Real Estate photography is part of my remit as a photographer and going by what I use, I can’t recommend Lightroom and Photoshop high enough.
However, there are cheaper or even free options to get you started.
Having previously also worked as a Wedding Photographer, the difference between the two types of images is immense.
As a wedding photographer, it was more about capturing the moment. I was always under time constraints.
With real estate, it is about technical precision and taking my time.
When taking images of interiors, I find myself exposing separately for various different features within a room which simply can’t be achieved with one shot.
It is also extremely difficult or at times impossible to display with 3 exposures merged as an HDR with dedicated software, exactly what I want to portray.
At times, I have to take 10 shots of the same room; say the fireplace, windows, the couches, the white skirting boards, a dining table, a TV and a separate shot for below the TV stand…. And the list goes on.
The only way I find that these elements can come together precisely, is via Layer Masking.
https://photo.stackexchange.com/search?q=layer+masking
The other consideration when doing real estate is, perspective.
This means that a tripod is my best friend because I cannot allow lines to converge.
However, if lines do converge, then this also needs correcting in post software,
https://photo.stackexchange.com/search?q=converging+lines
Now… for most real estate photographers, Photoshop is there go to software, but at a subscription of £10 or $10 p/month plus the learning curve involved, not everyone wants this and therefore, there are other choices available.
One piece of software that I have used that can be used online with no subscription, is PIXLR.
This software will give you many of the basic Photoshop tools such as Layer masking and perspective correcting for FREE.
Overtime, you may opt for their paid upgrades or move over to photoshop.
PIXLR is a great option if you’re starting.