100% of humans respond to visuals in a way that is extremely powerful.

From Cialdini’s ‘visual salience’ theory to 3M’s study proving visuals are 43% more persuasive, sales psychology pros have been studying this stuff for decades (maybe even centuries).

No doubt about it. The right real estate photograph can build excitement, anticipation and ultimately influence a buyer’s decision.

“Without a doubt, professional photography is the most critical element of your listing marketing strategy. 86% of homebuyers state that listing photography is the #1 reason why they decide to view a home, yet only 35% of Realtors use a professional photography solution,” says Michael Yates, Marketing Director at Virtuance.

According to experts like Michael, “Using professional photography is the #1 way to get your listing to stand out from the competition and puts you in the best position to get more showings, more offers, and ultimately a higher sale price.”

“In real estate, there’s almost always a major life event happening at the time of the home purchase. Your client might be going through downsizing, upsizing, divorce, getting married, having a baby, etc.,” says Debra Beagle, co-owner and Managing Broker of Ashton Real Estate Group (which by the way, happens to be the #1 RE/MAX team in the world).

For rainmakers like Debra, it’s important for her agents to go above and beyond the role of Realtor to become professional problem-solvers for their customers.

Your prospect isn’t just thinking about spending $350K on 4-bedroom with a pool. They’re thinking about who they’ll become when they live in it. Maybe they want to be the kind of picture-perfect parent who preps healthy meals for dinner every night, or the type of switched-on professional who wakes up refreshed and ready to follow the fast-track to the C-suite.

Whatever it is, your real estate photos offer up the first glimpse into that vision and are the single most important marketing tool in marketing your listings.