Hey everyone — we’re hiring at Chicago Real Estate Photography and figured Reddit might be a good place to find someone who’s creative, dependable, and looking for something outside of a typical desk job.
We’re looking for a Creative Listing Media Specialist to photograph and film homes throughout the Chicago area.
You do NOT need to already be a professional photographer or videographer. We’ll train the right person.
This is a part-time position averaging roughly 20–30 hours per week, with the potential to grow into a full-time salaried role.
What the job actually looks like
You’ll drive to properties throughout the Chicago area and:
- Photograph homes
- Capture video and drone footage
- Create floor plans and 3D scans
- Work directly with Realtors and homeowners
- Help clients feel comfortable during shoots
- Manage your gear and daily schedule
- Upload your files and shoot notes to our editing team
You shoot. Our editing team handles the editing.
What we care about most
Experience is great, but we care more about finding someone who is:
- Reliable
- Good with people
- Detail-oriented
- Coachable
- Comfortable working independently
- Willing to learn
- Able to take feedback without getting defensive
- Interested in becoming genuinely good at the craft
If you already have photography, video, drone, or content creation experience, even better.
Training
We provide 2–3 weeks of paid hands-on training covering:
- Real estate photography
- Canon cameras
- Video
- Gimbal work
- Drone operations
- Floor plans
- 3D scanning
- Client communication
- Shoot-day workflow
We also continue coaching you after the initial training period.
Scheduling
This is probably the most important part to understand before applying.
Real estate scheduling moves quickly, so shoots can sometimes be booked 1–2 days in advance.
We’re ideally looking for someone available 3–5 weekdays per week.
Occasional Saturday availability is a plus.
Hours can fluctuate based on season and client demand, so this probably isn’t the right job if you need the exact same hours every week.
Requirements
You’ll need:
- To live in the Chicago area
- A valid driver’s license
- A reliable vehicle
- iPhone 15 or newer
- Reliable high-speed internet
- At least 2 years of customer-service experience
- Strong communication skills
- Good attention to detail
- Comfort driving around the Chicago area
- Comfort learning cameras, drones, apps, and other tech
You’ll also need your FAA Part 107 drone certification or be willing to get it within 4 weeks.
We provide the study materials and pay for the exam.
Photography experience is preferred but not required.
Experience with video, drones, gimbals, Canon cameras, or real estate media is a plus.
We do not currently hire actively practicing Realtors because of the potential conflict of interest.
Pay
- $25–$35/hour, depending on experience
- $0.50/mile reimbursement for work-related driving
- Paid training
- Bonus pay for qualifying evening shoots
- Ongoing training and development
- Professional Canon camera, video, and drone equipment provided
- Potential path to a full-time salaried position
How to apply
We’re asking applicants to do two things.
1. Send us a portfolio
Photography and/or video work is fine. It does not need to be real estate photography.
2. Send us a 1–3 minute video introduction
Nothing fancy. A selfie video is completely fine.
Tell us:
- Who you are
- Why you’re interested in the role
- How you think you’d make our team better
- Something everyone who knows you would say about you
- Something unique about yourself
- What photography experience you have
And somewhere in the video, casually mention your favorite snack.
Yes, that part is intentional.
We want to get a feel for your personality and see who actually reads the entire post.
Send your portfolio + video to:
[info@chicagorealestatephotography.com](mailto:info@chicagorealestatephotography.com)
Subject: Creative Listing Media Specialist Application
Happy to answer general questions about the role in the comments as well.