Let’s say you have already decided to buy a home. As you scroll through the inventory of homes for sale in your area, you weed out listings with poor photos.
The interior is staged with meager lighting, so it’s difficult to see the stand-out features in the room. There’s a lot of sunshine coming from the window which makes it hazy for you to even appreciate. The worst thing about it is the clutter—unmade beds, piled documents, toys all over the place—as if the home is occupied for years.
What Appeal Do You Get From Those Photos?
Do you think the real estate agent or the seller can give you a good pitch using those photos?
Would you go ahead and put this listing in your top picks and start comparing it with homes listed at the same price? And then think that maybe you can make an offer for a lower price and negotiate by pointing out the junk in the photos.
Do these photos make you fear that you are missing out and that you should contact the agent immediately?
Or would you have this as a second option after you’ve taken your time browsing and feel like nothing else will work out for you.
When you finally think about what kind of offer you want to make on the property, would you go for the highest possible price or do you think you can still win it by submitting a low price because you conclude that the seller has a low expectation for it as well? Due to poor photography, potential buyers assume that the seller would accept a lower price. This is the main reason why professional real estate photography is needed in order to sell the home faster and for more money.
Put Yourself in the Buyer’s Shoes
By putting yourself in the buyer’s shoes, you will be able to determine what kind of photos could make or break your real estate marketing campaign. You should be able to let them walk inside the house and appreciate all the details even though their viewing the photos from their screens.
In addition to this, the real estate agent must also know what story do these photos reveal about them and their service:
1.) Does poor real estate photography scream good value in comparison to other homes on the market?
2.) Does poor real estate photography invite buyers to make a quick decision before it’s gone?
3.) Does poor real estate photography convince buyers to trust that the real estate agent selling the home is the most knowledgeable and well-rounded agent in the area?
The answer is quite obvious to each of these questions. Nothing good comes out of poor real estate photography. No real estate agent or seller would like to settle with poor photos as well. If so, then you know that the seller accepts low price offers or the real estate agent is not doing a good job.
In another light, real estate agents who approve poor photos might have done it because they can’t tell the difference between a good photo and a bad photo. This is why professional real estate photography is crucial in order to detail out what makes a great real estate photo.
After all, before buyers are convinced by a good pitch, they are first enticed by the visuals. As we say it here at DMD Real Estate Photography.
“a potential homebuyer will not be thinking about why they love a photo; they will only know they love it.”
According to the National Association of Realtors 2017 study, Homes with one photo spent an average of 70 days on the market, but a home with 20 photos spent 32 days on the market. Not only do professional photographs help you sell your home quickly, but it can also help you get a better deal, too. For homes in the $200,000-$1 million range, those that include high-quality photography in their listings sell for $3,000-$11,000 more.
Ask Your Local Expert
If you want to learn more about what makes a great real estate photo, book an appointment with your local real estate photographer: DMD Real Estate Photography