this has been bugging me all week. had a potential client reach out about doing regular aerial shots for a property management company, like monthly stuff across multiple sites which honestly sounded like exactly the kind of steady work i've been trying to get. we had a good call, they seemed interested, then i sent over my rate sheet and they just went quiet and eventually said they'd found someone cheaper.

im charging $300 per location for a standard package, maybe 90 minutes on site, edited photos delivered in 48 hours. i thought that was pretty fair but now im not sure. the thing is i dont know if i lost it on price or just because the other person was more established or had better samples or whatever. kind of hard to know. anyone else had this happen? do you think $300 is too high for that kind of work or am i undervaluing myself by even considering dropping it

dont drop your prices. seriously. i made that mistake early on and you just end up working twice as hard for the same money and attracting clients who will nickel and dime you on every revision. $300 for 90 min on site plus editing and 48hr turnaround is honestly pretty reasonable, maybe even a bit low depending on your market.

the property management thing is competitive because theres always some guy with a mavic who will do it for $80 thinking its easy money. you dont want those clients anyway. the ones worth having usually care more about consistency and quality and having someone reliable who shows up and delivers without drama. i'd focus on building a couple of solid relationships like that rather than chasing every lead. one good anchor client makes everything easier

yeah it honestly might not have been about price at all. ive lost jobs where i was cheaper and found out later they just went with whoever responded first or had more reviews online. do you have many google reviews or testimonials anywhere? that stuff matters more than people think when a business is comparing a few options