You may be a good real estate agent, but you are a bad photographer. Now that the vast majority of people use the internet to find a home, pictures are more important than ever! Gone are the days when you could just snap a few pictures with your little camera and upload them to the MLS.
Pictures can make a huge difference in selling a home - and good pictures will make your client happy! I recommend people hire a true professional with good equipment to take the pictures of their listings. Good photographers are charging agents $75 to $125 to take really good photos. Some may charge more if they have to drive further. Remember - the expense is worth it!
Notice the picture in this article? It is a professional photo. I have been in this house - the picture looks much better than the actual kitchen. The lighting makes all the difference. This home had lots of interest and sold quickly because it showed really well on-line and the price was reasonable.
You should feature your professional photo service in your listing presentation. Make the point that you actually PAY for a professional photographer to take really good pictures of their home. Have side by side pictures - one you took and one the professional photographer took. Make the point that pictures really matter!
One agent said “I have several pages in my listing presentation. One of the pages has photos that I got from the MLS. Another page has my professional photographs. I will ask the client - If you knew that over 80% of buyers were making their first cut of homes to see based on photos on the internet, which photographs would be better at getting buyers to your home!”
So - how do you find a good, professional photographer in your area. Most good photographers do not advertise much, they use word of mouth to get business.
- Ask other agents and your broker who they have used.
- Search on Google for your area
- Ask the mortgage brokers you know
- Ask the home inspectors
- Ask at the good camera store (not Best Buy)
Here are some good questions you can ask when talking with the potential photographer
- Samples - Ask to see sample photos that they have taken in the past
- Equipment - A good photographer will use a SLR camera, not a point and shoot cheap camera. Good equipment enables a photographer to take good pictures quickly without touching them up on the pc.
- Number of shots - How may shots will they give you and will they give them to you on a cd?
- Do you edit your pictures - A few photographers will adjust their pictures on Photoshop before giving them to you. If they have good equipment and good lighting, they will not have to do this. You just want to hear their opinion.
- Do I Own The Photos - Who owns the photos? It is the requirement for most MLSs that the broker / agent own the photos used. You want to have full rights and ownership to the photos.
- Technique - Ask them what their technique is. A good photographer should tell you their approach to getting the best shots of a home. For example, they may say they like natural light and a wide angle lens that makes the rooms look larger. They may also like different angles that give good perspective to a room. If they don’t have a technique, then they are not very professional.
You should have at least two photographers you are comfortable with so you always have one available. Remember to have the home staged, clean and ready to go before the photograher shows up!
