I Tracked 100 Real Estate Photography Clients. Here’s Exactly Where They Came From.

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One of the questions I get asked more than any other is:

“How do you actually get real estate photography clients?”

There are hundreds of videos online with opinions about cold calling, Instagram, Google Ads, referrals, networking, and pretty much every strategy you can imagine. Instead of giving another opinion, I wanted to look at the actual data.

So I went back through 113 clients I’ve worked with since moving to Los Angeles and tracked down exactly where each one came from.

Not where I thought they came from.

Where they actually found me.

The results were surprising.

My Biggest Source of Clients Wasn’t Social Media

Going into this, I assumed Instagram or referrals would probably be my biggest source.

They weren’t.

The clear winner was my website, Google Business Profile, and Google Search.

Website, Google Business Profile & Google Search — 42 Clients

Out of 113 clients, 42 found me through Google.

These are people who searched online, found my website, and either booked through my scheduler or reached out through email or text.

For me, this confirmed something I’ve believed for a while:

A strong website and local SEO continue to pay dividends.

While social media gets most of the attention, many people are actively searching for a photographer when they need one. If your website is optimized and your Google Business Profile is complete, you’re giving yourself the opportunity to show up when buyers have real intent.

Referrals Still Matter

The second-largest category was referrals.

Referrals — 23 Clients

Nearly a quarter of my business came from people recommending my work to someone else.

This isn’t something you can force overnight.

It comes from consistently delivering a great experience, communicating well, showing up on time, and making agents feel confident recommending you to others.

Good work compounds.

Thumbtack Was Better Than Most People Think

Thumbtack often gets criticized because you’re paying for leads that are also sent to other photographers.

For me, it still became a meaningful source of business.

Thumbtack — 15 Clients

Many of these turned into repeat clients, and some became some of my highest-volume relationships.

The lesson?

If you’re going to pay for leads, you need a fast response time, competitive pricing, and a professional presentation. Winning the first job is only half the battle. The goal is turning that first booking into a long-term client.

Working With Other Companies

One category that often gets overlooked is simply building relationships with other photographers and media companies.

Working With Other Companies — 16 Clients

Some photographers preferred outsourcing certain jobs.

Others wanted separate invoicing.

Some opportunities simply came from being someone people trusted.

Networking isn’t always about finding agents.

Sometimes it’s about becoming known within the industry itself.

Office Presentations Are Underrated

One strategy that continues to surprise me is speaking directly to real estate offices.

Office Presentations — 9 Clients

Walking into an office and giving a presentation immediately puts you in front of dozens of agents at once.

You’re no longer just another photographer sending cold emails.

They’ve met you.

They’ve seen your work.

They know your personality.

I honestly think this strategy is still incredibly undervalued.

Personal Outreach Still Works

Cold outreach isn’t glamorous, but it absolutely produced business.

Personal Outreach — 8 Clients

Some clients came through cold emails.

Others came from cold calls.

One came from grabbing coffee through the Chamber of Commerce.

Another came from messaging someone inside a Facebook group.

The lesson here is simple:

Every conversation is a potential opportunity.

Smaller Sources Still Produced Clients

Several other categories brought in fewer clients individually, but they still mattered.

Airbnb

Working with Airbnb led to repeat work when previous clients reached out directly for future projects.

Instagram

Only four clients came directly from Instagram.

That doesn’t mean Instagram isn’t valuable. It helps build credibility, but for me, it wasn’t the primary driver of new business.

ChatGPT

A few clients actually mentioned finding me through ChatGPT recommendations.

It’s still a very small percentage today, but it’s interesting to see AI beginning to influence how people discover local businesses.

The $51,000 Client Almost Didn’t Happen

One of the craziest discoveries came while reviewing my client list.

Technically, my biggest client came through my website.

The problem?

Their email landed in my spam folder.

Thankfully, I eventually found it.

That single client has generated over $51,000 in business.

It was a reminder that you never truly know which opportunity will become your biggest relationship.

Treat every inquiry professionally.

There Isn’t One Magic Client Source

After reviewing all 113 clients, one thing became obvious.

There wasn’t one secret strategy.

Instead, my business grew because I was consistently putting myself in multiple places at once.

• Maintaining a professional website
• Optimizing my Google Business Profile
• Building relationships
• Speaking at real estate offices
• Using platforms like Thumbtack
• Reaching out directly
• Delivering work worth referring

The more places people could discover me, the more opportunities I created.

Final Thoughts

One thing I also noticed while reviewing this list was how many clients I haven’t heard from again.

Some probably left the industry.

Some found someone cheaper.

Others simply moved on.

That’s business.

Not every client becomes a lifelong relationship.

The important part isn’t keeping every client forever—it’s continuing to create new opportunities while delivering work that makes people want to refer you.

If you’re trying to grow your real estate photography business, don’t spend all your energy looking for one perfect marketing strategy.

Build a great website.

Create work you’re proud of.

Put yourself in front of people consistently.

Then let time and great service compound.

If you’d like to watch the full breakdown—including the exact numbers and my thoughts on each client source—check out the full video on my YouTube channel.