Why Having a Real Estate Headshot Matters
Why Do Realtors Need Headshots?
In the real estate world, do you even exist if you don't have professional photographs of yourself and your team? Real estate agents are not only in the market to sell properties; they are selling themselves.
Find the right photographer to provide the best real estate headshots to help you stand out from your competitors. Real estate headshots matter because it shows professionalism and credibility.
Realtors use headshots for marketing materials, such as business cards, brochures, websites, sales listings, and social media profiles.
5 Reasons Why Real Estate Agent Headshots are Important
There are five reasons why real estate headshots are essential:
Professional headshots help real estate agent establish their brand and create a positive first impression with potential clients. A professional headshot is more than just a nice picture. In most cases, a real estate headshot is the first impression a client forms.
A professional realtor headshot helps clients remember the realtor and distinguish them from other agents.
High-quality real estate headshots convey professionalism and that the real estate agent pays attention to details and contributes to building trust with clients.
Real estate agent headshot photos should be warm and create a trustworthy, approachable image. It's critical in a competitive real estate market. Real estate agents work in an industry where connecting with people online and in person is necessary. The bottom line is your professional headshots need to stand out from other real estate agents.
A professional headshot contributes a vital role in a real estate agent's marketing and branding efforts. Real estate agents should use headshot photos in various marketing materials—for example, online profiles, advertising, and other unique ways to promote themselves and their services.
What kind of impression can your headshot communicate to your potential clients? First, it speaks that you are serious about your field of work, and real estate clients will see how much you care.
A real estate headshot is often the first impression potential clients experience. It could be one of the deciding factors on whether or not to hire real estate agents or work with a specific real estate business.
An excellent realtor headshot that's high quality can help build trust and credibility with potential clients. It shows that the realtor is serious about their work and that they care about their professional image.
Real estate agent headshots give realtors a creative way to differentiate themselves from the competition. Realtors can set themselves apart by presenting themselves professionally and making a solid first impression on potential clients.
Market Yourself as a Professional Realtor
Realtor headshots can be a crucial tool for realtors when marketing themselves effectively. So how do real estate agents make their best headshot to stand a positive first impression in real estate?
A great start is elevating their marketing tools through solid personal branding. Hire a professional real estate headshot photographer that can help create amazing headshots which can be used for business branding and create a factual representation of who they are in the industry.
Clients feel a personal connection with the realtor when there's a friendly photo attached to a listing. It helps put a face to the name and makes them feel more comfortable working with the realtor.
Besides getting one real estate professional headshot, there are other creative ways to pave the way in the real estate marketing industry. Consider the unique and valuable content agents can put out onto different creative outlets.
Should Real Estate Headshots be photographed In-Studio or Outdoors?
How should a real estate headshot look? Firstly, all of your headshots should have a variety of facial expressions and be authentic to how you look in real life.
Realtors can use their headshots for smaller formats like online profile pictures. Clean backdrops work best, especially when displayed on platforms like realtor.com or Zillow. Having solid colors in your headshot will make a huge difference.
Outdoor headshots have their place. If planning to use a hero image on your professional page or the about you section on your website, displaying an environmental portrait can give more character.
Generally speaking, real estate headshots are taken in-studio or outdoors. The bottom line is your intentions on how to use the photographs.
Get Multiple Headshots to Use for Multiple Purposes
Getting a variety of professional headshots is beneficial because it allows different options to select in various instances.
We always tell our clients that you never know which headshot will attract their clients. A smiley version of you will draw some clients, while others will be more attracted to "get sh*t done" serious headshots.
In the real estate industry, staying relevant is a must. Digital marketing is powerful and allows a reach to broader audiences across channels like social media, email marketing campaigns, and search engine optimization.
Technology at the tips of our fingers allows us to catch the attention of people we might've never had the opportunity to reach before. You have the luxury of having a larger target audience that can result in lead generation.
When working with such powerful marketing tools, having a variety of great realtor headshots to include along with the content is a must.
Having a mix of real estate headshots that show multiple outfits, different backgrounds, and poses with strong body language is eye-catching.
In business, being efficient is critical. So having a variety of real estate headshots to select from at the tip of your fingers makes sense when working on marketing content. It is a time and money saver.
You already committed to come and get real estate headshots taken, so why not turn it into a whole experience?
Upgrade Real Estate headshots to Include Lifestyle Portraits
Since you committed to come to the studio and have your real estate agents' headshots taken, upgrade your realtor headshot photo appointment into a personal branding portraits session.
How are realtor headshots different from personal branding portrait photography?
In our studio, a headshot is a photograph taken from the chest up. It's a close-up of just your head and shoulders. Precise lighting setups and posing go into this style of photography.
Most of the time, real estate agents can use professional realtor headshots for more minor scale media, such as business cards or business listings.
Personal branding portraits are a type of portrait photography that represents a person or a brand. The photographs can be full-body shots or half-body shots. Realtor headshots are taken in a studio or on location. It's more of a lifestyle portrait feel.
The goal of a branding portrait photo shoot is to create a concrete visual representation of the overall image of who the individual is. It's the professional photographer's job to know how to capture the overall vision of the individual and the personality.
Branding portraits establish a consistent image across all marketing and advertising materials. Branding portraits and headshots cover all the different platforms, such as websites, social media profiles, business cards, print materials, and other promotional materials.
A good amount of planning happens for branding portrait photo shoots. Details include how to style hair, whether to have a professional makeup artist on set, what to wear, and where to photograph. It's important to discuss all of these details in advance with your professional photographer.
When we photograph branding portraits, we always take professional headshots as well. The more options you have, the more content you can create.
