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First figure out who the top listing agents are in your area. You can do this research on RE websites. We are talking only the top 10 or 20% in terms of price of the home and the number of listings they have.
Next you want to meet as many top listing agents as possible. Best way is to call up the managing broker of a RE office and ask to come to a weekly meeting and have 5 mins to talk to agents. Have a hand-out that has examples, prices your contact info.
Do a good job for a few top listing agents and they will refer you to their friends.
If you need material for a portfolio drive around on a Sunday until you find a open house at a upper-end home. Ask the agent holding the open to shoot some photos for your portfolio. If you are lucky the agent holding open will be the listing agent (usually this is not the case) and you have met a listing agent. If your photos are better than the one she's using offer to let her use the photos for the listing.
Originally posted 52 months ago.
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Lohrman (a group admin) edited this topic 52 months ago.
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thanks larry! its awesome to see that you update the blog plus contribute here at the forum!
in regards to going to open houses, i would assume tat these houses would probably in top notch shape since potential buyers are here to see them.
what would be some reason(s) the agent wouldn't want you to photograph the place? i guess at that point you have no choice but to move on to find another open house?
Posted 52 months ago.
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Some reasons that an agent may not want your service is that their brokerage firm already signed in a contract with a photography company. I lost two good clients because of that. They utilised my services, loved it. But got their hands slapped. Basically this photography company 'rented' a space in the brokerage firm and placed a minimum wage kid there taking requests.
To start out. Offer some free shoots. Then move from there. The open house thing is a great idea. But make prior arrangements with the listing agent first as what Larry said, most of the time the agent manning the Open House is not the listing agent. Likely a newbie or an agent in a dry zone looking to gain new clients.
Posted 52 months ago.
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Find the top listing agents in your area and make a strong presentation. These days I would focus on the web being where most people begin their search and if an image does not grab them they will go right by that particular listing. There are very few second chances with the web. It's just a click away from GONE. Bring some crap examples and some of your images and ask them which they think a web looker will click on first .... because there is no second in most cases.
Most of my clients have a personal assistant - getting in tight with them is good also. Top producing agents sell real estate and let good assistants handle the details. I stop by with a bottle of wine every now and again or restaurant gift certificates. Small stuff in the scheme of things.
Broker meetings are great .... personally I have never done one to sell my services. I know that only 5 in 50 agents in an office is going to use me and that can be high - so I concentrated on good solid work and hitting the heavy hitters in town. I was lucky also I began this almost 7 years ago and word of mouth has been good and your work will do a lot pf promoting.
Hope that helps,
M. James
Good Luck
Posted 52 months ago.
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I dropped into an open home and offered to take some pix. The agent rather frostily told me she didn't think it appropriate. And yeah, with people wandering about I can see how that might be.
Posted 52 months ago.
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If you're hitting open houses, it's important to stress that you aren't looking to take pictures right then, and actually there's no advantage to the agent in your shooting that particular listing at all -- once the place is on the market, all the flyers websites postcards etc. are already in place.
What you should be pitching to them is that you want to shoot the NEXT listing, either free for your portfolio, or cheap as an introductory special, or whatever.
But there's no way they're gonna let you break out your gear right then and there are walk around shooting.
Posted 52 months ago.
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I started by going to model homes in my area. They are usually staged very well, and the sales agents could care less about you being there. If they give you any grief, just explain that you'll be helping them gain exposure. With the market in its current condition, they'll welcome you with open arms.
Posted 52 months ago.
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A couple of things...
MJ is right if you do your home work it's probably more efficient to focus on personally contacting the top listing agents. The risk of going to office meetings is many times the top listers don't attend... they are out doing deals!
Also, Shaun's (Ekday) advice is right on... Site agents (holding open new homes for builders) will be less sensitive about letting you photograph because no one lives there. People are more and more sensitive about photographs of their home.
Posted 52 months ago.
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@Scott - ooooooohhhh...(sound of penny dropping) - I did have the wrong idea.
@Larry - any chance of a smiley library? I need to indicate embarrassed blushing.
Posted 52 months ago.
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thanks for all the response everyone!
another issue that i keep thinking about is how does age come into this? i'm a university student in the mids of my studies...when agents see a young person, would you guys say they would shy away and opt for someone more 'professional'?
most will say that let your work speak for itself, but when you don't have a print portfolio when you go talk to people, would they generally doubt your skills when you're 21?
Posted 52 months ago.
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clashbrad [deleted] says:
I was 20 when I started and it didn't hold me back, so long as you act in a professional manner at all times I think you will overcome any prejudices or doubts people may have about you because of your age. You might find (at least I did) that it will take a while for agents to get to trust you well enough to leave you in houses on your own, but that's both good and bad!
Posted 52 months ago.
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clashbrad
i think on top of acting professionally (a given no matter what age) maybe if i dress in a more business attire would help too...bring out my interview clothes! haha
Posted 52 months ago.
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I posted on craigslist and got my first job. Funny enough another user on this forum declined that same job (for which I'm quite grateful now).
Posted 52 months ago.
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clashbrad [deleted] says:
Rocky...yes it always pays to dress well, whatever the job!
Posted 52 months ago.
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What size pics would be best for a portfolio?
Posted 52 months ago.
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