Real estate shoot charge?

[Hali_Photography]

Hey!
So a mutual friend of mine wanted me to take still shots for a few properties he is selling. I was not sure how much I should charge for such work. I would say about two hours worth of work give or take?
I am a photographer by trade but have never done drone work for monetary gains before.
Any suggestions?

If this is in the wrong section of the forum, I do apologize!

 

[Flipsonic]

Suggestion #1 - read Fact Sheet – Small Unmanned Aircraft Regulations (Part 107) first. Read the section about pilot certification.


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[Hali_Photography]

Suggestion #1 - read Fact Sheet – Small Unmanned Aircraft Regulations (Part 107) first. Read the section about pilot certification.


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Thank you!

 

[Flipsonic]

Sorry it didn't say anywhere on that link that - you need to have this certification if you plan to use your UAV for commercial use. Just wanted to make that clear.


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[BigAl07]

It's really REALLY hard for someone else to give you pricing for your work. It's not unlike "regular" photography except your camera happens to be flying through the air. Also as noted above you'll need to make sure you have the correct credentials (local, state, and Federal) so you're operating within the guidelines.

I figure how much my time is worth per hour (editing, flying, driving etc) and then I calculate how much time I "Expect" each of those tasks to take. I add a little extra for travel expenses and that's how I come up with my rates. Also keep in mind that Liability Insurance is a big BIG plus and required by some Real Estate groups in order to be a subcontractor of the company. Beverly Hanks requires all of the above and the local office has to have the current documents on file before they will release the property details for me to even go to the property.

 

[Hali_Photography]

It's really REALLY hard for someone else to give you pricing for your work. It's not unlike "regular" photography except your camera happens to be flying through the air. Also as noted above you'll need to make sure you have the correct credentials (local, state, and Federal) so you're operating within the guidelines.

I figure how much my time is worth per hour (editing, flying, driving etc) and then I calculate how much time I "Expect" each of those tasks to take. I add a little extra for travel expenses and that's how I come up with my rates. Also keep in mind that Liability Insurance is a big BIG plus and required by some Real Estate groups in order to be a subcontractor of the company. Beverly Hanks requires all of the above and the local office has to have the current documents on file before they will release the property details for me to even go to the property.

Thank you for taking the time to reply. Very helpful info!

 

[BigAl07]

Thank you for taking the time to reply. Very helpful info!

you're very welcome. I know it's not a solid answer but I also know I wouldn't want someone else trying to price My products or services either. Plus you'll need to get a feel for what your local market will support.

I want to stress one thing.... Aerial Photography is just a tool in the tool box of a professional. To excel you'll need to be a pilot, photographer, graphic designer, mind reader (when it comes to FAA regulations), and a magician at times.

I want to stress another point... make sure you get paid what you're worth. Just because someone else will do it for cheaper doesn't mean you should. If you have the talent, skills, and experience you should get paid for it. I've found over the years that those who buy CHEAP usually buy TWICE. I've gotten a lot of business from clients who first tried the "cheaper" route and regretted it. Of course you have to find a balance point for what your local market will support.

 

[Hali_Photography]

you're very welcome. I know it's not a solid answer but I also know I wouldn't want someone else trying to price My products or services either. Plus you'll need to get a feel for what your local market will support.

I want to stress one thing.... Aerial Photography is just a tool in the tool box of a professional. To excel you'll need to be a pilot, photographer, graphic designer, mind reader (when it comes to FAA regulations), and a magician at times.

I want to stress another point... make sure you get paid what you're worth. Just because someone else will do it for cheaper doesn't mean you should. If you have the talent, skills, and experience you should get paid for it. I've found over the years that those who buy CHEAP usually buy TWICE. I've gotten a lot of business from clients who first tried the "cheaper" route and regretted it. Of course you have to find a balance point for what your local market will support.

I totally understand your point. I did not know what to expect out of this threat either.
This shoot was likely going to be a one time thing, more of a favor for a friend's friend.

