Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Robert Reynolds. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Robert, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Crazy stuff happening is almost as certain as death and taxes – it’s technically “unexpected” but something unexpected happening is to be expected and so can you share a crazy story with our readers

I like to talk with with first time clients during shoots, just to get a feel for them and their stories. If we’re going to be working together, building a relationship beyond just “what services do you need?”, goes a long way. The additional knowledge gained is also helpful when talking with others in the real estate community, many of whom know the same people.

Over the summer, I had a shoot with one gentleman, who like me, had relocated to North Carolina at some point. I asked where he was from, and he said “Massachusetts”. So I asked him where, and he said “oh, some town west of Boston next to Framingham”. So I asked what town. It turns out that when I was in elementary school, he had lived just a couple blocks away in Natick, Massachusetts. So we talked about some obscure details that few would know, let alone remember. It really is a small world.

I want to share another thing that happened recently. As you’ll read in the coming paragraphs, I was a co-founder of Lightshed Photography Studio, in Salem, MA. During the early years, 2007-2012, I photographed numerous children’s books for Brown Publishing Network, Six Red Marbles, and Dinardo Design – all contracted by Heinemann. Two weeks ago, my 7 year old daughter came home from first grade with a book that looked really familiar. So I looked inside, and it said: “Photographed by Robert Reynolds / Lightshed Photography Studio”. Her class is using one of the graded reading sets from Heinemann that we photographed! Again, it’s a small world.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I co-founded Lightshed Photography Studio in Salem, MA in 2007, right out of college. There were three of us, and we spend the next five years growing the business into something sustainable. I left for a few years, and went back during Covid. They’d gotten so busy with realtors wanting 3D Matterport tours, that help was needed, and from then on, I was exclusively photographing real estate.

In 2023, my wife and I decided it was time for a change, and began looking for a somewhat less populated area to live. That’s just one reason, but if you’ve ever spent 2 hours in traffic on I-95 South heading into Boston, you’ll understand at least part of our reasoning. I can assure you that weather had nothing to do with it.

So we found a place we loved about 40 minutes south of Raleigh (Angier), and I was left with the task of starting all over. But I know what works in this business, and what works for my clients. I’m a one stop shop for anything a realtor needs – from still photos, to drone, video, and 3D Matterport. I use the same editors I’ve always used, because I know and trust them to do amazing work. I’m the person you want to hire for a multi-million dollar listing, and I’ve done many of them. I’m also the one you want for low price point listings, and have often done both in the same day.

All my photos are HDR, featuring sky swaps, grass repair, window pulls, and adding fire to fireplaces (if they’re functional). As for pricing, I’m priced somewhere in the middle. The question shouldn’t be if I’m the cheapest, but rather, do you really want the cheapest? This is your brand we’re talking about here.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

The best single source to date has to be BNI. BNI is a dues paying organization of likeminded professionals, who have each other’s best interests in mind. I provide referrals to my fellow chapter members, and they in tern provide me with referrals. In addition to that, I’ve created a referral program for my clients, which earns them a $50 credit for any referral that books with me.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

When we sold our house in Andover, MA, I used some of the proceeds to gather equipment. Many who aren’t in the field may not quite understand what goes into making this type of business run smoothly. I needed a Matterport 3D camera and subscription, new still camera and lenses, drone, and camera gimbal. I also needed a website, funding for various online subscriptions, and the ability to pay my editors. All this stuff adds up pretty quickly, and if you don’t stay on top of managing expenses, it can run away on you in the beginning.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://listinglensphoto.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/listinglensphoto/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ListingLensPhoto