I am often asked by Realtors and sellers, Is hiring you going to be worth it? Why don’t I just take some pictures myself?
There is no doubt in my mind that this is true ~true in the same way that I can sell my own home. The question is, how successful will either of us be? I’ll admit that I know some home owners who have sold their own home, and some realtors who take amazing photographs – in both cases they are exceptions to the rule.
We all build expertise and gain experience in our chosen occupations. When I need a website built, I will go to an expert the same way I go to the dentist, and accountant. I expect these people to have the most up-to-date knowledge, technology and experience.
There are a lot of things that often go over looked when it comes to real estate photography. Have the pictures been optimized for all availible media that you plan to use. This is to say, you don’t want to be using the same picture for your profile sheets as you would for the internet advertising – sizes need to be changed as well as focal points. You will not get the detail nor the depth of field without the image being optimized.
There is little dening that todays home buyers are looking to the internet first. Some studies indicate that as high as 80% of all home buyers search the internet and narrow their search first BEFORE even contacting a realtor. Is it worth risking having someone click away from your listing due to a low quality picture? Remember, a picture is worth 1,000 words!
Buyers are becoming more and more technically savvy and judging you and your property in 8 seconds or less. How many potential buyers are you losing? A recent study quoted potentially hundreds of buyers will turn a property down based on visual presentation online.
Something that I do find interesting though, is that I am often hired to do photographs for some spectacular homes valued at one million dollars and up. These are highly maintained properties, with custom lighting, manicured gardens and spectacular scenery.
The average house on the market is also the most sought after, doesn’t it only seem reasonable that you would want it to stand out above the others? This is what real estate photographers seek for their clients solid visual impact. This is a minor investment to help your property stand out above others.
The average home that is considered affordable is more in demand. With a higher inventory of these homes, as well as a higher number of buyers doesn’t it just make sense to want your listings to shine? You want your houses to jump off the page, to make a visual impact that will capture the buyers imagination and dreams of home ownership.
Realtors have a wide array of tools available to them in order to match homes to buyers. Pictures that are taken to accent the property, to show it in an extrodinary light are but one offering. My next article will outline yet another tool that is available…Virtual Tours and where the future is for them.
Thanks for taking interest in this article. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.
Before you list your next Edmonton listing, be sure to check out portfolio to see if your pictures compare, and how inexpensive this service is.
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