How Much Real Estate Photographers Actually Make in 2026

I’ve made just over $30,000 in the first three months of 2026.

Most real estate photographers are not making close to that. And even for me, it’s still not built the way I want it to be yet. I’ve got a long way to go.

My name is Cole Connor. Over the past few years, I’ve grown two six-figure real estate media businesses — one on the East Coast and one on the West — while documenting the process online. Somewhere along the way, the channel crossed a million views, and now a big part of what I do is teach other photographers and creators how to grow in this space.

So I wanted to break down:

• where my income actually comes from
• what real estate photographers really make
• and what I’m trying to build moving forward

Because people online tend to treat this industry in extremes.

Either:

• “real estate photography is dead”
• or “everyone’s making six figures”

Neither is really true.

Where My Income Comes From

Right now, I’m technically on track for around $125K this year if things continue steadily. Most of that still comes from Bow Real Estate Media — going out and shooting photo, video, drone, floor plans, and 3D tours for listings.

The biggest shift this year is that around 55% of my income is finally coming from my own company.

Last year, I was relying way too heavily on working for other companies.

Now my own client base is becoming the foundation.

The other 25% still comes from freelancing for other media companies — helping with shoots, video, floor plans, and overflow work.

That’s something I think photographers misunderstand sometimes:
your peers are not always your competition.

A lot of opportunities in this industry come from relationships.

The Creator Income Shift

The part I’m most excited about is that creator income finally became around 20% of my income this quarter for the first time ever.

That includes:

• YouTube
• Instagram
• TikTok
• Facebook
• sponsorships
• online content

That matters to me because it’s the first income stream that isn’t directly tied to me physically going out and shooting a house.

That’s the direction I want to keep building toward.

I still love real estate media. I love architecture. I love shooting beautiful spaces. But my long-term goal is bigger than staying in one place shooting houses forever.

I want to:

• travel
• create films
• shoot incredible homes around the world
• make music videos
• inspire people
• and continue teaching creatives how to build something for themselves

That’s the vision.

What Most Real Estate Photographers Make

After doing research and talking with photographers across the industry, these seem to be the rough ranges right now.

Beginner Photographers

Most beginners in the U.S. are usually around:

• $2K–$4K/month

Solid Freelancers

Photographers with recurring clients and steady systems usually land around:

• $5K–$8K/month

Top Operators

Then you have photographers and media companies doing:

• $10K–$20K+ months

When I went to the PMRE conference last year, a huge percentage of the room raised their hands when asked if they were making over $10K a month.

So yes — there are photographers doing very well in this industry.

But most people are still somewhere in that beginner-to-solid-freelancer stage.

Internationally, the numbers vary too:

• Germany: around $3K–$6K/month
• Italy: around $2K–$4K/month
• Australia: around $4K–$9K/month

Making $10K/month in real estate photography is still on the higher end.

That jump from where I was last year to where I am now means a lot to me.

My Next Goal

The next goal is consistent $15K months.

Not because I’m chasing some insane lifestyle.

I want:

• more freedom
• more time with my son
• more time with family
• more time creating

And if I’m still trading time for money, I want to do it at a higher level so I’m not shooting nonstop every day of the week.

The Biggest Shift Helping Me Grow

The biggest shift this year has been hiring help.

I stopped editing most of my YouTube videos myself.

I brought in help for:

• YouTube editing
• real estate video editing
• photo editing
• and I’ve started experimenting with a virtual assistant too

What that process exposed is how scattered my workflow had become.

Trying to balance:

• shoots
• editing
• content
• outreach
• social media
• family
• business operations

…starts getting chaotic fast when everything depends on one person.

Building a team has been one of the first things that’s made the business feel more scalable.

Final Thoughts

Real estate photography can absolutely become a real business.

But it usually stops being “just photography.”

The people doing well right now are combining:

• photography
• video
• branding
• systems
• marketing
• social media
• client relationships
• and content creation

At a certain point, you’re not really just a photographer anymore.

You’re building a media company.