Artist,
The $500 fees that you quote are high, even for video shops. Short videos for apartments or simple retail start as low as $40-55, although many are much higher. Longer format scenarios for new homes and assisted living may be offered at fees as low as $60-70, and may run well above $100 per shop.
Most companies pay more per shop for shoppers who own their own video equipment. Shoppers tend to put together road trips of several video shops and get travel reimbursements for fuel, tolls, modest hotels and meals.
Video shoppers with excellent track records sometimes get offered a bonus for critical shops or for doing the first "test shop" when an MSC wants to impress a new prospective client.
A few MSCs are trying to do video shops on the cheap, but the most experienced video shoppers aren't biting. The difference in the quality of the video and audio that they get from inexperienced or poorly trained and motivated shoppers and what is considered high end video product is like night and day!
See specific threads on video MSCs on this and other furums for great pointers from experienced shoppers.
Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel
Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.