Do you shake your head when you hear someone say, "Why should I hire a realtor when I can sell my home myself." Most of them don't understand what all is involved with a real estate transaction and how much work it actually is.
The same goes with photography and videography. Just because a realtor has a great phone or a camera, doesn't make them a professional photographer. Just like a real estate transaction, there are many aspects when it comes to photography including lighting, composition, correct focus (keeping everything in focus), editing/processing, and more. It doesn't matter if the home is large or small, keeping your business looking professional is a great sales tool. Here are 10 reasons why:
1. Your Clients Are Important: No matter the property value, your clients deserve the best possible service which includes professional photos and / or videos to showcase their property. As of June 2020, 96% of buyers are looking at homes online.
2. First Impressions Do Matter: With 96% of buyers looking online, it only takes 20 seconds to grab their attention and that first photo is the most important. Homes with better photos get more clicks and longer attention. Buyers say photos were important in their home search. According to NAR
,87% of buyers found photos and 85% found detailed information about properties for sale very useful.
3. Stand Out Online: Do you shop online? Are you more likely to buy a product from a retail store who just snapped a candid photo with bad lighting to where you can't see all the details and crooked lines, or from a retailer who has professional / high quality photos? You'll see that most retailers use professional photos for all products regardless if it's $1.00 or $1,000 because they know the importance it has on their business and brand.
4. Build Your Brand: You want to give yourself a good name and reputation. This is like having a similar looking brand in your business across all your listings. You want all your listings to look professional or similar.
5. Gain More Referrals and Future Clients: When potential sellers see that you are using professional photos and video's it's a powerful sales tool. It shows them how important you consider both them and your business and they are more likely to sign with you.
6. Professional Photographers Know The Best Way to Present Each Property: Light (exterior & interior) and composition are two of the most important factors. And if the exterior lighting is not good (gloomy or bright sky for example), most photographers can do a sky swap to make it more attractive. Some charge an extra fee, while others, like us, make it part of their service. Photos are a representative of the photographer and they also want to keep their photos looking professional for both their brand and their clients.
7. Saves Time: Time is money and professional photos take time. Depending on the size of the property, the photoshoot can be anywhere between 30 min - 2 hours, plus editing which can be another 1 - 3+ hours. Wouldn't you rather be working on sales?
8. Listings With Pro Photos Have A Tendency to Sell For More: Wow! Really! Yes, they do. Check out this article.
9. Homes Sale Faster: Professional photos grab attention, therefore they attract more buyers and quicker. When looking online, buyers are more likely to click and view the listings with professional photos first, before looking at the others.
10. Be Professional: If you are serious about your business and want it go grow, then your appearance is everything to your clients both current and future. From professional headshots, to professional home photos and videos, you want people to know, you're serious about real estate.
Hiring out these services is simple and mostly affordable. If you'd like to learn more about our photography and videography services, please contact us to see how we can help your business starting today!
To check out some of my more recent real estate photography, visit our facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/timelessmomentsphotographybyjwhite/