As Realtors®, we spend a great deal of time researching comparable sales listed by other brokers. Perusing hundreds of property photos every week, we see many homes – and presentation standards. Two homes on the same street, with similar age and construction, can have markedly different outcomes in their market time and sale price. One look at the photography of each home, and it is immediately obvious which sold for a better price.
Before the Internet, the only way to see a home for sale was to tour it in person with an agent, or to attend an open house. Today, the open house event runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, through countless real estate websites and apps. It’s no wonder why photography plays the most vital role in the sale of a home. Buyers view the home in about twenty seconds, deciding whether they are interested or not – based on what the photos tell them.
Your home’s photography can significantly affect its market appeal and the final sale price. Here are the categories that matter:
Lighting: Subpar photography reduces rooms to bright windows, darkened areas, and shadows. Quality photography shows off the entire room, with abundant light.
Clarity: Focus matters. Photos taken with a cell phone can turn out fuzzy, with poor depth. Each photo should be able to enlarge with detail and clarity, to allow the buyer to zoom in on unique features that catch their eye.
Wide Perspective: Buyers want to see as much as possible: a wide view of the kitchen, the whole backyard, the entire deck. Professional cameras provide this wide angle, satisfying the buyers’ curiosity. Closeups of toilets, faucets, or the cat do not help.
Variety: Buyers decide if the home is worth touring in person based on the photos that are shown. When a listing agent posts only 3 or 4 photos of a home, buyers are left wondering what the rest of the house looks like. Don’t make them imagine the worst.
Sequence: Sometimes listings provide a strange and nonsensical sequence of photos – front door to bathroom, to the garage, back to kitchen, then outside. The listing should provide a natural, logical “tour” of the home, as if a buyer were walking through it.
Warmth: Photography of a home should be warm and inviting, beckoning a buyer to experience it in person. Have lights on, doors open, curtains open, and blinds drawn, saying “come and see”. An extra lamp and higher-wattage bulbs can help with this.
The financial significance of selling a piece of real estate merits effort and investment into professional, quality photography. As a seller, you’ll get a strong return on investment with a superb online presentation. Choose a broker who is committed to outstanding photography. Then, give buyers a visual feast that makes them grab their car keys, head over to see it, and get an offer in!
©SASH Realty by Rebecca Bomann, Designated Broker, SRES®
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