The History of Real Estate Photography

Since technology is ever-changing, it should come as no surprise that the real estate market is, and always has been adapting to this growth.

Let’s face it, today, the vast majority of people find their listings online! Most potential buyers browse through real estate search engines while looking at the photos and property descriptions before making the trip to see it in person.

It’s an efficient and simple way to narrow down the houses that are worth driving to.

While the history of real estate goes back centuries, photography for real estate is fairly new, as it’s the heart and soul of online listings!

Keep reading to learn more about the history of real estate photography…

The 1980s

Before real estate photos were ever posted online, they were used in brochures.

In the 1980s, photos for a listing were made into flyers that were hung up and passed out. Around 1985, Adobe Pagemaker, formerly known as Aldus Pagemaker, was released. Aldus Pagemaker completely changed the game for digital printing.

The face of Aldus Pagemaker, Paul Brainerd, earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism before coming up with the idea for the program. Along with partners specializing in computer engineering, he created Aldus Pagemaker which was compatible with the MacIntosh.

By 1987, virtually anybody could practice making real estate flyers!

The 1990s

In the ’90s, the NWMLS, or Northwest Multiple Listing Service, created a catalog that looked almost like a phonebook with the property listings included.

This organization would take drive-by photos of the listings so they were all available in one convenient location!

The 2000s

By the early 2000s, real estate photographers began making a business out of photographing the listings!

As more and more real estate photographers started popping up, entire organizations started being formed that were devoted to real estate photography. By around 2005, websites showcasing the listings like Zillow and Realtor.com were born!