A retired man pursuing real estate photography for the love of it - that’s the best way to describe Bill Reeves. Having found his passion for photography early on, this career option came naturally to him as he loved working as a real estate agent. Having worked in the pre-technology era, he doesn’t shy away from using technologies in real estate such as virtual staging, virtual tours, drone services, etc. Dive in to learn about his perspectives on real estate photography.
Here’s why Bill Reeves, a former accounting executive chose to pursue real estate photography and how he is navigating the industry.
My passion for photography goes back many, many years. My love of real estate came about when I worked as an agent for C21. After retiring from corporate life, blending photography and real estate seemed a natural direction for me to take.
I'm retired. I photograph homes for the love of it rather than the money. As such my client base is kept small and my workload light.
View the home online in advance of the shoot for any peculiar requirements. The day before the shoot I make sure all batteries are charged or charging. On the day of the shoot, I verify my camera setting and pack my main gear and backups of everything critical.
Sony a7rIV with a Sony 16-35 lens.
My editing process begins with Luminar HDR. I then take the HDR output into Lightroom, where 95% of my editing is done. Occasionally I'll take an image into Photoshop, usually for the software's prowess at selections.
Customer service. Realtors have a limitless supply of photographers to choose from. I keep my business small, so I am able to work with their schedule. I seldom do more than one shoot a day so I generally have same-day delivery. I consider my business successful because it meets my limited needs. Others doing this full-time would require more.
Life-long learner. YouTube, Creative Live, are my main sources of how-to info and inspiration.
Cell phone photography in a market where stick drawings could sell a home.
You can embrace technology or get run over by it. I'm blown away by some of the results I've seen using staging and decluttering.
First and foremost, be good at what you do. Don't price yourself too high or too low. If this is how you intend to make your living, hustle constantly. Stick with it. It takes time. Have a plan to sustain yourself until your business catches on. And throughout this process, deliver customer service that's better than the competition.
Bill stays true to the statement - profession led by passion. We are sure his words will inspire real estate photography enthusiasts.
Click here to read our interview with the fantastic real estate photographer Orlando Mac. Want to try out Styldod? Click here for a free trial.
Styldod is a design-tech company that aims to simplify real estate marketing and help agents present homes in their most favorable light online by reimagining and automating the listing photography process. Having begun as a virtual staging company, today, Styldod has affordable and best-in-class products and services for every facet of real estate marketing and photography. Styldod’s suite of services include virtual staging, image enhancements, floor plans, virtual renovation, 3D renders, 360 degree virtual tours, and Matterport virtual staging, to name a few. We're trusted by over 10,000 realtors from all over the US and from companies like ReMax, Coldwell Banker, Keller Williams. Know more about us at https://www.styldod.com.
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