SPOTLIGHT ON SERVICES
A New Listing – A New To-Do List
Agents, you love listings! You know most come with a pay day, but you also know there’s a lot to do before your future funds are deposited. Before the ink gets dry on your contract, you know one of the first things you have to do is get the images needed for marketing the property. These recent National Association of Realtors® (NAR) statistics tell us why.
95% of all buyers use the internet to shop for homes and 44% of them look online as their first step in the home buying process – before they contact an agent or think about financing.
89% of those who use online resources consider images as one of the most important factors in their decision process
58% of the buyers who use mobile search found their homes online
It’s highly likely, according to these numbers that the buyer for a new listing is going to see the home first on a phone, tablet, laptop or computer. That first digital impression usually decides whether or not a potential buyer will even consider the home as a possibility. The pictures have to look good. So what should an agent do?
Take the Pictures Yourself
In some situations, taking the pictures yourself can be a viable solution. NAR has disclosed buyers under $300K are not as particular about the photos they see online. Great photos taken with your phone or a digital camera may be all you need – especially in areas where sellers rule and homes have multiple offers on the first day they are marketed. When you’re in this type of market the minimal investment of time it takes to shoot the pictures and upload them without editing makes good sense.
But what about in slower markets? What about when the home is over $300K? What if you take lousy pictures? What if the home has areas which are difficult to capture with a camera? In each of these situations, hiring a professional to take your pictures might be a better solution for you. But there’s one more thing that makes a big difference. Is taking the pictures and processing them the best use of your time or could you be involved in other more profitable activities? If you’ve got more important things to do, let a pro handle the images.
Hire a Pro
The higher your listing’s price, the more important it is for you to use a pro to create your marketing images. Your competition will have utilized the visual edge of a professional eye and specialized equipment during the shoot. Their best images required more time in post production than they did in being setup and captured. You owe it to your client to provide the same quality.
However, regardless of the price range, there are other, more practical considerations, also reported by NAR.
Homes with professional photos were viewed 61% online than others
Homes with professional photos commanded at 47% higher asking price per square foot.
Homes with professional photos tend to sell for more than those taken by others, from $900 to over $116K more.
When you need professional images for your listing, we hope you will call Spot On Images. We’re your marketing partner. We keep our prices competitive. We provide inclusive packages which avoid costly add-on fees. We’re not just a guy with a good camera, but experienced professionals who will provide the images you need to get your listing sold.