Why You Should Hire A Professional Real Estate Photographer
Before I became a certified, professional photographer, I worked for a land developer. I spent several hours a day working with real estate agents and property managers. I scoured through listings of undeveloped land, commercial shopping centers, and subdivisions. In the end, the one thing they all had in common was poorly photographed images: before and after photos taken with cell phones and handheld, digital, point-and-shoot cameras.
Why am I telling you this? Because 90% of home buyers search online during their home buying process, and according to U.S. News and World Report, home buyers “decide which homes they want to see based on the photos.”
So why should you hire a professional real estate photographer?
- Professional, high quality images yield faster sales times.
- Professional photographers have the skills, experience, and equipment necessary to yield great, high quality images that will wow your potential buyer.
- Professional photographs yield more money.
Whether you are a buyer, a seller, or an agent, the photos of the property in your listing or on your website will be the first thing people see. If you have bad photos or no photos, the potential buyer is not going to waste her time visiting your property.
And if no one sees your property, you’re not going to sell it.
Your photos are your first impression. You wouldn’t show up at a job interview at a Fortune 500 company in torn jeans and a concert t-shirt, would you? Then why would you show potential buyers bad images of your beautiful property?
Photography Sells
Professional real estate photographers are trained to capture the right angles, emphasize the important features, utilize the light, and manipulate images with post-production software in order to showcase your property in a way that translates and wows the potential buyer. Take a look at these two photos.
Photo 1
is an untouched, normal exposed photo (similar to what you get with a decent point-and-shoot digital camera). The photo is dark and uninviting.
Photo 2
This photo has been edited to accentuate the colors and details in the wood and walls; it creates a warm, inviting atmosphere. In Photo 1 the walls have a weird perspective that makes them appear slanted. However, Photo 2 was edited to correct that view to a natural perspective.
Is it worth the money to hire a professional real estate photographer?
Well, let’s look at the facts; a good real estate photographer can cost $100 to $500 per property, and based on houses sold with a starting price of $200,000 or more, The Wall Street Journal reports that “listings with nicer photos gain anywhere between $934 and $116,076.” That’s a pretty good return on investment.
So, why should you hire a professional real estate photographer? Professional photos will increase the number of offers and showings on your property; they will attract new clients and put more money in your pocket. Professional photographers have the expertise and equipment to capture the essence of your property and present it in a way that sets your property apart from the competition.
So get out there and hire a professional today!
