Hiring out your location
Renting out your property as a location for filming and photography, or for an event, can be a fun and easy way to generate additional income.
Let’s face it, not only can it prove to be quite lucrative, but seeing your home or property in a magazine or on TV is rather exciting. If it’s not something you’ve done before, then understandably you’ll have a million and one questions about the process. That’s why we thought we’d talk you through the initial steps and share some tips that we hope you’ll find useful.
So here goes…
Steps to registering your property for filming and photo shoots
The first step to registering your property for filming and photo shoots is to get in touch with us. We’re always on the lookout for exclusive, unique and spacious homes, as well as commercial, industrial, retail and leisure locations in and around London. Not only do we have extensive connections with production companies, but we’ll represent you professionally, making sure negotiations of fees, insurances, agreements and contracts are all optimised and watertight.
If you get in touch, then one of our team will be happy to discuss your property’s potential and answer any questions you might have. If your property is of interest to us, then the next step is to send us some photographs.
Photographing your property for a location agency
We’ll use the photos that you send us when deciding whether to add your property to our portfolio. If they’re good enough, we’ll also use the photos to market your property on our website. It’s therefore important to get the shots right, first time – if you can.
It’s essential that you only photograph interior and exterior spaces that you would be happy for a production company to use. If there are certain rooms that are going to be out of bounds, then please don’t include them. And that’s an important point. You, the location owner, are always in the driving seat. You can specify which rooms and areas are available and also when they are available. There’s more information on this subject in our blog, ‘What rules and regulations can a location owner request?’
Back to photographing your property…We want shots that show the scale and scope of each room or space, so try to take wide shots from several different angles. We find landscape images work better than portrait. Make sure the room is tidy and clutter free and there are no people and preferably no pets in view. We also advise that you remove any personal items or photographs that you wouldn’t want to appear in the public domain. Remember, these photos could end up on our website. You might be very proud of your new AGA or sofa, but don’t worry about photographing specific items, unless they are a particular feature of your property.
Property details and limitations
At this stage, we’ll also ask you to provide a short description of your property, including any key features and characteristics. We also want to understand any restrictions or limitations it may have. As an agency, our priority is looking after our location owners, but of course, we also have a responsibility to keep our clients happy. Sending a busy location manager to recce a potential location, only for them to discover that it’s unsuitable for any reason, affects our credibility in the industry.
That’s why we want to understand as much as we can about your property. So tell us if there are parking restrictions and let us know if it’s next to a noisy road, rail track or under a flight path that might interfere with filming. We also need to know if it’s a vacant property that doesn’t have power or water or has a leaking roof. If the location is right, then a production company will work hard to overcome almost any challenge, so provide us with as much detail as you can, so we are forewarned and forearmed.
Your representation agreement
If you like us and we like your property, then the next step is for us to issue a representation agreement. Before we do this, we’ll talk to you about any specific restrictions and criteria that you have and your expectations regarding income and fees. You are welcome to set a minimum rental limit, but we would always advise some flexibility, as every project has its own budget. Please bear in mind that we will always work hard on your behalf to generate the maximum income that we can.
If you’re happy with the representation agreement, all that’s left for you to do is review the photographs and details of your property on our website. We’ll make sure that you’re 100% happy before they’re released and before we promote your property to our clients.
We hope this blog has answered some of your initial questions. Of course, you’re bound to have plenty more, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We’d love to hear from you.
