Should you hire a professional photographer for your Real Estate listing?

I had the opportunity to give a presentation about Real Estate Photography to a real estate agency last week. It was  a brief presentation about the services that are provided by jmaurophoto. In my years of presenting to audiences large and small, I have developed a sense about when my presentation is being well received... or not. In this case I had a good feeling about the presentation, especially when showing slides that demonstrated the difference between a professionally photographed room and the same room photographed by the realtor. In this particular case the realtor used a nice Nikon DSLR which is very capable of producing good results. In addition, the realtor knew the proper angles and how she wanted to best highlight the room, so it was not a case of a poor camera or a photographer who didn't know what to do. It was really a case of proper lighting and being able to take the time to get the best possible shot.

The realtors main focus is (or should be!) listing, showing, and selling homes. Anything else is a distraction from that main objective and is an obstacle from obtaining the maximum potential for success. This is why the most successful realtors solicit the time and expertise of professional photographers who are dedicated to providing the best possible photography for a home being listed for sale. A 2010 study by Redfin entitled A Picture is Worth a Thousand Dollars. True or False? revealed that it was well worth the money to have homes professionally photographed.

"Never ones to be satisfied with conventional wisdom, we turned to the numbers to answer the question at the top of every seller’s mind when deciding how to market their home. Is it truly worth the money to pay for professional photography? At Redfin we believe in the power of professional photography. Every house that is listed with our brokerage is marketed with professional photos, and we pick up the tab. So, is it worth the dough?

It turns out that in most cases the answer is a resounding, 'Yes!'" - Redfin

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Click HERE to read the complete study.

The fact that good photography sells home has also been highlighted in a Wall Street Journal Article.

"The data also showed that listings with nicer photos get more online attention. And yet, for all this, only 15% of listings incorporate higher-end photography. This is even true at the high-end. Redfin found that more than half of $1 million-plus listings were shot with low-end cameras." - Wall Street Journal

Back to my presentation...

Another slide that caught the attention of the audience was a slide showing a professional Canon DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera and a Point and Shoot Canon ELPH camera, the latter of which had a red circle/slash over it. Now there is nothing wrong with the ELPH - I take mine with me almost everywhere I go. But it is clearly not adequate for photographing homes for the purpose of successful sales. This is also made clear in the above-mentioned article.

“...listings with nicer photos gain anywhere between $934 and $116,076.”  ...you are likely to receive thousands more if you list your home using DSLR photography than if you used a simple point-n-shoot camera to take the photos yourself." -Redfin

Click HERE to download a very informative article entitled, What Realtors Need to Know About Photography, published by Photography For Real Estate.net. After you read these articles, call me.

So... are you STILL photographing your own listings?