We know you’ve come across them: those MLS listing images that have the appearance of having been taken by the homeowner’s six-year-old child. Photos of filthy rooms, photos that are fuzzy, dark, or both, and even external shots taken from Google Earth are all acceptable.
We have clients who have decided not to look at properties based purely on the MLS images, despite the fact that we have seen the homes in person and can attest that they are not nearly as undesirable in person as they appear in the photos.
To begin, taking images of the property is not the responsibility of the homeowner but rather of the listing agent. Sadly, the majority of agents will take these pictures with their smartphones or a low-quality camera that they purchased on clearance at Amazon.
We’ve read the statistics, however, and long ago we adjusted our marketing plan to include professional photography. And, here’s why:
- Studies show that, by and large, homebuyers looking at online listings of homes for sale won’t look at a home in person if the listing lacks photos.
- If the listing does include photos, homebuyers decide within 20 seconds whether or not they like the property.
- Ocular studies (following eye movements of website viewers) have found that the photo of the home is almost always the first thing viewed in a listing.
If these statistics don’t prove that a home’s presentation is paramount in getting buyers through the door, nothing does.
Another big reason to insist on professional photography comes from another study we reviewed. This one found that listings with photos taken by a pro are viewed 61 percent more than those with photos taken by an amateur.
Better yet, these homes can sell for up to about $19,000 more than the homes photographed by a novice.
Ask yourself this: If all it takes is any old photo to sell something, why doesn’t Nike use its receptionist to snap their advertising photos? Because they, like us, know better.
Professional photos speak
Jay Groccia, a real estate photographer in Massachusetts, believes that professionally produced photographs have the ability to generate feelings of creativity. His interior photographs, much like those taken by our photographers, illustrate not just the space itself but also the way of life that can be found within the home.
If this is the case, then why do some real estate brokers choose not to hire professional photographers?
To tell you the truth, a lot of real estate agents (not all of them, but a lot of them) don’t put in the effort to stay current on studies related to the real estate sector, and they believe that iPhone images and other forms of amateur marketing are “good enough.”
In addition, selling a home demands a sizable marketing budget, which is something the majority of real estate brokers do not have. It is true that we might discuss the ways in which they are failing to meet the needs of their customers by not providing the service; however, we will save that discussion for another time.
The fact of the matter is that we are well aware that, for our real estate practice to be successful in listing and selling homes, we simply cannot feasibly wear all of the hats that are available to us. When it comes to the presentation of a home, we are not ready to make any sacrifices in terms of quality because we want nothing but the best for our customers.
We want your property to be seen as the realization of someone else’s desire the moment someone views it online. This is because we know that having a home of one’s own is a goal held by many people. Please get in touch with us if you are interested in learning more about our marketing services.
