As a real estate business or a photographer, outsourcing can be your best friend. This is the reality in a highly competitive real estate industry where every minute is of the essence. You have to make the most of your time and do the most important tasks first. You have to put a monetary value on your time so you know if it’s worth spending hours on time-consuming tasks such as photo editing.
If you are considering outsourcing your real estate photos, there are certain steps that you need to follow in order to find a company that delivers your needs.
1. Identify your goals. First, you need to figure out what you want to accomplish with your photos. Are you going to use these for sales? Will these go in your portfolio? Are these for a broker? These questions will help you in assessing how your edited real estate photos should look. In addition to that, you need to know the output that your client needs.
2. Know the scope of work. Once you know your goals, you have to identify the work that needs to be done. You can be specific about what changes you want to be done or instead give more general direction on the feel and look of the images after the post-processing. This will allow you to relay to your photo editor the specifics of how you want the images to be and so they have a clear vision of what they need to work on.
3. Work with your budget. Find out how much you are able to spend on your photo editing. This can help in finding a company who can do the work while still keeping within your spending limits. It is best to figure out the usual rates for this type of work, especially if you have no idea how much it costs. Ask peers and get quotes from different professional photo editing companies. This helps you in setting the right budget without skimping on the quality.
4. Ask for their portfolio and a possible sample. Once you have a budget, ask for quotes and for the post-production company’s portfolio first. This is essential before you make your choice. This will help you in narrowing down your options so that you may find one that has the best output for the price that you’re able to afford. You also need to ask if they could do a sample retouching. Send them two or three of your images so you can see the quality of their work. Make sure that you specify the changes and the look that you want and at the right time.
5. Narrow down your choices for a photo editing company. Research and look for the best photo editing companies that specialize in real estate. You can also ask for recommendations from peers. However, keep your list to a minimum if possible in order to prevent choice fatigue. With the portfolios in hand, you will be able to decipher which companies can help you retouch your images in order to achieve your goals. Check their policies and their turnaround time. Next, make sure that you pick your top five companies.
6.Choose the best one for your needs. From your list, pick one that fits your budget and needs. Make sure that they provide you with quality work and fast turnaround time so you can meet client deadlines. Look into their policies and set a working timeline for your images. Go for a company with great support so you are able to communicate with them in case of any urgent requirements.