A professional headshot instantly communicates your credibility to potential clients. When someone searches for a realtor online, your headshot is often their first impression of you.

It isn’t just about getting a decent photo. To successfully take professional headshots, you need to think about:

Designing or curating a backdrop that aligns with your style and instantly builds trust with potential clients
Outlining the appropriate attire for your photo session
Guiding photo retouches and edits

At Headshots.com, we’ve helped over 100,000 people get studio-quality headshots without leaving their house or office. Over the years, we’ve learned what separates a great one that stands out from an average one that blends in with everyone else.

This guide shares planning advice, cost factors, and visual examples to help you nail your shoot.

What to Wear for Real Estate Headshots

First impressions go a long way, especially when trying to build up trust with new clients to get more listings. Use these tips and tricks to make sure you show up to your photo session looking sharp.

Women’s Headshot Attire

Headshot attire for women realtors should display confidence and competence. It’s great to pick out an outfit you feel comfortable in, but you generally want to opt for a simple neckline that doesn’t distract from the rest of the photo.

Choose solid colors that complement your skin tone and professional style. If you typically wear navy suits when meeting clients, wear one in your headshot. Your photo should match how clients will see you in person.

Wardrobe accessories like scarves or light jewelry can be a great way to showcase your personality in a picture.

We can see the confident yet friendly demeanor communicated in each headshot above. Each realtor wears solid, dark colors with occasional pops of color and light accessories.

It would be great to see a little more visual cohesion across this team, but as individual headshots, these are excellent examples of the look for a great headshot.

Men’s Headshot Attire

Men’s headshot attire should focus on dark, solid-colored shirts with an occasional patterned (but not distracting) tie. A confident, friendly smile comes first in earning likability, so don’t be afraid to show your pearly whites.

Colors like navy blue, charcoal gray, and sometimes black tend to work well, while white or light colors can wash you out, especially if you have fairer skin. Be sure you’re well groomed, sit up straight, and dress like you’re meeting your potential clients for the first time. Accessories should be limited to what you wear daily.

Each agent above has a unique style, and both realtors present a friendly smile and wear dark-colored, professional attire.

Examples of How to Pose for Real Estate Headshots

The Total Professional

With professional attire and a centered layout, these classic headshots are a great starting point for any real estate agent. Pose with your shoulders back, keeping your arms relaxed or lightly crossed with a focused smile.

The Personality Picture

These real estate headshots show more of each agent’s personality, showcasing an expressive background or a more casual environment. To achieve this look, maintain the basic guidelines of professional attire and a confident, focused smile. Consider shooting in a location representative of your given market.

Hip to Be Square

Unsure what to do with your hands? Leave one hand straight at your side and the other resting casually on your hip for a simple yet professional pose.

The Friendly Fellow

For a more approachable look, showcase your natural smile while maintaining professional posture.

The Power Cross

Simply cross your arms, keeping your hands tucked in and shoulders relaxed, and let your smile do the talking.

Planning Your Real Estate Headshot Session

Planning your headshots can be more of a hassle than you’d first anticipate, especially since the industry is known for highly variable schedules. Here’s what you can expect from each step of the process, from the initial coordination to securing those final prints for your website, social media, LinkedIn profiles, brochures, and more.

The Traditional Headshot Process [The Hard Way]

Getting professional headshots the traditional way involves several time-consuming steps:

1. Booking & Planning (2-3 weeks)

Research and contact photographers who specialize in professional headshots
Book weeks in advance due to limited availability
Coordinate schedules if shooting multiple team members

2. Shoot Day (2-4 hours)

Travel to the photography location
Work around weather conditions for outdoor shoots
Complete multiple poses and outfit changes
Adjust lighting and backgrounds for different marketing needs

3. Post-Production (1-2 weeks)

Wait for initial edited photos
Request revisions for lighting, expressions, or touch-ups
Pay additional fees for extra editing requests
Order different file formats for web and print use

Each step can introduce delays and unexpected costs, turning what seems like a simple photo session into a weeks-long project.

Virtual Headshots [The Easy Way]

Skip the traditional hassles of photoshoots with our process at Headshots.com:

1. Quick Setup (15 minutes)

Take photos with your own phone or camera
Follow our simple photography tips
Choose from our professional background options
Submit everything through our online platform

2. Expert Editing (3 business days)

Professional retouching by hand (no AI, ever)
Custom background integration
Brand-aligned color correction
Unlimited revisions until you’re satisfied

3. Ready to Use (Instant delivery)

Download web-optimized files for social media
Access print-ready versions for marketing materials
Get multiple formats included in one price
Start using your new headshots immediately

Total time from start to finish: Less than 4 business days

Backed by our Happiness Guarantee, you’ll get professional results without disrupting your busy schedule. Look through some of our customer examples to see the quality you can expect from our virtual headshot creation.

What You Can Expect to Pay for Real Estate Headshots

For headshots obtained via the traditional route, you can expect to pay a ballpark amount of $100 to $500 per professional headshot or realtor.

Some photographers may charge extra for retouches like fixing makeup or creating a custom background.

Opting for a fully remote service like Headshots.com is more affordable, as it only costs $50 per finished picture and can drop to as low as $25 per picture, including all edits. Our team of experts guides your employees through capturing and submitting great photos, and they edit each portrait by hand to provide professional headshots focused on your brand’s identity.

Next Steps: Get Studio-Quality Real Estate Headshots Done Entirely Online

Ready to secure professional headshots without an in-person photo session? Learn more about our 100% virtual headshot services here.

We’re committed to taking care of you at every stage of the process, so your team can focus on showing and selling houses.

How to Take Amazing Real Estate Headshots (w/Examples)