Professional cleanings. Proper home inspections. Does the homeowner need to add a fresh coat of paint? Handle minor repairs? Sometimes it seems like the more you prepare to sell clients’ homes, the more tasks are added to your checklist.
What else needs to be done? One of the things many real estate agents wonder about is the necessity of a real estate photographer. Can’t you just take pictures with your smartphone? Do people really look for homes online?
While it may seem faster and easier to simply take your own photos and upload them to the internet, in reality this can hinder the sale of a home. Hiring a professional real estate photographer can both help you sell your homes faster and at higher prices.
Below are top 5 reasons to hire a professional real estate photographer.
Real estate photographers know how to showcase a home’s best assets.
While any smartphone or digital camera can take pictures of clients’ homes, real estate photographers have experience highlighting a home’s space and design. Showing the interior and exterior of a house with proper lighting is not always easy, especially if you are trying to sell in the winter and live in a city like Anchorage or Wasilla. A professional real estate photographer has the knowledge and experience to emphasize the beauty of a home at any time of day and at any time of year.
Your listings will get more attention.
The Internet is becoming a more crucial tool for selling homes. Nine out of ten homebuyers use the internet at some point in their search for a new home, and over 50% of homebuyers said that the internet was the first place they looked.
And what’s the first thing they see when looking online? The pictures. Professional photos will catch the eyes of internet browsers and help those properties to stand out in their online search against hundreds – and sometimes thousands – of other houses.
Your homes will sell faster.
When you work on commission, speed matters. If you can sell two homes a week instead of one, or 10 instead of five, that means more money for you. Well, listings using professional real estate photos sell 32% faster than listings that don’t. Be sure to look for real estate photographers who provide quick turnaround on photos and you will have offers on your homes in no time.
Your houses will sell for more money.
Proper real estate photos highlight the value of properties and make them look more attractive to buyers. By grabbing the attention of more buyers, you’re likely to have more people bidding on your homes, and this high demand should increase the prices that are offered. On average, professional real estate photos help to sell properties 39% closer to their listing price.
Professional real estate photographers provide more than just great pictures.
As technology evolves, more opportunities to showcase your homes online become available. You are not limited to 2D photos anymore. Many real estate photographers have expanded their services to include virtual tours, 3D tours, and detailed floorplans to give potential homebuyers a thorough and appealing look at your homes.
This can help you to expand the number of homebuyers viewing (and possibly bidding on) homes, because it appeals to out-of-town buyers who may not be able to see the home in person. Even local buyers like these additions, because they allow them to get a more in-depth look at properties in a fast, efficient way.
Professional real estate photography is an investment that will give you peace of mind and a higher sale price. Contact DMD photography today. DMD’s experience as Alaska’s premiere real estate photographer and videographer will help you sell your listing today.