this has been bugging me for a while and i finally want to hear how other people deal with it. been doing commercial work for about 18 months, have the 107, proper insurance through Skywatch, have an LLC set up, i invested serious money into my gear (Mavic 3 Pro plus a bunch of ND filters and a decent editing setup). and yet i keep running into potential clients who act like i should be doing full real estate packages for like a hundred bucks.

had a realtor last week push back really hard on my $275 quote for photos plus a short video walkthrough. she said she had someone else who would do it for $125 and i just... i dont even know how that person is making money. are they insured? do they have part 107? probably not but clients dont ask or dont care.

i try to explain the value, the licensing, the gear investment, the editing time, but it feels like im defending myself constantly. do you guys just walk away from these clients or is there a better way to communicate your worth without sounding defensive about it

yeah the $125 guy probably isnt insured and definitely might not have part 107. and honestly some clients will go with them and be fine, and some will come back to you after something goes wrong or after they get unusable footage. i had exactly that happen with a property management company ? they tried someone cheaper first, the footage was garbage and the guy had no idea how to edit, and they called me the next month. now theyre one of my regulars.

i stopped trying to convince people who are already anchored on a low number. you can mention that you carry liability insurance and are FAA certified, just as a matter of fact not as a sales pitch, and let them decide. the clients worth keeping will understand what that means. the ones who dont arent worth the headache at $125 or at $275.

honestly i wonder sometimes if targeting realtors is even worth it anymore just because so many of them have been burned by cheap operators and they still wont pay more, they just complain. ive had better luck with construction and engineering clients who actually understand that documentation has value and arent comparing you to some kid with a Mini 3 charging gas money. just a thought, might be worth diversifying who you pitch to