Community Highlights: Meet Austin Harley of SOCO Home Photography

Today we’d like to introduce you to Austin Harley.

Hi Austin, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in rural Wyoming & both of my parents owned their own business. In 2012, I moved to Fort Collins to attend Colorado State University. After college, I accepted a job as a broadcast meteorologist at KKTV 11 News in Colorado Springs. I loved forecasting & being on TV, but I didn’t like working for “the man.”

I left the industry to pursue a career as a realtor in Colorado Springs alongside my aunt & cousin. While building that career, my aunt offered for me to take her listing photos. I had been shooting portraits & landscapes since I was 16, so I gladly accepted. After shooting a few listings, she told me I was better than other photographers she’d worked with. So I started SOCO Home Photography in 2015 & began serving clients across Colorado.

Over the past nine years, I’ve perfected my skills & added many other services: aerials, videos, 3D tours, floor plans, etc. I took a brief foray into expanding my business with multiple photographers in multiple states. However, I didn’t like managing a team of photographers — I liked DOING the photography. So I scaled back & have put all of my focus on the quality of the imagery I produce.

Today I am recognized as one of the best real estate photographers in Colorado & am regularly booked to shoot three, four, and five-plus million-dollar properties. To me, real estate & architectural photography is an art. I don’t just stand in every corner of a room & zoom all the way out. I work hard to compose images that are beautiful & attract buyers to a property.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Oh boy, have there been struggles? Absolutely. When I started my business, I was broke. My parents were helping me get along, but I wanted to thrive. I was out pounding the pavement day after day, networking & selling my services to real estate agents. Ten years ago, a lot of agents were skeptical of using a professional real estate photographer. It took a lot of effort to show agents how professional images could revolutionize their business. I’ve shot ten houses in a day & worked sun up to sun down.

In 2018, I came out as gay after hiding that part of myself from my family, friends, and clients for decades. It was terrifying, as I felt as if my business would collapse & I’d lose my friends & family. Everyone was so supportive & loving, and my business blew up! Being true to myself allowed me to connect with my clients like I never could before.

Most recently, when the market slowed down in late 2022, I went through a really dark time. I was struggling to pay bills, dealing with mental health problems, and couldn’t see what was next. I’m so thankful to have had a support system that helped comfort & guide me (family, friends, my boyfriend, my therapist, and my business coach).

Building a business by yourself is hard. You have to take on every responsibility & wear every hat until the money is coming in. It’s a lot of stress, but if you’re passionate about it & keep at it, success is possible!

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about SOCO Home Photography?
SOCO Home Photography is a professional real estate & architectural photography company serving clients all across Colorado. We mainly work with real estate agents, architects, and short-term rental owners. Our client’s goal (and our goal) is to produce imagery that really captures the beauty of a property. These images can then be used by our clients to attract more buyers or renters to their properties.

Although the owner, Austin Harley, specializes in producing magazine-quality images of homes. He also creates videos, aerial photos, 3D tours, and floor plans for his clients. Austin is known for his composition specifically. In today’s industry, real estate photography is often cast to the side as a service, not an art. Large companies hire & train employees to simply stand in every corner of a room with an ultra-wide angle lens & just click the shutter.

Austin doesn’t believe that is the most effective way to show off a property. He takes his time with lighting, composition, and staging. Those little touches make a huge difference in how luxurious a property looks online. I’m proud to know that my clients come to me because they want the best. And even better, I plant a tree for every photo shoot that I do through my non-profit partner, One Tree Planted.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My aunt & cousin in Colorado Springs, Judy Ankeney & Charissa Turnbull. They introduced me to the industry & gave me the opportunity to photograph properties for the first time. Then they supported & encouraged me to keep going all of these years! Charissa is also a business & financial coach, and we’ve worked together for years strategizing on what’s next for SOCO Home Photography.

My parents, Dan & Carrie Harley. They have emotionally & financially supported me for years as I built my business. And they’ve provided unbelievably helpful business advice since they’ve both owned businesses for decades. And my clients, especially those who have been with me since 2015. They’ve sung my praises across Colorado & have been gracious enough to allow me to grow alongside them.

Pricing:

• 25 Daylight Photos, $350
• Add 5 Aerial Photos, $45
• Add 2D Floor Plan, $105
• Add 90 Second Cinematic Video, $190
• Add Zillow 3D Home Tour, $60

Contact Info:

• Website: socohomephotography.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/socohomephotography/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/socohomephotography/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/austinjharley/