Should You Smile for Your Headshot?
Real estate agents can use both smiling and serious headshots. Each professional headshot serves a different purpose.
A genuine and friendly smile will communicate a nice and warm message. Therefore, having a variety of looks with smiling and more serious expressions is essential for real estate agents. A genuine smile communicates to potential clients that the real estate agent is relatable and someone they can trust. In addition, smiling headshots are for more casual settings like social media profiles and property listings.
Conveying friendliness and approachability is beneficial in building long-term relationships with potential clients.
Real estate agents can use serious headshots in formal business settings. Think business cards, websites, and other professional marketing tools.
It's crucial for real estate agents to consider their audience and the overall tone of their marketing materials when choosing which type of headshot to use.
For example, a severe headshot may be more appropriate if they primarily work with luxury clients or in a high-end market.
However, if they work with a broader range of clients, a smiling headshot may be more effective in building rapport and establishing trust.
Pro Tip: Combine Your Photoshoot With a Video Shoot
Want to stand out even more from all the other real estate agents in your market?
Consider taking your headshot experience even further than realtor headshots or real estate agent personal branding portraits.
Adding video creations to your real estate content is another powerful tool. The network of people that you will reach through video content is immense.
From personal experience, how often has someone popped up on your youtube, TikTok, or Instagram reels that you haven't known about before?
Think about the type of content that can be useful for any potential client searching for a real estate agent.
You are creating helpful content that can help a potential client establish your credibility in a diluted real estate market.
We offer a one-stop shop at our studio. Everything from headshot photos, portraits, and highlight or lifestyle videos.
We have professional lighting for the video and a teleprompter to make it a smooth and fun process.
What Do Real Estate Agents Wear for Headshots?
Plan your outfits. Ensure your clothing still fits how it should; iron or steam them ahead of time if your clothes are wrinkled.
Solid colors for clothes are flattering and not distracting from the face. Bring options for layering garments like a jacket or blazer.
Don't pose with accessories. Leave your jewelry at home. We recommend having a clean slate and nothing distracting from your face.
We have headshot tips for women and headshot tips for men on what to wear and more.
Hire a Makeup Artist
Headshots and portraits are an investment for your professional brand. To get the most out of your experience, we highly recommend working with a professional makeup artist. Treat yourself to a complete experience.
Professional makeup will make you feel confident in front of the camera. We offer to add on a professional makeup artist. We work with a few makeup artists that know how we photograph and what makeup styles look best with our lighting setups.
Of course, you can do your makeup, but there are certain things to avoid for on-camera makeup. For example, it's best to blend matte makeup well and show off your best facial features to prevent shiny looks.
Have your hair cut or styled before the photoshoot
Along with working with a professional makeup artist, your hair is equally as important (if you have hair). So, styling your hair for your headshot and how you usually wear it is highly recommended.
Of course, you know how to style your hair, but a professional hairstylist can perfect your look. You can get a blowout on the day of your headshot appointment. A small trim is also an option on the day of your headshot.
We do not recommend getting your hair colored the day or the week of your appointment. However, it's crucial for a few reasons.
First, the color can turn out in a way you don't like, affecting how you see your professional headshots and portraits.
Second, for darker hair, sometimes some marks on the skin could take a few days to wash away.
We do offer to work with a professional hair stylist in our studio. Please note that this is not a salon, so there will be no blowouts. You should wash your hair the day of your headshot; the hair stylist can style it accordingly.
Preparing for the Headshot Session
Once you've scheduled your headshot appointment, it's time to prepare and get ready for your photo shoot. Do not procrastinate. Review the outfits you plan to wear. Try everything ahead of time.
Appropriately tailored clothes are recommended. If things are too big or too small, it might be time to shop for new outfits. We recommend bringing at least three outfit options for your headshots.
Triple-check that you know exactly where the photo shoot is going to be. Figure out how much extra time you need for transportation.
If you come to our studio in Orange County, there is always free parking outside our studio.
We mention this a lot, but it is vital to get some rest before your realtor headshots. You want to look and feel your best in front of the camera. In the real estate business, it's about how much you shine and how much people can connect with you.
As professional photographers, we must provide the best lighting and multiple poses. Therefore, we will review the outfits with you and suggest what will work best for professional realtor headshots.
Why do real estate headshots matter?
Here are the key takeaways to why a realtor headshot is vital to have:
Professional Credibility
Professional Branding
Personal Connection
Competitive Edge
Real Estate Agent Headshot FAQs
How much do Real estate headshots cost? On average, a professional headshot can range anywhere from $245 - $995. But, of course, it depends on how many professional headshots you want to use.
How often should I get my updated headshots? We recommend getting your professional realtor headshot taken at least once yearly, if not more. If there are any changes to your hair or other appearances from the time you had your headshot taken, then it's time to come in for another headshot to stay relevant.
Should good real estate headshots be retouched? All the headshots you plan to use anywhere for marketing material must be photoshopped. When we say retouched, we mean skin correction, flyaway hairs, and some color grading. Headshots are enhanced to look like the best version of yourself without making your skin appear plastic.
How do I find the right professional headshot photographer? Taking the time to research the style of photography you are looking for is a good starting point:
Determine the kind of photo shoot you are interested in having.
Look at the professional photographer's portfolio and determine if this style suits you.
Check out the headshot photographer reviews and what others say about their experience.
Many of the realtor headshot clients we photograph have grown referral-based.
Real Estate Headshot Ideas
Successful realtor headshot session and portrait branding photos:
Real Estate Headshot & Portrait Publications
