11 Reasons Why You Should Hire a Professional Real Estate Photographer
You only have one chance to make a first impression. And studies show that for most real estate consumers, that first impression is the photography of the listing that they find online. Today’s buyers have very high visual expectations and very short attention spans. So how do you make your listing stand out online? How do you capture the attention of the consumer and make them want to know more? One of the best ways is to hire a professional real estate photographer, and here are 11 reasons why.
1. More online views. According to a study done by Redfin, listings shot with DSLR professional photography receive 61% more online views than their competitor listings.
2. Better first impressions. For 95% of online shoppers, the first thing they look at is your listing's front exterior photo. Furthermore, studies show that they will spend about twenty seconds looking at that front exterior photo, before moving on to the other photos or listing details. Make that first 20 seconds really count!
Previous FSBO image of a home exterior in Trenton....
....and my take on the same property.
3. Higher selling price. Listing marketed with professional DSLR photography have a higher perceived value and sell for more money. That's right, according to the Wall Street Journal, these listings gain anywhere from $934 to $116,076 at the closing table! Add those stats to your listing presentation when you're competing with an agent who takes his or her own photos.
4. More likely to sell. That's right, according to Redfin, homes with professional DSLR photos are more likely to sell than those with point and shoot images. The study showed an increase across all price ranges, varying from 5% to 17%. See below, for instance...
See the difference here, between the image on the left, produced by an agent or homeowner, versus the professionally crafted image on the right? Which image do you think says more about the home?
5. Less time on market. Redfin's study also showed that listings with professional DSLR photos sell faster. Time varied by price range, but in the $400,000 range, homes sold on average 3 weeks faster. That's a pretty staggering stat! But this same effect goes for the "average" home as well. So how long do you prefer to wait for your commission?
6. Your own image. You should care about your image(s)! That's right, your home owners have hired a professional real estate agent to market their home. Don't you think you should hire a professional photographer to take the listing photos? BE that full-service agent!
Would you rather have this representing you and your listing.....
....or would this be more of what you'd like your potential clients to think of when they see your name?
7. Win more listings. Let's face it, there is a lot of listing competition out there. Having a beautiful portfolio of previous listing photos just may help you win that listing. Especially when you combine it with the stats previously mentioned. Hiring a professional photographer helps you stand out in the MLS crowd, with buyers and sellers!
8. Social media content. Visual content is all the rage in social media these days, and having a library of beautiful professional photos in a huge asset. Use those photos on sites like Pinterest, Instagram, Google+ and Facebook to attract interest and gain referrals. Furthermore, you should be taking advantage of these social media channels! Ease of use, low/no cost, and audience are three key reasons to make use of social media to promote your business and listings. For instance, go check out Instagram, use hashtag #realestate, and see what pops up for your buyers to see!
The actual on-site shoot takes time to capture a home in its best light (pun intended!) A professional photographer has the skills and equipment needed to do just that. A walk-through with even the best smart phone just won't do it.
9. Save time. Great photography not only requires time at the photo shoot, it requires time for editing and uploading. Time is a valuable commodity for you as an agent. Most real estate agents are at their best when listing, showing and selling properties. So why take time away from what you do best to shoot and edit photos? Instead, hire a professional photographer to do what he or she does best.
Following the on-site shoot, a professional photographer will use quality software and editing techniques to ensure the images delivered meet a high standard of clarity and correctness, and re-size them for the MLS.
10. Higher quality results. Lets be brutally honest here. Owning a professional DSLR camera does not make you a photographer anymore than owning a potted plant makes you a farmer. As a professional real estate agent, you sell properties for a living. You know your business inside and out. Professional photographers do photography for a living, and they know their craft. They practice often, and they know lighting, angles and composition. They know how to take an ordinary room and make it look extraordinary. As a professional agent, deliver top service to your clients by hiring a professional to create their home's MLS images.
Would you prefer your buyers see this.....
....or this? Which photo make you want to see more?
11. Trigger emotion. Beautiful photos trigger an emotional response. And emotion sells. In fact, for most buyers, emotion is about 80% of the buying decision. Buyers use logic to choose price ranges, locations, and home sizes. But from there, most consumers will rely on emotion to choose the homes they visit in person and ultimately purchase. Great listings images help homebuyers imagine themselves in that property, and great images are what move them to call you for showings.
To sum it up: Statistically, you have roughly 20 seconds to catch that buyer's eye. What gets real estate website viewers to pause (and call you) is great photos. Hiring a professional real estate photographer is worth the investment. Professional real estate photography is not a "luxury item", reserved only for the top producers who make huge commissions. (How do you think they got that way, anyhow?) With dark, blurry MLS images?) Professional real estate photography is an essential must-have for any professional agent's marketing toolbox.
I personally believe the "average homes" deserve as fine a marketing treatment as those "luxury" homes. After all, why shouldn't a Realtor offer the same selling services to the "average" homeowner as to the "luxury" homeowner? Both feel the same emotional attachment to their property, and potential buyers on all budget levels need to catch that vision too. Whether your listing is an "average" home, a "luxury" property, or commercial real estate, it's my job to provide that marketing tool great agents need!
Hiring a professional real estate photographer is always worth the investment. And that investment will pay off, in the form of better commissions, less time on market, and more listings going forward because of your commitment to quality representation of the seller's property.
To book your property shoot in the Greenville/South Central Illinois/Metro East area today, please get in touch with me via email at lauriesmith@photographer.net , or leave a comment below. I serve all areas within a 50 mile radius of Greenville, Illinois, (some beyond, if needed) and my services are available to real estate agents and FSBO/homeowners alike!
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(Some content in this post provided by: Obeo.com , Lamb Real Estate Team , MoveToSarasotaFL.com
and TiaMoImages.)