Anyone use professional photography to sell their property?

Question

I'm really curious about this...probably because I'm a professional photographer :)

Having seen so many properties online, in newspapers, and free magazines, I have to wonder about the quality (or lack) of the photos of these properties.

It would seem to me that "curb appeal" is just as important online. So many images of properties are taken from wacky angles, with poor lighting, and no regard for what is and isn't in the picture. I've seen plenty of images that are BLACK - simply no lighting at all! You can barely make out what the room is, much less what it actually looks like. I know most agents and sellers are using point 'n shoot cameras, nothing wrong with that if you know how to use them.

If I were a seller, and I saw images of my house being marketed with dark rooms, pictures of just a closet door in a room (yes, I've seen that), a picture of a toilet, yard with every imaginable toy and junk thrown all over, and even a listing with a caption that said "great 2 car driveway, not shown due to photo angle", I'd be very upset. Should agents attempt to help their seller tidy up/stage their house or yard for the photo shoot? Give them some guidance on how the house should look at least for the photos? I'm not saying scrub their floors, but try to clear off some counter space, move the garbage cans away from the front of the house, keep the litter box out of the shot, etc.?

At one point, I had marketed my photography services to several agencies in upscale towns. I did presentations showing samples of what is generally online, and what I could do. I did get a few agents who asked me to shoot their listings, but most said it was just cheaper and easier to use the point 'n shoot. One agent even joked that the flash on the office camera was broken, but oh well! Trying to get a feel for a price point, most agents I spoke to directly said they felt that even $25 was expensive. One agent was marketing a $700K custom restored farmhouse, and said he didn't want to pay more than $100 - and this would have been for a 3 hour shoot with studio lighting in almost every room.

I realize agents have to pay for their own marketing and advertising. If you're listing homes for several hundred thousand dollars, have you ever considered professionally lighted and composed images?

Christian Lange · Answer

Hi Aly, I think you'll find this Redfin survey interesting. It shows how much more money a home fetches when it is marketed with professional real estate photography –and how much more quickly it sells.  Realtors who are at the top of their game all know this.  Those are your potential clients. This was published in Realty Times: https://realtytimes.com/advicefromtheexpert/item/1040479-does-staging-and-professional-photography-make-a-difference

Account Closed · Answer

I take my own photos. I've got a decent camera with a good lens-- not commercial grade, but a long ways from point and shoot. These photos aren't getting printed out as 8X10 glossies for a magazine cover. They are being printed as 2x2 photos on cheap paper with an ink jet prinnter, or posted at low resolution as very small photos on a website. There is a limit to how much return you are going to get for the dollars put into photographic equipment.

Photos can be a double edged sword: if the photos are too good, the reality of the house is disappointing, and your buyer is already deciding they won't buy the house just because it doesn't meet their expectations.

Retail buyers decide within seconds whether or not they are interested in buying a house. You don't want their first impression to be disappointment.

Rajendra Mackinley · Answer

I am using a nice photos plus with help of photoshop is very helpful for my site to get people's attention and interests.

Aly W. · Answer

Quality photography will sell anything faster. Just look at (sometimes misleading) travel brochures and sites. I've advertised many household items on craigslist and most have sold within the first day of posting. Not that my couch/entertainment center/dresser/whatever was any better quality or cheaper than the competition, but the buyers usually commented about how good the items looked.

I'm closing on my first rental property soon and hope the photos   will generate a lot of interest when posted on rental sites.

Joshua Davis · Answer

Taking off my investor shoes, and putting back on my retail buyer shoes...

My wife and I spent 18months looking for a new home, which we finally purchased last July.

And I have to say... 18months of looking at MLS pictures, most of which suck, is exhausting.

The bottom line was, if the pics didn't impress us, we didn't waste our time going to the home.

I am a believer.... PRO pics will sell more homes, quicker.

Josh

Rajendra Mackinley · Answer

Nice idea Eric I wanna try it too since I am using photoshop...

Eric Badgley · Answer

I would say its a good idea to have you pro handle your photos if the property is a higher end home.  I usually take all my photos in photoshop and touch them up a bit and make them brighter.  This helps getting the buyers excited about your home.

Aly W. · Answer

Since most people see property first online, I think quality images of ALL properties can only help.

Jason F · Answer

I was just thinking about this today.

I would gladly pay $100, even more, to have someone take some really nice photos of a property for a website.

I think that is the last thing most people would think of when trying to sell a house but it would definitely get people out to the property to check it out.

Do you think it would have to be a really nice property for nice pics? I could see how a fully rehabbed/decorated property would translate to really nice pics. But what about a decent property?

Jonathan Howie · Answer

In the end, our time is far more valuable because we are real estate investors anyway right?  8) It's like tripping over a dollar to pick up a dime.