There was a time when you or your real estate agent would snap a few quick listing photos with a cheap disposable camera, and that was good enough. You can also see photos that many agents take with their cell phones. But not anymore, thanks chiefly to the Internet. Because nearly 90% of buyers go online to search for homes, listing photos – quality photos – are now critical. Listing photos impact the sale of your Floresville home in several key areas: whether it sells at all, how quickly it sells, and the selling price.
General Observations About Listing Photos
According to the National Association of Realtors, 89% of buyers who searched for homes online reported photos as the most useful feature on the listing sites they visited. But those listing photos absolutely must be top quality. So if you don’t use a professional photographer (which is advised in most cases) and take the photos yourself, then you at least need to make sure it’s DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) photography.
Across all price levels, sellers who use DLSR listing photos are far likelier to sell their homes within six months than those who use point-and-shoot photos. For example, 64% homes in the $4000,000-$500,000 range sell in less than six months with DLSR photos, but only 46% of homes with point-and-shoot photos sell within that six-month period. For high-end, luxury homes in the $1,000,000+ range, those percentages work out to 35% and 30%.
And let’s not even talk about photos taken with a cell phone. While that may be okay for a quick shoot or maybe some additional photos, it will not do for your listing photos. And if an agent puts a photo in sideways or upside down, that is not making people who are viewing it happy. Who wants to turn their head sideways to look at your bathroom photos. Also things like the toilet lid being up. A professional photographer will make sure it is down for a better picture. There are many touches that a professional photographer will handle that make their pictures more appealing.
In addition, with the evolution in digital photography equipment and the rise of more sophisticated online platforms, virtual tours have become increasingly important as a selling tool. Simply put, virtual reality and virtual tours allow Realtors® to better serve their clients. Digital images are perfect for a quick, professional showcasing of a home’s features, and virtual tours are great for buyers searching for homes long distance.
So, then, if you want a quicker sale, it pays to pay for professional DSLR listing photos. The professional photographers use the latest equipment and the latest techniques which result in sharp clear photos. They can even make the older dated homes look their best. One of my listings for a 1949 home caused the homeowner to state she and all her friends were amazed at how good the house looked after professional photos. Now to give her credit they had decluttered and cleaned for the best photos possible so the house was well prepared for photo day.
Listing Photos for a Quicker Sale
As a general rule, professionally photographed homes are more likely to sell, more likely to sell at a better price, and will usually sell more quickly. As we mentioned, because most buyers begin their home search online, this is now a critical aspect of the home buying process. As a consequence, homes with quality online listing photos generally sell faster. The photos get buyers to visit the home because they have a fairly good idea of what the home is like beforehand. It also saves you as a seller time. If for some reason your house does not meet the buyers’ needs they will not schedule a viewing. It is rare to have someone go look at a house that does not appeal to them online and find they really like the house. So having people that are just looking “in case” means you have to clean and leave the home for a viewing. That is potential wasted time for you so having good photos online to appeal to the buyers is essential.
Here’s some statistical proof regarding the quicker sale of homes with quality photos as against those with poor photos:
- $400,000 homes sell three weeks sooner
- $1,000,000 homes sell four days faster
Quality Listing Photos for More Money
It’s a given that listing photos impact the sale of your Floresville home, and sharp photos have the greatest impact. The necessary sharpness is achieved through the use of a good camera with a good lens and proper lighting. None of these elements can be neglected for impactful listing photos.
Whether you’re photographing a living room or the front yard, the sharpest photos get the best results. According to one relevant real estate study, homes with the sharpest photos (in the top 10%) sold at or above the list price 44% of the time. And homes with photos of just average sharpness sold at or above list price only 13% of the time.
What is more appealing to you? What makes a better impression?
So do your listing photos impact the sale of your Floresville home? You bet they do. Quality photos can help you sell it faster and at a better price. But you still have to know what to do with those clear, sharp photos once you have them. You have to know the best online venues where they will have the most sales impact.
For more MLS photos and pet peeves
More information:
How to stay positive when selling