Why Hire a Professional Real Estate Photographer?
For those home buyers out there that have spent time searching for homes on the internet lately, they can relate to the frustration and confusion of why there are so many bad Real Estate photos on MLS. Real Estate Photography is a fairly new priority in the Real Estate marketing world. It wasn't that long ago and people didn't "shop" for homes by looking at pictures. Today, having professional photos is more important than ever before. According to A Joint Study from The National Association of ReAlToRS® and Google, 90% of home buyers searched online during the home buying process. That is a staggering number! 9 out 10 people used the internet when searching for a home.
So why hire a professional? Why not just use your own camera?
According to an article on REALTORmag,
“Buyers are increasingly judging homes by a photo. And bad listing photos may cost you not only a showing but possibly a higher sales price as well. The majority of buyers spend 60 percent of their online time viewing listing photos.”
Professional photographers understand composition, angle, lighting and the proper use of a professional camera. *Note: Don't assume that because you have a professional camera that you can pull off a professional image.
The following is one example of how DMD Real Estate Photographers use their training, expertise, professional equipment and experience to properly 'light' a living space using off-camera flash.
example of off-camera flash placement
Ta-Da!
Example photo from DMD Real Estate Photography
But what about the cost?
Money talks and professional images are not free, but did you know the cost of NOT hiring a professional? Your listing could actually lose you and your home owner thousands of dollars if you use subpar photos. Here's what REALTORmag found.
“Amateur photos of your listing taken with a point-and-shoot camera could lead to a lower sales price, suggests a 2013 study conducted by the real estate brokerage Redfin. Homes listed between $200,000 and $1 million that had photos taken with professional DSLR cameras tended to sell for $3,400 to $11,200 more than their list price. What’s more, in the $400,000 and $500,000 price range, 64 percent of the homes shot with DSLR cameras sold within six months, compared with 46 percent of homes that were shot with point-and-shoot cameras. In general, the study found that professionally photographed homes in the $400,000 range sold three weeks faster than homes with amateur photos.”
Real Estate Photography is one of the most affordable genres of professional photography today. With most photo packages costing around $200 or less, hiring a professional photographer is a bargain. When selling your biggest asset, the money spent on professional photography is well worth it!
*DMD Real Estate Photography specializes in Alaska Real Estate Photography. With a team of professional photographers covering Anchorage, Eagle River, Chugiak, Palmer and Wasilla, we do our absolute best to showcase each home in it's best light!