The DOs & DON’Ts of Dallas Real Estate Headshots
Your real estate headshot: a business necessity, whether you are a commerical or residential real estate agent. Obviouly, you want buyers and sellers to choose YOU over the compeition (and in Dallas area, real estate is very hot and so the compeition of real estate agents trying to capitalize on the market, is very thick). You need every advantage, even the “unfair” advantage of a clearly superior headshot.
My Dallas real estate headshots are optimized to show you as (1) competitant, (2) welcoming, and (3) trustworthy. This is the real key right here and the reason my headshot customers go on to get more opportunities to engage in real estate deals that make them an additional 37,000 to 42,000,000 in real estate commissions. So only the smartest real estate agents know to “invest” their smiling face to my portrait studio.
How to use your headshot:
- On your business card that gets put in the hands of prospects each day
- One every piece of print marketing / branding: flyers, brochures, postcards
- On every piece of online markeitng: social media, your brokerage website, your personal website, Zillow ads, online business directories, etc..
Your headshot is part of your personal branding, and people expect to see it everywhere. This is your chance to show people that you are a professional who is responsive to their needs and will follow through on serving them, rather than flake.
With SO MUCH profits on the line, the worst thing you can do is present a cheesy or less-then-classy image of yourself. You want to be LIKED and TRUSTED, because that is how you get “up to bat” for your next real estate deal, and everything depends on that. So distinguish yourself from the less successful with the right image.
So, assuming that you are a legitimate real estate professional who follows through on their word and is truly of service to your prospects and clients, here’s a list of the top DOs and DON’Ts that will help you get the most from your Dallas real estate headshot session.
The “DO’S” of Dallas Real Estate Headshots
Update your photo every two years. It is so important to keep your headshot current — especially now that so many people find their real estate agent through the internet. You want your online prospects to recognize you when you meet them in person, otherwise you will damage trust and they will feel like what they see is NOT what they get with you, and while that might seem like a “small” thing, it can actually jeapordize the entire real estate deal.
Choose a setting that works with your branding/clientelle. And by that I also mean choosing between a STUDIO headshot or an OUTDOOR headshot. If you sell high-rise properties, your headshot might want to show that. If you sell luxury real estate homes, your headshot might want to reflect that as well. Or, if on-location photography isn’t your thing, consider one of my studio’s contemporary solid backdrop.
Note: whether in the studio or outdoors, the background IS the background. That means it should not complete for attention with your face. And that, in turn, means the background is intentionally BLURRED to give an impression but not to much detail/sharp lines to draw the eye away from you and your face.
Now if you need a photo in a high-end home, for example, not for your headshot, but for a magazine ad or an editorial piece, then yes do show those specific surroundings. Of better yet, get BOTH kinds of photos, so you are ready for whatever branding/publicity opportunity presents itself.
Men: you will ALWAYS want a suit jacket or sports coat on. Even if you lean towards a more casual look. You see, if it is just a button-up shirt, the armpit areas will come across as very wrinkled in a headshot. Knowing that a jacket is a given (trust me), you can then choose tie or no tie depending on your style and your intended audience. However, let me say that your official headshot is a good time to dress more formally than you do on a day-to-day basis.
Don’ts of Real Estate Headshots
Don’t Use props. Telephones, sold signs, glasses of wine — people have already seen all that, it is so overused and cliché. Nothing says insecure, inexperienced and needy faster than an agent that feels like he/she needs to use a prop to catch your eye. That is cheesy and a turn-off. You are selling them on yourself as their agent, so keep the focus on your face.
Don’t over-use Photoshop. Tasteful and light touchups are one thing, but it is REAL EASY to over-do it!!! If you find yourself with a completely new hairline, blurry hair halo or blindingly white teeth, you’ve gone too far. Leave all that to ME — your image professional. Fake simply does not SELL.
Don’t Strike a pose. This is where I as the professional photographer come in. I will pose you. You don’t know how you look — through this lens and in this light. But I do, and I’m expert at it. So I will pose you for what is best for your — your jawline, your hairline, the shape of face and length of neck, the shape of shoulders and cut of clothing, etc. Then I make it so simple and efficient because I show you right then and there on the spot. And you make sure, us together, that you do have a great photo of yourself that you will love to use.
Include your spouse/children/pets: um… no. Keep your real estate prospect focused on your FACE and that you look trustworthy and friendly. If they want to know about your personal life, they can stalk your Facebook page, LOL.
Getting More Than One Headshot
Here are the specific situations in which it is to your strategic business advantage to have more than one professional real estate headshot:
- Formal + Casual
- Spring/Summer look + Fall/Winter look
- In-studio + On-location
And here is how you use this to your maximum advantage: on the CONTACT page of your website, you want to look approachable, because, after all, you want them to take that step to approach and contact. So this is where your headshot needs to communicate “responsive and friendly”. So if you also get a casual style headshot taken, this is the place to use it.
Now, on your “About Me” page of your website, this is the place to emphasize how professional and competent you are. So this is where the official/formal headshot should appear —whether that is your in-studio headshot or your more formal outfit or with tie headshot.
So let’s apply what we’ve leaned here, using this example to the left: What’s right and what’s wrong about this headshot?
What is right is a good smile, good lighting, good eyes, and the blurred background does put all the attention on him and not his surroundings. This almost makes for a great “casual” type headshot.
As a casual headshot, it is self-contradictory. The smile says friendly and welcoming, but the closed-off and self-protective body language of the crossed arms says “unavailable” and “do not approach.” This has good elements, but as a photo that helps the subject get more responses and close more deals, it is a failure.
What is wrong is the angle of his head that crunches up one side of his neck, as if his collar is rubbing tight on one side. Also the watch detail is distracting you from his face. So if this photo is selling watches, it might work, but not for selling real estate. Plus a watch will quickly look dates based on trashion trends. Also the grid in his shirt is too much detail that the mind/eye focuses on, instead of his fairly good-looking face.
The shame is this is an ALMOST great photo, had these simple things been corrected by a better photographer, who knows how to deliver photos that sell.
So there you have it: our take on taking really good real estate headshots. Keep in mind that there is an exception to every rule. If you have positioned yourself in a niche market, you may find a reason to do every don’t and avoid every do. The most important thing to remember is that your headshot is often your first impression — make it count.
Author: Marcus is a leading Dallas Real Estate Agent headshot photographer helping agents win the responsive trust that wins you more responses, thus helping to convert prospects into commissions. Book your Dallas headshots at his website: www.HeadShotPros.com and book your architectural real estate photography at www.HDPropertyPromotion.com
