Lots of real estate professionals do the same. They take some photographs, often with reasonably good quality cameras on their smartphones, and they use these to list their properties online. They speak to other real estate professionals who all think the pictures are great and leave it at that. However, according to Al Hartman, this is not the best way to do it.
Al Hartman’s Experience and Advice
Al Hartman has worked in the real estate business in Houston for many years and he has seen the same thing time and time again. Real estate professionals think they have done everything right, but prospective buyers are sneering at the pictures they saw on the listing. What this shows is that there is a case to be made for paying for a professional photographer.
According to Hartman, no buyer would make a proposition on a house, not even to view it, if the picture is bad. If they see bad pictures, they don’t come at all and if they see good pictures and are then disappointed by the reality, they lose faith in their realtor and also move on. But it always comes down to the picture. These images are key to making a successful listing. Selling a house is just like selling anything else: it is all about advertising and that starts with a good picture.
Research has shown that around 80% of buyers search for properties online. What this also means is that the first thing they look at is the pictures, and that is your one and only opportunity to make a positive first impression. Yes, paying for a professional photographer costs money, but not doing so will cost you a lot more in lost commissions!
According to Hartman, spending money on a professional photographer means:
- Selling the property faster, leading to more happy clients.
- Earning more money because you don’t have to drop prices in a stale market.
- Being at the top of your game because you are known as the real estate agent that sells every time.
Something as small and seemingly insignificant as a good phot, as you can see, actually has a huge impact on the entire process.
Finding a Good Real Estate Photographer
As you can see, real estate pictures have to be done professionally if they are to have an impact. This means hiring someone to take the pictures for you, which in turn means that you have to make quite careful considerations so that you know you will have spent your money wisely. Make sure you find someone who is trained in real estate photography, which means they understand natural and artificial light, wide angle lenses, panorama shots, drone photography, and more. Those are all essential elements of this type of photography, which is wholly different from any other kind of photography. As long as you are going to spend money on a professional, make sure that it is on someone who is actually trained.
