Phones take great pictures of people, food and sunsets. Listing photos are a different job. They have to show a whole room accurately, in mixed light, on a screen the size of a playing card.

If you want the research on why photos matter so much to buyers, we covered it in Chicago Listing Photography: What Buyers Value Most. This post is the practical side: what a professional shoot actually includes, how it differs from phone photos, and how to get a Chicago home ready for shoot day.

So a quick question first. Looking at the gallery on your last listing, which photo would you retake if you could?

Phone photos vs a pro shoot, side by side

Here is where the difference shows up, room by room.

• Light. A phone's auto HDR guesses at one blend. We bracket several exposures and blend them so the view out the window and the room itself are both visible.
• Straight lines. Wide phone lenses tilt walls and doorways. We level the camera and correct verticals so the home looks the way it does in person.
• Honest space. Phone ultra wide lenses stretch rooms. We choose compositions that show how rooms connect without making them look bigger than they are.
• Consistent color. Walls should not be yellow in one photo and blue in the next. We match white balance across the whole gallery.
• A planned shot list. A cover photo picked on purpose, every room the buyer cares about, and a gallery ordered like a walkthrough.
• Editing that stays honest. We edit for light and color, not to hide anything a buyer will see at the showing.
• Fast, ready to post files. Photos are sized for the MLS and Zillow, usually delivered within 24 hours and guaranteed within 48.

What a pro shoot can add that a phone can't

One visit can cover more than photos. These are the add ons agents ask about most.

• Twilight exteriors. A dusk cover shot with the lights on, built to stand out in search results.
• Drone photos and video. Aerials show the lot, the block and how close the home is to parks, transit or the lake. Our drone work is flown by FAA Part 107 certified pilots. The FAA says anyone flying a drone for business must be a certificated remote pilot, and Chicago's Municipal Code adds its own rules, including no flights over private property without the owner's consent. See our drone media page.
• Floor plans. Floor Plan Pro is $250 for homes up to 2,500 sq ft, plus $75 per additional 2,500 sq ft. See our floor plans page.
• 3D tours. A Matterport tour is $250 on its own or $150 as an add on. A Zillow 3D Home tour is $200 on its own or $95 as an add on. See our virtual tour page.
• Virtual staging. $20 per photo as an add on, or $55 per 360 photo for 360 virtual staging. NAR's Code of Ethics requires Realtors to present a true picture and bans misleading images, which is why virtually staged photos should be clearly labeled. See our virtual staging page.
• Listing video. Our video packages are $1,495, $895 and $495. See our videography page.

Listing on Zillow Showcase? Our Zillow Showcase photographer packages capture the photos, 3D tour and floor plan in one visit. Zillow's Showcase fees are separate, and booking with us does not activate Showcase.

How many photos is enough?

More is not automatically better. A peer reviewed study of MLS listings by Benefield, Cain and Johnson, published in the Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics in 2011, found that adding photos was linked to higher sale prices, with each extra photo adding a little less than the one before. The same study found more photos were also linked to a longer time on market.

Our takeaway: cover every room a buyer cares about, lead with the strongest images, and skip the five near duplicate shots of the same hallway.

How to prep a Chicago home for its photo shoot

The best photos start with a prepared home. Here is what we ask sellers to do before we arrive.

Outside

• Move cars out of the driveway and off the front of the house if you can.
• Put trash and recycling bins out of sight, and close the garage door.
• In winter, shovel and salt the walk and steps so the front of the home looks cared for.

Inside

• Turn on every light, including lamps and under cabinet lights.
• Open blinds and curtains evenly in every room.
• Clear kitchen and bathroom counters down to one or two items.
• Put away personal photos, mail, pet bowls and cords.
• Close toilet lids and remove bath mats and towels you would not want in a listing.
• Plan for pets to be out of the home, or in one room we can skip.

Condos and buildings

• Reserve the elevator or loading dock if the building requires it, and tell the front desk we are coming.
• Ask management in advance if you want photos of the lobby, gym, roof deck or other amenities.
• Let us know where to park. Downtown buildings often have specific rules.

Our free listing prep checklist walks sellers through all of it room by room.

What it means for agents, not just sellers

Every listing is also marketing for the agent. Strong photos help you in the next listing appointment, fill your social feeds and show sellers you take their home seriously. Brokerages that want that consistency across every agent can look at our brokerage media programs.

Photography packages

Our listing photo packages are $695 for Signature Media, $395 for Full Service, $295 for Essential and $200 for Basic Photos, so you can match the package to the home and the price point. See what each includes on our residential real estate photography page or compare everything on our pricing page.

There is $0 due when you book. You pay when your media is delivered, or agents can choose Pay at Close with Titus on eligible orders.

Book Chicago real estate photography

We have photographed listings across Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana since 2021. Have a listing coming up? You can book your shoot online, or read our real estate photography FAQ first.

We are open 7 days a week, 8am to 6pm. Call us at (312) 767-1706 or text (312) 667-5974.

Sources

• FAA, Getting Started with drones: faa.gov
• Chicago Municipal Code Section 10-36-400, Small unmanned aircraft: codelibrary.amlegal.com
• National Association of REALTORS, 2026 Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice: nar.realtor
• Benefield, Cain and Johnson, "On the Relationship Between Property Price, Time on Market, and Photo Depictions in a Multiple Listing Service," Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, 2011: link.springer.com