They say a picture
paints a thousand words and when it comes to selling your home, you want those words
to end with “sold.” It’s no secret that better-presented homes get more traffic
and more buyer interest, therefore selling faster.
That’s why it is essential that you
showcase your home through images in the best way possible.
According to the National
Association of REALTORS®, nearly 90% of all homebuyers begin
shopping for homes online. Many flip through photos of the homes and send a
list of those they want to see to their agent. In fact, homes with few or no
photos are often passed over simply for that reason, even if the home’s description
matches a buyer’s ideal listing.
Many agents believe that apart from
staging, no other marketing investment is as important as professional
photography in marketing a property effectively. So, to generate more buyer
interest, there has been a dramatic increase in the use of professional real
estate photographers in the past few years.
The best photographs are most likely
to come from someone who has an eye for the underlying beauty of the home’s
structure and spaces; has specialized equipment and techniques for lighting and
perspective control; and uses workflow processes for post-processing of the
images for use on the Web and in publications.
Let’s face it, as much as we all
like to think we take great photos, a professional has an eye for seeing the
best vantage points and lighting options and also has better equipment to make
the photos bright, clear and sharp. A professional photographer will most
likely use a 10mm lens that can capture up to 85% of a room and lighting that
can illuminate the entire room.
The same holds true with taking
video of your home to add to a website listing. An amateur can show what each
room and yard looks like, but a video professional will make the strongest
elements stand out and provide a much better video narrative of the home. Plus,
you don’t have to worry about any shakiness or dullness that someone not that
experienced with a video camera may give you.
Before bringing in someone to
photograph or video your home, it’s essential that it is clean and de-cluttered
so the pictures entice a buyer to want to see the home in person. You don’t
want clothes, pets or anything else distracting people from the photo at hand.
Indeed, homes showcased with the best
photographs and videos will attract more sellers and help speed the home-sale
process to a successful conclusion.