Great Photos Can Increase the Perceived Value of Real Estate

Alaska realtors do many things to try to sell their properties for the highest price. They clean up the lawn to increase curb appeal. Stage the home to make it look attractive. Have necessary repairs done.

But there’s one specific element that can dramatically increase what buyers are willing to pay for a home. It’s how the photos look.

Okay, yes, we’re a real estate photography business. Of course we’d say that. But it’s not just us...

Statistics on the Importance of Real Estate Photography 

How important are high-quality photos to selling homes?Half of all home buyers find their home online. And this matters, because...

• When buyers look online, they spend 60% of their time looking at listing photos. In contrast, only 20% of their time is spent looking at the description of the home.

• Even the types of images can matter. For example, homes with aerial photography on their listing (aka, images taken by drones) sell 68% faster than homes without.

So good pictures are important. But how do they impact the price buyers are willing to pay?

• If a home has high-quality photos on their listing, it can get 47% more per square foot than a home without high-quality photos. 

• Other research says you can sell a home for up to $19,000 more if you decide to use professional real estate photography. 

In short, not only will a home sell faster with professional photos, but your listing will also drum up more competition and ultimately sell for a better price. 

Why? Because high-quality photos suggest a high-quality home. 

At DMD, we use drones, videos, virtual staging, and more to give buyers a better idea of what it’s really like to walk through each room. 

Members of our team can help real estate listings in Fairbanks, Anchorage, Eagle River, Palmer, and Wasilla sell fast and for a higher listing price. Reach out to us through our online booking form today. 

Hire a Pro

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.”

— REALTORmag

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.”

— REALTORmag

 

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!  

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