photography.
Something like square footage simply won’t work for commercial real estate photography since some properties might be huge industrial buildings and others might be small retail shops.
By setting a day rate, you can charge both a half day rate and a full day rate. If the job isn’t going to take you more than 4 hours, charge the half day. If it’s going to take you over 4 hours, charge the full day rate.
Per Image Fees
In addition to day rates, you should be charging a per image licensing fee and even a per image editing fee.
In practice this can look something like the following:
Day Rate: $1500
Per Image Licensing Fee: $50
Per Image Editing Fee: $20
This allows you to be paid the $1500 no matter what, and it allows your clients to choose the images they’d like to license.
It’s important to keep your pricing as simple as possible. Any confusion in your pricing model can easily make it less likely that possible clients won’t hire you.
Additional Resources
If you’re just getting started in real estate photography, check out our Beginners Guide. It’s full of helpful articles and tips that will guide you in the right direction as you begin your real estate photography journey.
You can check out our Gear section as well to see reviews and recommendations on the latest real estate photography gear.
If you’re more interested in other resources that can help your real estate photography business, check out our Business Resources page.