WHY HIRE A PROFESSIONAL?

One of the leading, if not most important factors in successfully selling a property for its full value is the way it looks, and the impression it leaves on the potential buyer. And with more than 90% of all buyers browsing through listings on their laptops, tablets and smartphones before ever stepping foot in the home, it's become increasingly important to ensure the property looks its best through high-quality photographs. Not only that, but professionally-photographed homes sell faster and for more money! 

If you've ever tried to take your own photos before, it's likely they came out too dark, views through the windows were washed out, rooms looked smaller than they actually were, colors were a little off, and the overall impression of the property wasn't so great. 

When you hire McCall Media to shoot your property, you can rest assured you have an experienced professional with the proper equipment, and more importantly, the eye to know which angles to shoot from, which features about the property to showcase, and how to properly edit the photographs to bring them to their fullest potential. McCall Media has photographed thousands of properties for many of the area's top-producing realtors and home builders since it’s inception in 2011.

What you can expect when hiring McCall Media is a photographer who arrives on time at the right place and who works in a professional manner. You will promptly receive a high-quality set of photos with wide fields of view showcasing entire spaces without distortion, vivid, accurate colors and clarity that rivals how the naked eye sees. 

A homebuyer's initial impression of a property will be based on the photos they see in the listing. Why not make it a good impression?

WHEN ARE YOU AVAILABLE TO SHOOT A PROPERTY?

McCall Media is available to shoot your property 6 days a week (Monday-Saturday). We are happy to work around you and your seller's schedule.

HOW FAR DO YOU TRAVEL?

We typically stay within about an hour’s drive from Coeur d’Alene. The first 40 miles round-trip from Coeur d'Alene are always free, and any mileage beyond that is billed at $.1.20/mile.

WHAT IF I NEED TO CANCEL OR RESCHEDULE?

No problem! We know things come up that may delay a property being ready for photos. McCall Media never charges a cancellation fee. However, as a courtesy please give us 24 hours notice in the event a photo shoot needs to be rescheduled. 

WHAT IF IT'S OVERCAST/CLOUDY? WILL THE PHOTOS STILL LOOK GOOD?

During certain times of year it can be pretty tricky to catch a nice sunny day to shoot photos. Luckily at McCall Media, we offer FREE realistic-looking blue sky replacement on all exterior photos taken on overcast days, as well as interior views through windows! Futher, overcast days provide softer lighting which can be advantageous as it eliminates harsh highlights/shadows caused by direct sunlight coming through windows.

We can also add flames to fireplaces, wood stoves and fire pits, as well as add scenic/landscape pictures to TV screens if desired. All of these enhancements are always free! 

HOW DO I GET MY PHOTOS?

We know that in the real estate world, time is of the essence. McCall Media guarantees a 24-hour turnaround on nearly all photoshoots, the exception being unusually large properties which can sometimes take up to 48 hours to edit during peak times (this will be made clear up-front), and properties photographed on the weekend. The turnaround time for video is 24-48 hours.

Final, edited images are always uploaded to Dropbox. Once the photos are finished and ready to be delivered, you will receive an email with a link to view and download the photos. The photos will remain backed up in the cloud via dropbox unless you delete them. We’ve found this to be a very simple and user-friendly method for sharing files, and you won’t need to have Dropbox installed or have a Dropbox account to receive your photos.

For every shoot, you will receive two sets of the images -- "high resolution" and "web sized." The high-res photos are very large files in their full resolution which are ideal for printing in larger sizes, such as magazine covers or brochure. The web sized photos are much smaller file sizes and are therefore easier to work with, load faster, and are sized and optimized for online use, such as MLS listings, Zillow, Realtor.com, Facebook etc. These photos are 1800x1200 pixels.

HOW DO I PAY FOR MY PHOTOS?

Payment is always due 15 days from the date the photos are delivered. We want to make sure you are satisfied with your pictures. We won't hold your images hostage and make you pay before getting to see them first.

Upon delivery of photos, you will receive a pdf copy of the invoice in your email, with instructions for payment. McCall Media accepts checks, Paypal, or payment online by card via Square. If the latter is preferred, an invoice will be made for online pay and sent to your email. 

DO I OWN THE PHOTOS?

Our photos terms are very simple and straightforward, and quite lenient compared to many photographers. 

The photos you purchase may be used in any application to market the property online, electronically or in print. The images may also be used to market your brand/business, such as business cards, fliers, website etc. even after the duration of the listing has ended.

