Real Estate Photography and Videography Pre-Appointment Checklist

Preparing before a real estate photography shoot is essential to ensure the best possible outcome and showcase the property in its most appealing light.

To ensure we deliver the highest quality possible, we ask that the property be fully prepared and free of distractions before our arrival:

1. Estimating Photo Needs for Your Home

When in doubt, it is always better to over-order your photo count rather than under-order.

To showcase a home effectively, we recommend capturing at least:

• 2 angles of every room,

• 3–4 angles of the front and back exteriors, and

• 3–5 angles for key areas like kitchens, living rooms, and primary bedrooms.

• Professionally staged homes may require 1.5 to 2 times more photos than unstaged properties to truly capture the detail.

We always recommend purchasing 20%–30% more photos than you think you need. It's best to have wide variety of choices and have fresh "backup images" ready to go for social media and to refresh your listing after it’s been live for a week or two.

Lastly, you may be thinking, "I can always have the photographer take more if they think it's necessary"—but that’s not always possible. Remember that our photographers often have another shoot immediately following yours. Because of these tight windows, we may not have the flexibility to add extra photos on the fly. If we are able to accommodate a last-minute expansion of the shoot, it will require a premium charge to account for the unexpected shift in our daily schedule.

2. Property Captured "As Is"

To protect your property and our team, our photographers do not physically move furniture or personal items unless it is clearly safe and necessary to do so. While we do our best to spot misplaced items or small distractions during the shoot, the primary responsibility for cleaning and staging lies with the client. If the property needs a little extra help after the fact, we offer advanced editing services—such as furniture removal or custom touch-ups—which can be requested for an additional fee. Otherwise, we capture the home exactly as it is presented upon arrival to ensure we stay on schedule for all our clients.

3. Weather Policy

We’re experts at photography, but we aren't weathermen! Monitoring the forecast for your shoot is ultimately the client's responsibility. If you’re worried about unpredictable skies, we highly recommend adding our Weather Guarantee add-on during checkout. Think of it like travel insurance: it waives all last-minute cancellation fees and allows you to reschedule without penalty if the weather doesn't cooperate.

If this protection is not purchased, our standard policy applies, and any cancellations or reschedules made within 24 hours of the appointment will be subject to a 25% fee. For those with the guarantee, our team monitors conditions daily and will proactively recommend the best times to reschedule to ensure your home is captured in the best possible light.

4. Vacate the House

To get the best results, we recommend providing our photographers with a completely unoccupied space. Even when someone is "hiding" in another room or moving from floor to floor to stay out of the way, it can be quite distracting and often slows down the creative process.

While we love a friendly chat, our artists typically manage 2–5 jobs a day across the metro area and need to stay laser-focused to remain on schedule while maintaining premium quality that our clients demand.

Please plan to vacate the property entirely so our experts can fully immerse themselves in the environment and capture your listing efficiently.

5. Property Preperations & Staging

Below is our comprehensive guide to preparing your space for photography:

• Clean up: Remove clutter, boxes, and stage the property the best you can. Move around furniture if needed and clear off the counters. Our team is not allowed to help move things as it can make us liable for damage or personal injury.

  
  

• Stage the Home Virtually or Professionally: You can opt to try Virtual Staging, hire a professional staging company, or stage your home yourself by doing things like setting up your dining area with dishes, bowls, glasses, and utensils.

  
  

• Turn On Lights and Replace Every Burned Out Bulb: Turn on every light inside and outside, including bedside lamps, accent lights, and garage lights. Replace all burned-out bulbs.

  
  

• Open All Blinds: It's not required, but recommended to fully open all blinds and curtains. If a window is damaged or is not presentable, leave the blinds down and twist them open to let some light in. Replace broken or unsecured blinds. Our team is not liable for unsecured or damaged blinds.

  
  

• Remove Screens if Possible: Removing the screens can make our editing more crisp and vibrant but it's not always possible which is perfectly fine. We rarely see the screens removed beforehand.

