How to Choose the Right Real Estate Photo Editing Company for Your Needs in 2024?

Time and again, day-in-day-out, we’ve reminded you that in real estate, first impressions are everything. Buyers and potential tenants spend ungodly amounts of time online, sifting through hundreds of listings to find the house closest to their expectations. The quality of your listing photos can make a sale or send you home empty-handed.

But not everyone’s a seasoned photo editor, and very, very few sellers and agents can undertake different photo editing projects on their own. Enter real estate photo editing companies: They specialize in various photo editing services unique to the real estate industry. But how can you make sure they will deliver on their promises and advertisements?

Why Real Estate Photo Editing?

Online property listings are the first place that house hunters turn to when looking for rental or for-sale properties. But it’s not like all listed properties there get equal attention.

The decisive factor here is how appealing each property looks, and this is where real estate photo editing comes into play. A surprising report by Redfin in 2021 revealed that 63% of buyers made offers on properties before visiting them in person, merely relying on photos and virtual tours attached to the listings!

Though we may not generalize this to all listings and buyers, we can at least draw one conclusion, one that’s quite obvious but seemingly overlooked by many realtors: The more appealing your listing photos are, the more buyers are likely to engage with your property.

Find the Best Real Estate Photo Editing Company

Okay, so we’ve established the importance of using photo editing services for real estate. The question is, who can you trust to help fulfill your photo editing needs when it carries such importance? Keep reading to learn how you can find the most suitable real estate photo editing companies.

List your needs and expectations

As a real estate agent, your first task is to list your needs and expectations regarding listing requirements. Some real estate photo editing companies are highly restricted in terms of their services. Others provide a variety of services but you might find their pricing or turnaround time unfitted. So, by needs and expectations, we mean material, budget, time, resources, style, and so on.

Depending on the type of properties you sell and the budget you usually consider for marketing those properties, you can make a list of services that will elevate your marketing efforts. This way, you’ll know which providers to prioritize.

If, for instance, you list several properties per week, you’ll need a company that returns your photos within a couple of hours or even less, not a day or two! Similarly, when your marketing budget is limited, you can’t go for overpriced services.

Do a thorough research

In most cases, we usually have a friend who has a friend who knows a good provider. “I know a guy who knows a guy,” right? In most cases, we end up hating ourselves for listening to the guy! Don’t just fall for the first name you hear.

Make a list of the providers you find via a thorough internet search. See what others have said about these companies on review websites such as Trustpilot and social platforms like Reddit, Facebook, etc. This way, you can compare their strengths, weaknesses, and overall customer satisfaction levels to ensure you choose a provider that meets all your expectations. At the end of the day, you should be another happy customer willing to leave a word.

Value your time and money

Make sure to take a good look at the pricing plans offered by the providers you have on your list. Just don’t get overwhelmed by the large differences you’re about to see! Passing no judgment on any provider or the criteria behind their pricing plans, just make sure you’re not overpaying!

In terms of turnaround times, we must first make a distinction between the two types of real estate photo editing companies. Some service providers still rely on human editors, while others have integrated artificial intelligence (AI) into their workflows. Let’s refer to the first type as traditional photo editing and the second as AI photo editing.

Picking a traditional photo editing company entails more waiting. In fact, such companies have a turnaround time of 24-48 hours, if not more! With AI photo editing, however, editing a single photo takes no more than a minute, and, in case you choose a company with reliable AI services, it shouldn’t. This is just something to have in the back of your mind!

Test all the candidates

Gathering information about different providers is a must, but it’s not enough! Most real estate photo editing companies gift a few credits (enough to edit one or two photos) when a user creates an account on their website. So, why not test them and get a first-hand experience? This is a great opportunity and a pretty hands-on experience to see everything for yourself.

When trying out different services, it’s a good idea to use the same photo when comparing providers. Say, for example, you want to stage a bedroom. With AI-driven platforms, you can upload a photo on different platforms, choose your desired service (as similar as it can be on different platforms), and wait a bit to get the result. With traditional photo editing companies, you may have to wait a few hours before they return the photo.

Putting those photos next to one around, you’ll learn a lot about the service quality of each provider. This way, you can make the right decision!

And look for the most complete package!

If you’re just a one-time user, you probably don’t care much about intricate details of services offered by real estate photo editing companies! So, it won’t matter much if the company you’re choosing has a limited number of services. But if, for example, you’re a real estate agent or an interior designer with lots of properties and spaces on your hands, you have to make sure that the company you are choosing will meet all your needs in the long run.

For your current project, you might be looking for a photo enhancement service, but for the next one, you may need other services such as item removal or virtual twilight! So, better to choose a company that has a comprehensive package than to work with several companies that offer one or two services each!

Consider AI HomeDesign for Your Photo Editing Projects

Take a second look at your list of expectations. The services you need, your budget, turnaround time, various layouts and styles, different audiences, etc. Then have a look at our services. You can notice that AI HomeDesign has one of the most complete packages that real estate agents, design lovers, and a myriad of stakeholders across the entire real estate industry could ask for.

As far as real estate photo editing is concerned, we offer services such as virtual staging (both AI and manual), item removal, virtual twilight, and photo enhancement more suited to realtors and their agencies. Interior designers, on the other hand, can use features like AI interior design and AI furniture set restyle for inspiration. We also offer a set of home renovation services that you can use for your renovation projects, including wall change, ceiling change, backsplash, under-construction renders, and more.

With AI HomeDesign, you’ll experience a whole new definition of cost-efficiency. Editing a photo on AI HomeDesign, no matter what service you choose, costs between a mere $0.24 to a humble max of $1.60 depending on the plan you choose.

Last but not least, you can use several services but pay only once. What does that mean exactly? Say you use our item removal service to declutter a living room. You can then stage the same living room using our virtual staging service or enhance the quality of your photo free of charge! All done in under a minute.

If you’re not still sure whether AI HomeDesign is the right fit, you can easily try our services for free. Just sign up, get your 3 free credits, and try any service you want. No hidden fees. No credit card required!

Easier Said Than Done, Though Perfectly Possible

In today’s competitive real estate market, the quality of your listing photos can significantly influence buyer interest. Real estate photo editing is not just a luxury; it’s an essential tool for enhancing property appeal and attracting potential buyers.

While finding the most suitable real estate photo editing companies may seem daunting amidst various options and considerations, it’s entirely achievable with a structured approach. By defining your needs, conducting thorough research, and testing potential providers, you can confidently choose a company that enhances your property listings effectively.

Remember, investing in high-quality editing services not only attracts more buyers but also streamlines your marketing efforts. Start by exploring the 3 free trial photos offered on AI HomeDesign to experience the benefits firsthand.

Your properties deserve the best presentation to capture the attention they need. With careful selection, achieving stunning property visuals that stand out in online listings becomes not just a goal, but a practical reality.