The main point to remember is that McCall Media owns the copyright to the photos, therefore they may not be sold or given to another agent, home builder, interior designer, staging company, landscaper, etc. without permission.  If another party wishes to obtain the photos to use for marketing their brand/business they will need to contact McCall Media. It is OK for the homeowners to obtain a copy of the photos for their own personal keepsake.

We never sell your listing photos to another real estate agent. If you hire McCall Media to shoot a home for your listing and the property ends up being re-listed by another agent down the road, we won’t sell them the photos that you purchased. The only photos that we use for more than one listing are pictures of amenities that pertain to homes within a particular neighborhood, such as pools, workout facilities, parking garages, community parks and beaches, etc.

ARE YOU A LICENSED AND INSURED DRONE PILOT?

YES! We hold an FAA part 107 remote pilot certificate which is required to fly a drone for any commercial use, such as real estate photography and videography. We are happy to provide a copy of this license to you or your brokerage as needed. We are also insured through Verifly for up to $10 million liability. Click Here for a copy of our certificate of insurance.

WHAT IS A TWILIGHT SHOOT?

Twilight photos are a way to make your listing really stand out from the rest. Exterior photos will be taken during the last minutes of daylight with all of the interior and exterior lights turned on. This makes for a very appealing and eye-catching set of photos, especially with homes that have great lighting and large windows. 

WHAT ABOUT "VIRTUAL TWILIGHT" AND OTHER SPECIALIZED EDITING SERVICES?

Virtual Twilight can be a more convenient and cost-effective option to obtain one or two exterior photos with the "twilight look." We have the ability to take a standard exterior photo from any shoot and convert it to a twilight photo for only $10 extra per photo. This is an excellent value to make your listing stand out, and doesn't require booking the shoot in the evening. Additionally, we can create lawns and driveways, as well as remove objects and virtually renovate a room. Pricing for these services varies so contact us for a quote based on your specialized editing needs. 

WHAT IS A ZILLOW 3D HOME TOUR AND HOW CAN IT HELP MARKET MY LISTINGS?

Zillow 3D Home Tours are an interactive experience that allows potential buyers to virtually walk through a home prior to coming out to view it in person. Listings with 3D home tours stand out with a special 3D home designation on Zillow and receive 2x the views of listings without them. They can also be added to MLS and your own website and social media pages. With pricing beginning at only $75, it’s truly one of the best bang-for-your-buck marketing decisions you can make!

Capturing a 3D home tour is done with a state-of-the-art 360° camera and takes only an extra 15-20 minutes for the average-size home. The tours are automatically published to Zillow (if desired) within 24 hours. Each tour also comes with an unbranded link to add to MLS or your own websites and social media. In fact, 3D home tours can also be produced for properties not currently on the market or on Zillow, such as rental properties.

CLICK HERE FOR AN EXAMPLE OF A ZILLOW 3D HOME TOUR

WHAT IS VIRTUAL STAGING AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR VACANT HOMES?

Virtual staging takes the actual photos taken of a vacant home and “virtually” stages them by adding elegant and appropriate furniture and decor in a manner that looks highly realistic. Staged photos are far more attractive to potential buyers because it aids in demonstrating the potential of the home and establishes/strengthens the connection with the buyers. Simply put, vacant home photos tend to be stark, cold and uninviting and staged photos are warm, attractive and allow buyers to envision themselves living in the home, resulting in a greater chance that they will want to view the home with their agent in person.

The advantage of virtual staging vs. real staging is two-fold: One, it is much more cost-effective. We charge only $30 per photo for virtual staging, which equates to approximately 75-90% cheaper cost than the average cost of real-life staging. Second, there is far less time involved. At peak times, a virtual staging company can run a week or more out, whereas virtual staging can be done at the time the photos are edited.

Virtual staging is most effective on photos of the main, most impressive areas of a home, such as the living room, dining room, kitchen, family room or bonus room and master bedroom.

WHAT SHOULD BE DONE TO PREPARE THE HOME FOR PHOTOS?

Preparing a home for photos is an important step in maximizing its photo potential. The goal is for the potential buyer to be able to envision themselves living in the home.

It's encouraged to work with the homeowners ahead of time to prepare the home as much as possible for the photoshoot. There will almost always be some things to move or adjust during the shoot, but there are many things to consider doing ahead of time in order to help keep the shoot moving along smoothly and to obtain the best possible photos. 

Here is a helpful list of tips on prepping your home for the shoot :

SELLER’S CHECKLIST FOR PREPPING YOUR HOME FOR PHOTOS (FREE PDF DOWNLOAD)