EDITING · 5 MIN READ
What files should a real estate photographer send to an editor?
An upload can finish successfully while the editing handoff is still incomplete. The editor needs to know which property, which files and which expected result belong together.
QUICK ANSWER
Send the verified source files required by your editing method, a clear selection or grouping, the property job identifier, ordered output, current style reference, property-specific instructions, due time and delivery format. Keep originals intact, separate services, and make one person responsible for answering gaps before editing begins.
Send a complete unit of work
Use a stable job identifier and separate photo, drone, video and floor-plan materials. Include the source set your own workflow requires and tell the editor whether all frames, selected frames or bracket groups are expected. Do not make the editor guess whether a file is intentionally absent.
Verify that the files open and match the correct property before assigning the work.
- Property and job identifier.
- Verified source folders and selection method.
- Ordered outputs and required format.
- Reusable style reference plus job-specific exceptions.
- Due time, time zone and named reviewer.
Separate sources, submissions and approvals
Keep original sources unchanged. Give the editor a working or submitted-version location that is different from the approved delivery folder. This preserves the starting point when a correction is needed and stops an unreviewed export from appearing client-ready.
Apply access controls appropriate to client and property material, and remove access when the handoff no longer requires it.
Illustrative photo handoff
For a fictional property job, the photographer uploads four clearly grouped interior bracket sets and twelve exterior source images, marks the selected frames, attaches the standard color reference and notes one property-specific window request. The editor acknowledges the source count and output list before starting. A missing exterior frame is resolved by the intake owner instead of becoming a surprise during QC.
The example is a workflow template, not a universal capture prescription.
Confirm receipt before starting the clock
Ask the editor to confirm access, completeness and any unclear instruction. If the handoff is incomplete, move it to an exception queue with a named resolver. The expected editing time should begin from the agreed ready point, not from the first partial upload.
- Can the editor identify every expected source group?
- Can the editor state the required final outputs?
- Is there one current brief and one person to answer questions?