A picture is worth a thousand words. Seeing is believing. You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. You’ve likely heard these phrases more times than you can count. People use them with good reason; they’re often true. These expressions are especially true in the business of real estate. When selling property in the age of the online search, real estate listing photos are more important than ever. Sellers have just 20 seconds to attract a buyer online (as reported in the Wall Street Journal). As a result, sellers should ask themselves – Are my photos attracting potential buyers or turning them away?
Let’s further examine how important photos are to every online real estate listing. According to realtor.com, 92% of potential buyers are searching online. In addition, a 2016 National Association of Realtors report states that 51% of buyers found their home online rather than through an agent, sign, friend or relative. This is an increase of 16% since 2011. The report also suggests this trend will continue to increase incrementally over time. Additionally, online listing photos were reported to be important to 83% of buyers. There is also some data to support that sellers may receive a better price for the sale of a well-photographed property. For these reasons, it is critical to display quality photos that promote a property’s best characteristics.
How can sellers ensure quality listing photos? It’s simple. First, stage the property properly. Sellers should clean and organize their home before the first photo is taken. Second, hire the right real estate agent. A skilled agent will use photos to help set a property apart from its competition. Good photos emphasize space and natural light. Dark, grainy, blurry, cluttered or crooked photos will not send the right message to potential buyers. In fact, buyers may dismiss the listing altogether and never look back. When selecting a real estate agent, sellers could consider the following:
- How will this agent use photos to tell my property’s story?
- How much time will this agent spend taking photos of my property?
- Does this agent use post-photography editing?
- Will this agent take new photos as seasons change to keep it fresh online?
Capturing the best aspects of a property through photos may not be not a simple task, but those who do it well may be rewarded with a timely and profitable transaction. If you are planning to sell your property and agree that photos are vital to your success, contact us today! Let’s talk about how we can work together to best advertise your property online.
I don’t think that people realize how important it is to have well-taken photos of their home or place they are trying to sell. If I was looking for a house and I saw a bunch of bad pictures, I would completely skip that home. You are very right that a picture is worth a thousand words and those words would turn into a sale.