You have been hired to sell your clients home. However, sometimes you also have to stage the home, clean the home, paint the home and attempt to take pictures of the home. You may consider yourself to be a Jack or Jane of all trades but you don't have to do it all. Every good realtor knows just what jobs to delegate so they can place their entire focus on selling their clients home for top dollar. Just like a home owner should leave the selling of their home to the professional a realtor should put their cell phone cameras away and let the photographer take control. Here are the top 5 reasons why every real estate agent should hire a professional real estate photographer.
#1 The equipment
These days every potential home buyer is looking for a home in front of their computer. From the moment a realtor lists a home it appears on the web for all home buyers to view. A cell phone camera cannot capture the essence of a home like professional real estate photography can. Professional photographers bring with them specialize cameras, wide angle lenses and lighting equipment. Can your iPhone create pictures like these? (These are actual photos taken from our team of real estate photographers)
#2 Spectacular Curb Appeal
The outside appearance of a home is a top priority among home buyers. The home buyer wants to see how the home sits on the lot, and what the landscaping looks like. Curb appeal is a very important aspect in selling a home. The outside appearance is the first impression and as we all know a first impression can make or break a sale. Perhaps the home buyer would want to see how the home looks at night. A professional real estate photographer can produce a photo that will show a home in all of it's nightly glory.
#3 Higher Quality Results
Owing a DSLR camera doesn't make you a professional photographer anymore than owning a paint brush makes you Picasso. Professional real estate photographers know how to showcase your listing. They know the right angles to shoot from and the best time of day to get the best lighting. A real estate photographer understands that taking a picture is less about point and shoot and more about composition.
#4 The truth is in the number
Lets talk stats. According to Redfin, listings of homes shot by a professional real estate photographer receive 61% more online views. The Wall Street Journal reports that listings with professional photos have a higher perceived value and sell for more money. Redfin reports that homes shot with professional DSLR cameras are 17% more likely to sell then homes shot with a point and click. Not only are the homes more likely to sell but Redfin also reports that these homes sell faster their competitor listings.
#5 The Social Media Effect
Do you have a Facebook account? How about and Instagram account? Having an online library full of professional images is a huge assist to any realtor. The best realtors use social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Google+ to drive traffic to their listings. The real estate market right now is hot, hot, hot. With all of the competition out there having a portfolio of beautiful photos will help you to score more listing and get more referrals.
If you are considering hiring a professional estate photographer, consider Five Star Images. We are here to assist our realtors with turning For Sale into Sold.