Photo editing can be a time-consuming task, so real estate agents naturally wonder whether they should outsource it.
In general, our recommendation is that they should. Photo editing is a specialist skill and those looking to sell properties can benefit tremendously from professional work.
The concern, though, is that you’ll lose control. If an editor can do whatever they want to images of a home’s interior, where does that leave you?
The purpose of this post is to guide you if you’re in this position. You’ll learn why agents are outsourcing real estate photo editing in 2025, the risks involved, how to do it so you remain in control, and some strategies for communicating your needs to editors.
Why Agents Outsource Photo Editing in 2025
Agents use real estate photo editing services for all sorts of reasons, including:
- Reducing the cost and expense of trying to edit photos in-house (perhaps with a team lacking the skills)
- Benefiting from professional expertise and know-how on ways to make real estate photos look as good as possible
- The scalability of outsourcing, especially if hundreds of images require editing
- To take advantage of AI-related trends, which can further enhance property photos while remaining true to life
High-quality photo editing has become critical for many real estate agents, simply because of the force of competition. Today, attention-grabbing and spell-binding property images are no longer optional.
The Risks of Poorly Managed Outsourcing (And How to Avoid Them)
Of course, learning how to outsource photo editing for realtors is fraught with risk. You can wind up making mistakes that ultimately undermine what you want to achieve.
Here are some of the things that can go wrong:
Data Security Risks
Sometimes, photo editors don’t operate the same online security standards as you do, meaning they could leak information. Fortunately, you can fix this issue by using encrypted file sharing systems and ensuring editors use them (but not everyone does).
Quality Problems
Another issue can be quality. Anyone can set themselves up as a photo editor and start creating images that might be less-than-ideal for your brand.
You can get around this by partnering with a provider with good reviews, known for their quality edits. Don’t pick the first option you see in Fiverr.
No Control
You can also risk losing control over the editing process when you start outsourcing editing for real estate listings to third parties. There’s a risk that the editors won’t follow your vision.
You can get around this partially by being clearer in your briefs and providing examples of what you like. However, you may simply have to try several photo editors before you get what you want.
Problems With Communication
Finally, problems with communication can derail your photo editing efforts. Even small misunderstandings can lead to serious issues. (We discuss how to resolve these problems below).
Step-by-Step: How to Outsource Photo Editing Without Losing Control
So, how do you outsource photo editing while retaining control over the process? Here’s the step-by-step process we recommend:
1. Define Your Editing Requirements
The first step is to think carefully about the type of editing you need. Editors will often revert to default methods unless you are explicit.
As a real estate agent, this usually means making rooms bright and airy (which most editors will understand), but it is always worth spelling it out.
2. Choose A Partner You Trust
Once you have your editing requirements written down, it’s time to pick a partner with real estate photo editing experience. You want someone who instinctively understands your requirements.
We suggest choosing Phixer as your editing partner. All you need to do is upload your images to our platform and our editors will create magazine-quality marketing materials for your listings. We also offer AI instant editing, which also delivers high-quality, instant edits with professional precision (just like what you’d get if you went to a professional editor).
3. Establish Communication And Guidelines
If you decide to go with a professional editor, the next step is to share your brief with them, telling them what you need. You might also want to clarify guidelines by sharing some sample images, clarifying your expectations.
For communication, a professional tool like Slack is usually best. You can use email, but it’s clunky.
4. Review The Edits
Some time after you commission the work, the editor will send the edited photos to you for review. You’ll need to look through these and then confirm whether they meet your standards.
5. Refine And Publish
Finally, you’ll want to keep going back and forth with your editor until you’re happy with the results. As you repeat this process, you’ll figure out what works for you, what doesn’t, and how to improve it.
Communication Tips to Ensure Smooth Collaboration
Knowing how to communicate with an editor can be tricky and you won’t always get it right. So, what should you do? Here’s our guidance:
- Be precise with what you want when sending instructions to editors (i.e. “make the bathroom look brighter”)
- Set up a feedback loop so you can tell editors what you like, and what you want them to change next time
- Provide visual examples of the style you like so your editors have a template to follow
Recommended Tools for Streamlined Outsourcing
If you want to enhance your property photo editing workflow even further, it pays to use the right tools. Here’s what we recommend:
- Cloud storage, such as Dropbox or Google Drive
- A communications platform, like Zoom or Slack
- Project management software if dealing with multiple editors and properties (e.g. Trello)
Conclusion
Having read this, you should now know how to outsource real estate photos for editing and where to look for the best real estate photo editors for agents. At Phixer, we believe that AI technology is now so advanced that most real estate agents can benefit from using our instant AI editing tool and avoiding a lot of the hassle outlined above.