Pros & Cons Of Outsourcing Editing For Real Estate Photographers
When discussing oursourcing real estate photo editing, there are both advantages and disadvantages to consider.
In this article, I’ll explore the pros and cons of outsourcing editing for professional real estate photographers and offer some recommendations.
By understanding the potential benefits and drawbacks, you’ll be able to make informed decisions to optimize you real estate photography business.
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How Common Is It To Outsource Editing?
Believe it or not, outsourcing photo editing in the real estate photography industry is quite common. There are so many editors available, most of which are very affordable, that it’s too good of an opportunity to pass up for most real estate photographers.
With that being said, many professional real estate photographers don’t outsource their editing and run very profitable businesses. This is usually the case when they want to make sure that their images are a 10/10 in terms of quality.
You’ll need to think about what you value and what makes the most sense for your real estate photography business.
Pros Of Outsourcing
1. Timesaving
Arguably the best aspect of outsourcing your editing is the amount of time it ends up saving you. Instead of spending hours editing each photo yourself, you can focus on capturing more images or other aspects of your business.
This should allow you to accept more jobs, land more clients, or spend your time furthering your business in other ways. In turn, your business and your overall income should benefit.
2. Flexibility
Outsourcing your editing doesn’t need to be an all-or-nothing type deal. You can choose to outsource your editing when you’re really busy, and do the editing yourself if you have the time available.
Simply having the connections and ability to outsource your editing can really help with the flexibility of your business.
3. Scalability and Growth
If you don’t outsource your editing already and you’re schedule is absolutely jam packed, then it’s a good thing to consider.
Outsourcing editing was one of my main recommendations in the article Best Options to Scale Your Real Estate Photography Business. It’s a very quick way to free up a ton of your time, which you can then spend on your business rather than on Photoshop.
Cons of Outsourcing
1. Consistency
It can be very difficult to find consistency when outsourcing your editing. By consistency I mean in terms of editing quality, turn around time, availability, etc.
This can be a major issue since you can start to rely pretty heavily on your editor. If you need the photos in 12 hours, but they aren’t delivered on time, you’re stuck with a client that’s expecting the images while you have nothing to send them.
You can see how this issue can play out across a number of different consistency related areas.
2. Communication Challenges
Many times you will be using an editor that is not based in your own country. It’s just as likely that the editor won’t be in your time zone either. This can cause a few different issues.
First, there might be a language barrier. In my experience, this isn’t too big of a deal thanks to Google Translate. However, it might be difficult for you to explain the finer details of what you want to achieve in terms of the look of your images.
Second, if you’re like me and your editor is located on the other side of the globe, they will very likely be sleeping when you send them editing jobs. This can lead to huge gaps in your messaging and can be a problem if you need to communicate something quickly.
3. Finding An Editor
Finding the right editor for you could be somewhat difficult and that’s why I’m listing it as a con. The search for a proper editor is one that’s going to mean a lot of trial and error.
The lower your expectations in terms of image quality, the faster you’ll be able to find a suitable editor. However, if you expect high quality editing, you’ll need to find an editor that’s available and capable. This is the part that can take some time.
With that being said, once you do find the best editor for you and your style, they can quickly become a staple in your business and a huge help overall. Just be prepared to spend a lot of time looking and testing.
Recommendations
Outsourcing your editing can be extremely helpful and freeing. It’s common practice and is a great way to grow your real estate photography business.
With that being said, outsourcing is not for everyone. If you have extremely high standards, you might have difficultly finding a worthy editor. Likewise, if you don’t have enough work to fill your schedule, the expense of paying an editor might not be the best business decision.
Ultimately, your decision should come down to whether or not you can find an editor that produces at the quality you expect for a price you can justify.
Personally, I outsource nearly all of my editing and wouldn’t be able to run my business the same with without the ability to do so. It frees up so much of my time that I can then use to accept more jobs or work on other aspects of my business.
I use Pixlmob for my editing and have been very happy with the platform so far. You can read my full Pixlmob review article here: Full Pixlmob Review
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.
