We investigate the η ′ photoproduction off the nucleon with a particular interest in the effect of the final-state interaction (FSI) of the η ′ meson and nucleon (η ′ N ) based on the three-flavor linear σ model. We find an enhancement in the cross section of the η ′ photoproduction near the η ′ N -threshold energy owing to the η ′ N FSI. With the η ′ meson at forward angles, the energy dependence near the η ′ N threshold is well reproduced with the η ′ N FSI. The cross section at backward angles can also be a good probe to investigate the strength of the η ′ N interaction. a shsakai@rcnp.osaka-u.ac.jp Present address: