What to Expect During a Real Estate Photography Shoot

You've prepped the home, confirmed the appointment, and your photographer is on the way. But if you've never been through a professional real estate photography shoot before, or you've had inconsistent experiences with other photographers, you might be wondering what the appointment actually looks like.

Here's a straightforward rundown of what to expect when you book with Cloud Peak Media.

Before the Photographer Arrives

The most important work happens before we show up. A well-prepped home photographs dramatically better than one we're working around, so if you haven't already, walk through our prep guide before your shoot day. The biggest things: clear countertops, de-clutter, make every bed, move cars out of the driveway, and hide cords and pet items throughout the home.

Plan to have the home as empty of people as possible during the shoot. We'll need to move freely through every room, and sometimes need the entire home clear for video or 3D tours. If you can head out for a couple of hours, that's ideal. Secure any pets before we arrive.

One very important scheduling note: don't book cleaning crews or repair services on the same day. They almost always run long, and a photographer arriving to a half-cleaned home can mean rescheduling or shooting a property that isn't at its best.

How Long Does a Shoot Take?

Shoot time varies depending on the size of the property and which services you've booked. For a standard photography package on a home under 3,000 square feet, plan on roughly 1 to 1.5 hours. Larger homes, or packages that include drone photography, video, and a 3D virtual tour typically run 2 to 3 hours.

Drone shoots depend on weather conditions, wind and precipitation can affect aerial photography. We monitor conditions ahead of every shoot and will communicate with you if anything needs to be adjusted.

What Happens During the Shoot

We work room by room, adjusting lighting, staging small details, and capturing each space from the most flattering angles. Don't be surprised if we move a chair, adjust a lamp, or tuck something out of frame. Small tweaks on-site make a real difference in the final images. We're not rearranging your furniture, just making minor adjustments to get the cleanest shot possible.

For drone photography, we'll head outside to capture aerials of the property, the lot, and any notable surrounding features like views, open space, or neighborhood context. Depending on the property, this typically adds 20 to 30 minutes to the shoot.

If you've booked video, we'll take an additional 30 minute to an hour to capture video of the home.

When Do You Get Your Media?

Fast turnaround is one of the most important things we offer Denver and Front Range agents. All photography is delivered by 5pm the following day, so if we shoot Monday, you have everything you need to go live by Tuesday afternoon, and yes we do deliver on Saturdays for Friday shoots. Rush delivery by 11am is also available if you're working against a tight timeline.Video Products require intensive editing and are delivered the second morning after your shoot before 11am. So if we shoot on Monday, you will receive your video products on Wednesday morning.

You'll receive your images through a digital delivery portal, ready to download and upload directly to the MLS or your marketing channels.

What's Included

Every photography package from Cloud Peak Media includes a property website and a marketing kit alongside your listing photos, giving you everything you need to market the property across multiple channels from day one. Depending on your package, your delivery may also include a floor plan, virtual twilight image, drone photos, and social media video.

If you have questions before your shoot or want to talk through which package is right for your listing, reach out any time.

Cloud Peak Media serves Denver, Boulder, Longmont, Broomfield, Westminster, Arvada, and the surrounding Front Range. View our packages and book your shoot.