By Elaine Quigley, Realtor, CBR, CRS, GRI, Prudential Prime Properties
They say a picture paints a thousand words and when it comes to selling your home, you want those words to end with “sold.” It's no secret that better-presented homes get more traffic and more buyer interest, therefore selling faster.
That's why it is essential that you showcase your home through images in the best way possible.
According to the National Association of REALTORS?, nearly 90 percent of all homebuyers begin shopping for homes online. Many flip through photos of the homes and send a list of those they want to see to their agent. In fact, homes with few or no photos are often passed over simply for that reason, even if the home's description matches a buyer's ideal listing.
Many agents believe that apart from staging, no other marketing investment is as important as professional photography in marketing a property effectively. So, to generate more buyer interest, there has been a dramatic increase in the use of professional real estate photographers in the past few years.
The best photographs are most likely to come from someone who has an eye for the underlying beauty of the home's structure and spaces; has specialized equipment and techniques for lighting and perspective control; and uses workflow processes for post-processing of the images for use on the Web and in publications.
Let's face it, as much as we all like to think we take great photos, a professional has an eye for seeing the best vantage points and lighting options and also has better equipment to make the photos bright, clear and sharp. A professional photographer will most likely use a 10mm lens that can capture up to 85 percent of a room and lighting that can illuminate the entire room.
The same holds true when taking a video of your home to add to a website listing. An amateur can show what each room and yard looks like, but a video professional will make the strongest elements stand out and provide a much better video narrative of the home. Plus, you don's have to worry about any shakiness or dullness that someone not that experienced with a video camera may give you.
Before bringing in someone to photograph or video your home, it's essential that it is clean and de-cluttered so the pictures entice a buyer to want to see the home in person. You don's want clothes, pets or anything else distracting people from the photo at hand.
Indeed, homes showcased with the best photographs and videos will attract more sellers and help speed the home-sale process to a successful conclusion.
Elaine Quigley can be reached at (508) 366-3766 or cell (508) 735-5161).
You will see the difference when you list with me. My photographs are taken by a professional photographer. Visit my website at www.EQRE.com. You can reach me at [email protected] or call me at 508-735-5161 for results!
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