Real Estate Photographer Shoot Profit Calculator

What does a $175 listing shoot really pay you per hour?

Enter your package fees and how long a shoot really takes. See the true hourly earnings of each package tier after drive, shoot, editing and admin time, the fee that reaches your hourly target, what drone, twilight and floor-plan add-ons add, and whether outsourcing your editing frees time worth more than it costs.

Nothing you type leaves this tab. The numbers shown first are an example, not a benchmark: replace them with your own.

1. Your price list and shoot times

Tier 1 package fee (Small condo or apartment)

Tier 1: photos delivered

Tier 1: minutes on site

Tier 2 package fee (Typical house)

Tier 2: photos delivered

Tier 2: minutes on site

Tier 3 package fee (Large house)

Tier 3: photos delivered

Tier 3: minutes on site

Tier 4 package fee (Luxury or estate)

Tier 4: photos delivered

Tier 4: minutes on site

2. Travel, editing and costs

Drive minutes, one way (average)

Admin minutes per shoot (booking, upload, delivery, invoice)

Your editing minutes per delivered photo

Editing service price per photo

Who edits? 1 = you, 0 = a service

Miles one way (average)

Cost per mile (fuel + wear)

Gear wear, cards and software per shoot

Card fee on the invoice (%)

3. Add-ons

Drone: fee

Drone: extra minutes on site

Drone: extra editing minutes

Drone: direct cost per use

Drone: % of shoots that buy it

Twilight: fee

Twilight: extra minutes on site

Twilight: extra editing minutes

Twilight: direct cost per use

Twilight: % of shoots that buy it

Floor plan: fee

Floor plan: extra minutes on site

Floor plan: extra editing minutes

Floor plan: direct cost per use

Floor plan: % of shoots that buy it

4. Goals and mix

Target earnings per hour of total time

Shoots per month

Monthly overhead (insurance, software, hosting, marketing)

Mix: % of shoots at tier 1

Mix: % at tier 2

Mix: % at tier 3

Mix: % at tier 4

Edit any number and click Calculate. The page starts with an example.

The model, and what it leaves out

Hours worked = round-trip drive + on-site time + editing time + admin, plus the expected extra time from add-ons at your take rates.
Profit = package fee + expected add-on fees − mileage − gear wear − editing service cost (if outsourced) − add-on direct costs − card fees.
Per hour = profit ÷ all hours worked, not just the hours on site.
Fee for target = the package fee that earns your target per hour for that tier, holding add-ons and costs fixed.
Edit vs outsource = your editing minutes per photo priced at your target rate, against the service price per photo.
Not modelled: income tax and self-employment tax, rush fees, reshoots, MLS licensing terms, travel surcharges, second-shooter pay and seasonality.

Common questions

How much should a real estate photographer charge?

That depends on your market, but the useful number is what each package earns per hour of total time, not per shoot. A cheap small-condo package that needs a 40-minute drive can pay less per hour than a large house at triple the fee. Enter your own prices and times above.

Is it worth outsourcing real estate photo editing?

When your editing time, priced at the hourly rate you want to earn, costs more than the service charges per photo, outsourcing frees hours. It only pays if you resell those hours as shoots. The calculator shows the per-photo comparison and the monthly value.

Which add-ons are worth selling?

Each add-on earns its fee minus extra on-site time, extra editing time and direct cost. Raise the percentage of shoots that buy it and watch the average profit per shoot change.

How many shoots a month do I need?

The month summary shows profit after overhead and the number of shoots at which pay above your target hourly covers your fixed monthly costs.

Is this financial advice?

No. It is arithmetic on the numbers you type. Prices and business decisions are yours.