Both photos below were taken by the same professional level camera and lens. Even with professional equipment, it takes additional work to produce the kind of photos that show your home at its best.
Case Study (1):
In 2010, a firm by the name of Redfin commissioned a study of MLS systems around the U.S.A. and found that listings with professional photography sold for higher prices than listings taken with a point and shoot camera. In the home price range of $200k to 300k asking price, listings sold for an average of $935 more. On the high end, one million and above, the average increase was $116,076. Listings between those two extremes typically saw an increase of $5,000 – $20,000. The benefits of hiring a professional photographer are there even with listings with lower asking prices.
Case Study (2):
In an internal case study, IMOTO, a company creating real estate photography for both sellers and REALTORS®, compared 350 listings using their professional photography against 350 similar listings in the same ZIP code. Listings using professional photography sold 50% faster and 39% closer to the original listing price than similar homes without professional photos.
Several conclusions can be drawn from the paragraphs above.
- First impressions of your home can make the difference in whether the viewer continues to look.
- Professional quality photos can make the needed first impression.
- It takes more than just professional level equipment to create high quality photos.
- A professional level photographer with a specialty in real estate can help make your home listing achieve that required “First Impression”.
At Heritage Real Estate Sales, the value of professional photography has been fully recognized. Virtually every home that is listed with this office has a professional photographer take the photos. The difference is easily seen as you browse through their listings at: The Listings for Heritage Real Estate Sales
The photos above are the work of Mike Covington, a professional real estate photographer. More of his work can be seen at www.lowcountryphotos.com