You raise some excellent points there, we see that all the time in photography. The market is so saturated now that everyone that picks up a camera thinks they can start getting gigs and shooting weddings without the proper equipment or experience. I guess the same could be applied here in the UAVs.
You are right, we get a lot of clients that went to someone on craigslist and were disappointed and want to do it again.

Thanks again for taking the time to reply.

 

[BigAl07]

You raise some excellent points there, we see that all the time in photography. The market is so saturated now that everyone that picks up a camera thinks they can start getting gigs and shooting weddings without the proper equipment or experience. I guess the same could be applied here in the UAVs.

BINGO! Anyone with a camera drone is suddenly a professional Aerial Photographer. We do have 2 points in our court though...

1) Sub par work seldom gets repeat customers (or tips)
2) FAA regulations that take affect in 5 days will help to some degree

A great deal of my company's business is word of mouth or repeat business. My website is woefully out of date and I've not paid for a single advertisement in several months yet we are booked solid (a little too booked) right now for several weeks out. A professional product coupled with superior customer service wins the race time and again.

You are right, we get a lot of clients that went to someone on craigslist and were disappointed and want to do it again.

Exactly. I've redone two large projects in the last couple of months for clients who went with "John boy's nephew who got a camera drone for Christmas". Even though my price was more than DOUBLE what they had paid (and I quoted it low to help them out) they were very pleased with what we produced for them. Both have had us do other projects for them (at full price) since then. This goes to show that sometimes you really do get what you pay for. Buy CHEAP and you buy TWICE.

 

[GenesisX]

I would do it for your friend for cheap. Then when people ask where he got his awesome aerial photos he can recommend you. Start low and build your business up. When there is demand, you can charge more and pick the jobs you want.

 

[donutlou]

Cash is king


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[Hali_Photography]

I would do it for your friend for cheap. Then when people ask where he got his awesome aerial photos he can recommend you. Start low and build your business up. When there is demand, you can charge more and pick the jobs you want.

Maybe getting the new FAA license is not a bad idea to add to the photography business. Might help in weddings and events.

 

[Hali_Photography]

BINGO! Anyone with a camera drone is suddenly a professional Aerial Photographer. We do have 2 points in our court though...

1) Sub par work seldom gets repeat customers (or tips)
2) FAA regulations that take affect in 5 days will help to some degree

A great deal of my company's business is word of mouth or repeat business. My website is woefully out of date and I've not paid for a single advertisement in several months yet we are booked solid (a little too booked) right now for several weeks out. A professional product coupled with superior customer service wins the race time and again.

Exactly. I've redone two large projects in the last couple of months for clients who went with "John boy's nephew who got a camera drone for Christmas". Even though my price was more than DOUBLE what they had paid (and I quoted it low to help them out) they were very pleased with what we produced for them. Both have had us do other projects for them (at full price) since then. This goes to show that sometimes you really do get what you pay for. Buy CHEAP and you buy TWICE.

You are absolutely right. Just recently a client referred a customer to me and wanted headshots done. We spoke on the phone for a few and he said it should not take me too long, and he wanted it done for "cheap". I sent him a quote via text and it was discounted because a client referred him and he never got back.
I don't think a lot of people understand how much work goes in after the shoot is done. Shooting is often the easy part, editing can get messy depending on the job and takes much more time. Im sure you can relate to that?

 

[BigAl07]

I don't think a lot of people understand how much work goes in after the shoot is done. Shooting is often the easy part, editing can get messy depending on the job and takes much more time. Im sure you can relate to that?

Just every day (evening). Editing is what takes forever. That's one reason (among many) why we prefer to work for large firms and film crews. They have a fully equipped and staffed editing Dept so we just fly and Bye

I spend much more time in post than I do in flight many times over. But the client only sees my crew on sight for an hour (or less for Realty shots) and wonders why it costs so much.



