The Importance of Quality Photos

It is currently a seller’s market, so why are listing photos important when selling your home? Even with the favor being on the seller’s side, selling your home in today’s market can be frustrating and very stressful. The question pops up often when in a seller’s market: “If my home is going to sell right away, quality photos aren’t important.” If you are pondering about passing on quality, be sure to think long and hard, as this small task will determine your home’s popularity. When selling your home, consider everything before passing on something that could help you obtain an amazing offer! I mean, everyone wants to sell their home fast and make as much money as possible, so professional photos may be your friend in this scenario. Having high-quality photographs is extremely important, as it draws more attention towards your home than others. Remember, first impressions of your home usually happen when a potential buyer is searching online. So, if you are thinking about listing your property, listen up! We are going to dive into the reasons why you should pick a professional for your home’s listing! 

Reason #1: Buyers Usually Shop Online

When potential buyers start their search, it happens online, so the first impression of your home will be presented at their first glance on Zillow, Realtor.com, or other websites (like ours!) In recent studies, it has been found that more than 50% of people are making use of the internet by purchasing homes. On average, roughly 60% of buyers will spend their time viewing photos and less than 25% reading the description. So the images are the first thing potential buyers see. Listings posted on the internet with photos gain 40% more traction than those without or just text. It can be competitive in today's market, so make your home stand out with amazing photos! 

Reason #2: Pictures are Important When Buying a Home 

The first impression is the last. In another study, it was found that over 90% of users viewed the first photo of a listing for twenty seconds before moving forward to other details. Over 80% of buyers explained that photos are just as important as the descriptions, and some even believe them to be more important than descriptions! 

What is considered 'quality?'

Seeing that the majority of buyers view homes online, it is important to understand why. 

• Photos should reflect what your house ‘could be' to the next owner.

• Make sure to clean and tidy up all rooms in your home. Buyers will pay more attention to a mess than to a clean house. A messy home can also cloud their vision of what they would want the house to be in the future. 

• Photos that are bright and inviting will gain more attention than those with a dim, uninviting feel. 

• Indoor photos are taken during the daytime to let in as much natural light as possible. 

• Angles often show up as being spacious. If you take photos of a random room without knowing the right angle, it can cause the room to look cramped.

Reason #3: Real Estate Trained Photographers Know How to Showcase Your Home

Yes, it can be easy to snap a few photos on your smartphone, as they carry decent cameras. However, they will never replace the depth that DSLR cameras present in each photo of your home. There is no competition when it comes to photographing a beautiful home with technology that exploits your home’s best features! Plus, by using a professional, you can save your agent some time! Delivering the best-quality photos can be time-consuming, so to ensure that your agent is focused on the home-selling process with you, think about getting a professional photographer to digitally showcase your home. Let the photographer handle it!

Reason #4: Pros Get More Money

Yes, homes that are professionally photographed are more likely to go over the asking price than those that are not! Now, you may question this in today’s market, but it still remains true! Homes are going over the asking price left and right, but professional photos can help get you more! On average, we are seeing homes go over about $5-10K, but what if you could go over another $10K? Yes, it seems crazy, but believe us! We have had multiple homes sell for over $10K, $20K, and even $30K! Homes with quality photos receive on average a 45% higher asking price per square foot; now do you believe us?