  
  

• Turn Off Ceiling Fans and TV's: Turn off ceiling fans but leave remotes out and accessible in case the photographer needs to turn them on for videos. You can leave your TV on or off it doesn't make any difference. We photoshop over reflective screens during post editing.

  
  

• Move Vehicles Down the Street: Park vehicles, trailers, and campers far away to not appear in drone photos (1 block or 100 ft). The drone shows everything on your street. If you cannot move vehicles, hiding them in the garage is the second best option. You may ask neighbors to move cars the day before if you think their cars will be in the way.

  
  

• Prepare Outdoor Spaces: Clean up outdoor spaces, remove patio furniture covers, ready outdoor firepits, uncover furniture, open umbrellas, and mow the lawn. Hide trash cans if possible.

  
  

• Unlock Doors: Unlock doors to all the areas of the home. Although some areas may not be presentable, and do not need to be photographed, they should be accessed by your photographer to include them in the total square footage of your floor plan.

  
  

• Hire a Window Cleaning Company: Clean windows, glass, doors, and showers.

  
  

• Straighten Hung Decor & Pictures: Straighten picture frames and arrange decor. You may opt to hide or remove private photos and family photos or request that our team blurs or removes them in post editing.

6. Vacate Pets

We love animals, but pets at home—even those kept outside—often end up in the shot or get spooked by drone motors and 3D scanning equipment. To keep things stress-free for your furry friends and our team, we highly recommend taking pets with you or dropping them off with a friend for the duration of the shoot.

7. Preparing for Twilight Photography

Twilight shoots are all about timing, and every location is a bit different. Factors like mountain shadows, eastward-facing views, or heavy tree cover can change the "golden hour" significantly.

Because timing is so precise, please give us a call after booking online so we can sync up and confirm the perfect start time for your specific property.

8. Delivery Times

We know you're excited to get your listing live! Our standard HDR photos are delivered within 24 hours (by the end of the following business day). For video, luxury photography, or STR shoots, please allow 48 hours for our editors to work their magic.

9. Client Delay Fee

Each appointment is booked for a specific duration based on the services requested. Because our photographers have tight schedules to meet, staying on-site beyond the allotted time due to prep delays or access issues will be billed at $100 per hour (in 15-minute increments). Having the home ready when we arrive helps everyone stay on track!

10. Cancellations & Rescheduling

Life happens, but because we reserve a specific block of time just for you, a 25% fee applies to any cancellations or rescheduling made within 24 hours of your appointment. Additionally, please note that all refunds are subject to a non-refundable 2.9% credit card processing fee retained by our provider.

To ensure your request is timestamped and processed correctly, all cancellations or reschedules must be handled manually through our online booking portal. Because our team is often out in the field and we do not monitor emails 24/7, an email or phone call does not constitute a formal cancellation.

Please note that our team reserves the right to cancel or reschedule for any reason. While this is rare, emergencies do happen, and our photographers have the final say on rescheduling due to extreme weather or unsafe driving conditions to ensure everyone's safety.

11. Property Access

Time is of the essence! If a property is inaccessible upon arrival and we can’t reach the primary contact within 15 minutes, our team may move forward with exterior photos only. In these cases, no refund will be provided for the missed interior portions.

Have a Question? Ready to Book?

Following these steps will help us ensure everything is completed effectively and that your photos will be as beautiful as they should be.

If you are unsure or have any questions about our checklist please email us at info@jeevesdrones.com or call or text us at (855) 338-3751.

Ready to book? Place your order and schedule easily online here: https://media.jeevesdrones.com/order

Terms of Service: By booking a shoot and utilizing our services, you automatically consent to and are bound by our full Terms of Service. For a deeper dive into our policies regarding liability, usage rights, and detailed service agreements, please visit https://www.jeevesdrones.com/terms-of-service.