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[Hali_Photography]

Just every day (evening). Editing is what takes forever. That's one reason (among many) why we prefer to work for large firms and film crews. They have a fully equipped and staffed editing Dept so we just fly and Bye

I spend much more time in post than I do in flight many times over. But the client only sees my crew on sight for an hour (or less for Realty shots) and wonders why it costs so much.



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Oh thats awesome, fly and bye haha

Editing is like 2/3 the work and you are right, clients see 1/3rd of the work and wonder why. I sometimes explain to my friends how much tedious photoshop and editing can get and i always get a wow!
Few weeks ago we had a client launching a clothing brand and wanted an e-commerce shoot with models. We had to cut a lot of corners to reduce the price which ended up costing us in post processing. To sum it up the shoot took 7-9 hours maybe with setup, editing probably 48 hours plus :/

 

[Mark Lawson]

A couple of the points above I truly agree with . Most of us are not professionals, and the folks asking us to take footage have no idea the time it takes editing to get good results. Even if it is just a hobby as of yet.

I had a realtor friend of mine want me to shoot a new development next to a golf course. I told him I could shoot a bunch of raw footage, and they can take it to their marketing team and use what they need and edit it into the rest of their marketing. He was confused as he said, "cant you do that?" I responded that he had asked me to shoot some footage. But creating a complete marketing plan for this development is a whole different story. Areal footage is a very small piece of the entire plan. Editing it to compliment the design and ground shots was the majority of the work.

I left it at that and said, I am not certified to do professional work. This is a fun hobby for me. If you want some raw footage, I will give it to you, and you can throw me a referral bonus when you close some of the property. I had no desire to get caught up in sub contractor issues, legalities or even pissing off the marketing firm his agency used for all other work.

I'm sure professionals on here are going to cringe with this response, as I am probably that guy doing half-assed work for a small referral fee. But I have no issues admitting to my limitations and will never claim to do professional work. But I do know that a professional could pull out some very nice clips from the footage I have shot, that they may not be able to produce themselves.

 

[BigAl07]

It's hard for some people to grasp that "Flying" is only a small portion of a quality product. Also IMHO aerial shots (Even though they are my business) is only one portion of a complete presentation. Aerial Photography is not the Holy Grail or the end-all for photography. It's merely another tool in the bag.

 

[longdog]

Your job is what someone is willing to pay. You have a lot of good thoughts above, some of which I don't have time to read but some jumped out at me as good advice.
Basically; you want to charge as much as you can while making the person you are giving them a good deal. Your also going to want to build this business. I assume...
Let's say your willing to do a 60 min shoot (on site for an hour) that will include about 30 min of air time and 30 min of prep for setup, landscape, obstacles and weather analysis.
You will provide an edited video with 10-15 min of footage along with 15-20 still photos and all of your rights will be waived to the licensing of the photos and videos. So by purchasing, the customer essentially owns the photos.
Say you will travel up to 30 miles in each direction included in the fee.
Toss out a number like; $250 and say it's that low because your starting out.
Finally to get this deal done; tell them you will give a 50% discount if they provide a referral or statement on your website or Yelp or Facebook or something visible. Last, say you will give them a $20 referral fee for all jobs they pass onto you via word of mouth.

You will accomplish:
1) initial sale
2) understanding of fair market price
3) positive reviews
4) referral stream

If you find that $250 is pissing people off; your high. If it's taken too easily, raise you fee.

If people want more air time, more than 10-15 min of video, more than 15-20 photos or want you to travel more than 60 miles you will have a price rare card to tack on in order to properly compensate you.

On yea, and make sure you do a good job.

 

[bryan_m]

I recall talking to someone who wanted to start doing it professionally and they charged was based on a 'Per battery' rate which was interesting. They did have 4 or 5 batteries and two or 3 chargers so that they could continually shoot all day, non-stop if the location had a power hookup but it was based on the battery usage. Each flight would be about 15 mins. So they were getting reimbursed based on usage as well as time onsite. I'm sure there was a travel fee and such too.

 

[IronReel]

My market is currently around $50 for a few Aerials of a single property


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