Those eye-catching photographs of houses for sale routinely put out by Realtors looking to sell their clients’ properties? Be assured of this: They were not taken with an iPhone.
Just as there are portrait photographers, wedding and event photographers and crime scene photographers, so, too, there are real estate photographers, and an interesting niche market it is as well.
The Westfair Business Journal recently caught up with Justin Paliotta, who specializes in real estate photography, or more correctly, real estate media, including photography, videography and lifestyle photo shoots.
Paliottta has spent most of his life in Westchester County. He grew up in Yorktown and now lives in Yonkers. “It’s been an amazing journey,” he said, one that included college days at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury. (That’s where he learned that Danbury has the best buffalo wings in the area –in particular the Ugly American wings at TJ’s Bar and Grill.)
But we digress. Indeed, Paliotta’s love for photography started earlier, in 12th grade, when he took a photo elective. “From the moment I held a camera, I knew it was my true calling.”
He began his career with weddings and events but soon realized his heart was in real estate photography, a leaning confirmed in his first job with a national real estate media company.
“My first day on the job was quite the adventure,” he recalled.
He was training with another photographer at a stunning house in New Jersey. The homeowner, an artist, was drunk and kept asking the crew philosophical questions like, “What is your passion in life?” Despite the odd situation, Paliotta said he stayed focused. While photographing the backyard, the homeowner, in his artistic fervor, accidentally fell into the swimming pool. “The real estate agent helped him out, and he simply said, ‘I got a bum knee, it must have given out on me.’” Despite the chaos, the experience solidified his love for real estate photography. “It was a wild start, but it confirmed that this was the right path for me.”
Paliotta especially enjoys lifestyle shoots, which are fun, he said, as they involve photographing real estate agents doing everyday things, such as candidly standing in the kitchen answering a call or text, or conferencing with a co-agent. “The best is when I get to watch an agent try and laugh naturally. I’ve heard some interesting laughs.”
He photographed for two real estate companies for 11 years, learning the importance of personalized care, and had the “privilege” of working with “some of the most amazing agents” at Sotheby’s, Houlihan Lawrence, Re/Max and Coldwell Banker, before finally starting his own business, Justin Paliotta Photography, in August 2024.
A genial, patient photographer who is not given to drama (we know because we joined him on an upscale real estate shoot), the altruistic Paliotta said one of the things he was most excited about was mentoring budding college photographers. “My own college experience was invaluable, and I want to offer the same to others,” he said.
Asked for any tips for young media photgraphers, Paliotta said the importance of good editing was crucial. “Don’t settle for less, because your clients deserve the best,” he advised. “And stay updated with the latest practices.”
