Attention desperate home sellers. Don’t want to lower the price on your house? Consider better photos. Real-estate listings that use photographs taken by the higher-end SLR cameras favored by professional photographers, tend to do better than those that use photos from cheaper point-and-shoot cameras, according to a new analysis done by Redfin Corp., a Seattle-based brokerage.
Redfin found in an analysis of more than 100,000 listings in the Boston metro area and Long Island, N.Y., that homes with professional photographs sold anywhere between $934 to $116,076 more than those shot from cheaper, point-and-shoot cameras. That’s probably enough to start making you feel a little insecure about your home’s photographs if your real estate agent didn’t use a professional or a high-end camera.
What’s more, homes with professional photographs were found, on average, to be viewed 61 percent more online than others in that price range shot with a lower-end camera. The listings that used digital SLR cameras also commanded a 47 percent higher asking price per square foot, according to the Redfin analysis.
Digital SLR cameras, however, were only found to increase the likelihood of a sale for listings that were priced at $300,000 and above. In other words, buyers don’t seem to judge a house by its photos as much for homes priced under $300,000. hmmmm, I beg to differ and will assume that the Hampton Roads and Williamsburg market does not follow that trend. I get many buyers who say that the homes I list look far better than the competition.
Given this obvious upside, it is shocking that only 15 % of homes in the study were marketed using professional photography. Let’s not mince words: If you are not using professional photography to market your home, you are not really marketing your home.
So, what does this all mean to someone selling a home?
Be sure that you, or your agent, invest in professional photography. A professional-looking photo dramatically increases the likelihood that a potential buyer will click through to view your home listing, and drives more buyers to tour your home. Ultimately, the more people interested in your house, the better your chance of receiving an attractive offer. A photo really can be worth a thousand dollars.
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What do you think — does it take a high-end camera or professional photographer to sell a house for higher dollar? Or do you think a point-and-shoot camera can do the job? Some real estate professionals are even using the camera on their phone to capture images of their listings for their marketing, according to the study. Tell me what you think of the following photos : |
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Mr Williamsburg believes in the power of professional photography. Every house that I list is marketed with professional photos, and I pick up the tab. So, is it worth the dough? It turns out that in most cases the answer is a resounding, “Yes!” |
Filed under: hampton roads, Selling a home in Williamsburg VA, williamsburg va
