How to Hit $2,000 a Week as a Real Estate Photographer

One of the most common questions I get asked is:

“How do you hit $2,000 a week as a real estate photographer?”

And honestly… the answer is much simpler than most people expect.

The math looks like this:

I charge $500 per house
I photograph 4 houses per week

That’s $2,000 per week.

📝 All figures I share are in Australian dollars, so if you’re based elsewhere, just convert the numbers to your local market. The principle stays exactly the same.

But here’s the important part — I didn’t start at $500 per shoot.

Where I Started (And Why That’s Important)

When I first moved into real estate photography, my confidence was lower and my skills were still developing. So I priced myself accordingly.

At the time, I charged $350 per house.

To hit my $2K weekly target back then, I needed to photograph 6 houses per week instead of 4.

Still achievable. Still realistic.
But noticeably more work.

This is where a lot of photographers go wrong — especially early on.

The Pricing Trap Most Photographers Fall Into

A very common mindset is:

🤔 “If I charge less, I’ll get more work.”

And yes — that usually works.

You will get more bookings.

But after 30 years in photography, I’ve seen the same pattern repeat over and over:

• You attract high-volume, low-respect clients
• You’re booked constantly
• You’re editing late into the night
• Your weekends disappear
• Your sleep suffers
• Your quality drops because something has to give

And eventually… burnout hits.

Not because you’re bad at photography — but because the workload you’ve created isn’t sustainable.

My Advice: Match the Industry First

If you’re starting out as a real estate photographer, my advice is simple:

👉 Match the industry.

Do a Google search for real estate photographers in your local area.
Look at what established photographers are charging.
Then come in at a similar price point.

This does two important things:

1. It protects the value of the industry

2. It protects you from overworking just to survive

Once your:
• confidence grows
• workflow improves
• consistency increases

Then you increase your rates.

That’s exactly how I moved from $350 per shoot to $500 per shoot — without burning myself out.

Pricing Is Only Half the Equation

Setting your rates is crucial — but it’s only part of the picture.

The other half is knowing exactly what you’re aiming for each week, and tracking it properly.

That’s what completely changed things for me — and I'll break that down in the next post.