Professional Real Estate Photography is Crucial for Your Listing – Here’s Why

If your agent isn’t using professional photos for your luxury listing, something is amiss. Here’s why I believe real estate photography is crucial when selling your home.

Cell Phone Photography is Not the Same as the Pros

Cell phone cameras have come a long way, but that still doesn’t mean they’re right for luxury listings (or any listings, for that matter).

It’s simply a fact – cell phone photography will never compare to professional photography. If a real estate agent believes a phone is good enough to take pictures of homes, they’re not only steering you in the wrong direction, but they risk losing buyers by marketing homes this way.

Cameras on phones have less manual control, so there are fewer effects that can apply to photos. It also means they can’t control aspects like lighting. So if the weather outside is poor, the pictures will turn out poorly as well.

It Makes for an Essential First Impression

The phrase “you never get a second chance to make a first impression” doesn’t just apply to a person’s physical looks. It’s also true for visual marketing to sell your home.

Before potential buyers want to see your home in person, they are likely searching for properties online. And nowadays, starting the search online has continued to grow in popularity. In fact, according to the National Association of REALTORS®, 97% of homebuyers searched online for their home in 2020. And 83% of buyers said pictures are very important in helping them choose which homes they will visit.

Since looking for homes online has grown in popularity, it’s important to think about how you want potential buyers to react to your listing. Think about the last time you landed on a listing with poor-quality photos (or worse – no photos at all). What was your immediate impression? How quickly did you move on to something better?

They’ll Make Your Home Look Good

With professional real estate photography, you’re getting expertise and equipment you normally wouldn’t be able to get your hands on.

Professional photographers understand lighting and angles and will be able to bring out the best features of a home with this knowledge. They will also dictate how best to fill the space, where to create horizontal and vertical lines, and where to direct focus to make your home look as good as possible.

But that’s not all. You’re also getting art direction, home staging, storytelling, and post-production editing. All these “extras” help make your home stand out from the crowd and “wow” potential buyers.

Inspires Buyers to Achieve Their Dreams

Emotion is an important aspect of the home-buying process. And real estate photography can have a vital hand in guiding buyers’ aspirations.

High-quality real estate photography can capture attention, engage emotions, and jumpstart the imagination. While viewing photos, buyers subconsciously visualize how the home will affect their life when they possess it.

With clean, staged, high-quality photographs, a buyer may begin to picture themselves cooking in the kitchen for their family, enjoying the backyard in the evening, or hosting parties in their home. Poor photographs and they may be distracted by poorly lit, oddly colored, or unattractively framed shots; the fantasy of living in the home is thus ruined.

Great real estate photography is essential in helping inspire buyers to achieve their dreams and become emotionally connected to your home before they even see it in person.

It’s Time to Sell Your Home the Right Way

We live in a digital world now, and it’s vital to market a luxury home the right way. This includes utilizing a marketing plan and professional real estate photography. I cringe when I see photos of other luxury homes that are clearly not taken by a professional: poor angles, bad lighting, and photos taken by cell phones. It is my belief that if an agent is not willing to invest in professional marketing for your luxury home, they’re doing you as a seller a major disservice.

I’m Luxury Real Estate Agent Darrell Doepke, and I’m ready to embrace your expectations as a seller or buyer. No matter if you’re a first-time luxury seller or a repeat luxury buyer, you can rest assured that I have the experience to guide you through the real estate process with exceptional service. I specialize in the Far North Valley of the Phoenix luxury real estate market and would love to get in contact with you.