Professional real estate photography builds your brand and boosts your GCI.

It’s easy to fall into the trap that higher-priced listings deserve better marketing. Conventional wisdom tells us that a million dollar listing deserves better marketing than a $200K starter home, right? Actually, wrong.

Your clients deserve to have the best listing images to market their homes no matter the perceived property value. With 96% of home buyers looking at houses online, the way you visually market your listings is critical to stand out from the crowd. The best way to differentiate yourself and get more showings is with real estate photography.

Did you know that agents who use professional real estate photography make double the average gross commissionable income compared to agents who don’t? So, before you start snapping real estate photos with your smartphone, here are the top reasons to hire a pro: 

 1. Stand Out Online

Look at your favorite online retail store. The first thing you’ll notice is that they’re using professional photography for every product. From a $5 pair of socks to a $300 pair of designer boots, the product photos they are using are high-quality and consistent.

This is by design. They know that professional photography is a powerful marketing tool that can lead more consumers to click on a product and make that purchase. These companies also know that the images you see on their site are a direct representation of their brand.

These two things should apply to your listing marketing. Homebuyers are looking at dozens of listings online. If your thumbnail photo doesn’t draw them in, you could be missing out on clicks, showings, and a fast close.

In addition, if a seller sees that you’re only using professional real estate photography on higher-end houses, they may not trust that you’ll use the best tools to sell their home. Great brands deliver a consistent message and product; your personal brand shouldn’t be any different.

2. Professional Real Estate Photos Build Your Brand

As discussed above, using the same photography company or photographer for all of your listings will create brand consistency. A consistent and professional brand image gives real estate agents, new and seasoned, the confidence to go to a listing presentation and really demonstrate their worth to prospects. Agents who began using professional photography for their listings stated that they experienced an increase in referrals, they attracted better buyers, they won more listings and they elevated their brand.

3. A Great Camera Doesn’t Equal Great Real Estate Photos

Your smartphone camera or DSLR may have all the bells and whistles, but it doesn’t mean you’ll be able to take a great photo with it. Great photography begins with composition and a true understanding of visual story-telling. Professional real estate photographers take many things into consideration, including:

• The time of day to shoot to get the best lighting
• The angles to shoot from to highlight a room’s best features
• Skipping rooms or features that will not help market a home
• Which camera settings to use that bring out the best qualities of a photo
• How to scan a room to make on-the-fly changes, boosting the appeal
• The order in which they shoot rooms to enhance the flow

 Without professional training, it will be difficult for you to achieve successful results. Professionals use this bullet point list countless times a month to shoot listings. Let them show you the difference their images make!

It’s that simple

Providing professional photography for your real estate listings is one of the simplest ways you can shape your brand and business. High-quality real estate photos can help generate leads, market your brand, and deliver a memorable client experience. Start making more today by investing in professional photography.

WRITTEN BY

Michael Yates