It’s All About the Presentation…
Positioning yourself as a professional in any industry requires knowledge, hard work, and putting your best foot forward. As both a Realtor® and the owner of a Real Estate Photography business I know the importance of presenting oneself in a professional way. I’m also somebody looking to purchase a home so I can see things from a buyers perspective as well. We’ve all heard the saying “it’s all about the presentation” and it’s absolutely true. Good Real Estate Photography matters and more than you may think.
Are you selling a home or a toaster?
As a potential homebuyer the first impression I get of a home is the photos. It’s what sticks with me the most. Do you want to know what I do when I’m searching for a home and see bad photos or no photos at all? I pass them by. I will not even consider driving out to the home to look at it. Nope. Not happening. More than half the listings I go through on any given day in my search are poorly represented in the photos. Some don’t even have any photos and some think it’s okay to just post a google street view image as the cover (and usually only) photo. The agent who will get my business will be the one who actually put some effort into showcasing the homes they have for sale. And I am not the only homebuyer who does this. Buying a home is the biggest purchase most will make in a lifetime and honestly, I’ve seen better photos of toasters for sale on craigslist than some properties for sale on the MLS. It does not create a good first impression.
You have to spend money to make money…
We as agents know that expenditures are a part of doing business. There are board fees, office fees, and we have to pay for continuing education. Add to that advertising our listings and the travel expenses incurred driving to and from appointments. So why then are many skipping one of the easiest and most important things to do? A photoshoot can be fun! Homeowners love it when I set up my equipment and most are very curious about the process. Here’s the deal. Spending money is a necessary part of what we have to do to be successful and that is just the way it is in any business. But there are also tax write offs for business expenses so some of that cost will be recouped.
Sell your listings faster…
I will tell you one thing, if I was selling a home I would insist that my agent hire a pro to photograph my home. In fact I did just that with my last home. Because it is your job (and mine) as an agent to market the property in every way possible. Homes with professional quality photos sell 32% faster than ones who don’t and the more photos the better. Homes with only one photo, or no photos, spend an average of 70 days on the market whereas a home with twenty or more photos spends an average of 32 days on the market. To me that is a big difference. I’ve spent thousands on my Real Estate career and will probably spend thousands more over the course of my career. The faster a home sells the better. It shows that you did your job and it will create more referrals and therefore more business.
Stand out from the crowd…
None of this is meant to shame anyone, many people just don’t realize the importance of how your product is seen by others. To be fair, I’ve seen many professional quality photos on the MLS and other sites. There are even some pretty good non-professional photos are out there, at least they made the effort. These stand out from the rest in a big way. They grab my attention and isn’t that we want for our listings? I sure do! If you’d like to learn more about how to prepare a home for Real Estate Photography and showings then download our free PDF guide here.
-Mark O’Byrne
Owner @Visual Voyages Real Estate Photography
Realtor® at Southern Key Realty
Website: visualvoyages.com
Email: visualvoyagesphotography@gmail.com
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