FILE OPERATIONS · 7 MIN READ
A folder structure for a real estate photography business
A folder tree should help someone find the correct media without knowing who created it. It should not become a second, unreliable job-management system.
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Use one root per property job, named with a stable job identifier and recognizable property label. Inside it, separate administration, original sources by service, working files, review versions and approved delivery files. Keep active work apart from archive, apply role-based access and a documented retention policy, and store production status in the job record rather than encoding it only in folders or filenames.
Choose a stable property-job root
Use a unique job ID plus a readable label such as a shortened address or client reference. The identifier prevents collisions when addresses repeat, units are similar or the same property is photographed again.
Keep client-wide templates and brand assets outside individual job roots, with controlled links or references where needed.
| Path level | Purpose | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Job root | Unique container for one commissioned job | Stable ID plus readable label |
| Sources | Original files grouped by service or capture unit | Preserve originals and completeness |
| Work and review | Editable files and proposed versions | Keep version ownership visible |
| Approved delivery | Accepted client-facing outputs only | Exclude sources and rejected versions |
Separate services without splitting the job
Within the source and work areas, group photos, video, drone and floor-plan material so each handoff can be checked. Keep the shared property identity and brief at the job root so service folders do not become disconnected mini-jobs.
If multiple cameras or operators contribute, use consistent capture-group names that production can match to the service list.
Control versions and permissions
Use a simple version convention and keep one clearly identified current review candidate. Do not overwrite an approved delivery without preserving the handoff record. Limit external collaborators to the folders necessary for their assignment.
Apply the studio’s privacy, security and client-contract requirements. A convenient shared link is not automatically the correct access model.
- Keep original uploads read-only where practical.
- Remove obsolete collaborator access.
- Exclude rejected work from approved delivery.
- Connect revisions to the delivered version they change.
Archive through a documented closeout
Before moving a job out of active work, confirm that delivery evidence exists, outstanding revisions are resolved and the approved package is identifiable. Apply the studio’s retention schedule to sources, work files and finals rather than deleting ad hoc.
Review the folder pattern when people repeatedly create side folders or cannot find a handoff. The best structure is the smallest one the team uses consistently.