The Importance of Professional Photography in Today’s Real Estate Marketing

The National Association of Realtors did a Home Buyer Survey in 2007 which found that 84% of buyers used the internet to search for a home; 91% of buyers between 25-44 years of age used the internet in search for a home; 98% found multiple property photos on the internet useful; and 29% first found the home they purchased on the internet. The internet was 966% more effective than newspapers in introducing buyers to the home they actually bought. If buyers don’t see more than one picture of a property they often do not look further at the property information available.

If buyers don’t like what they see online, do you think they are going to use gas to drive to see it on Sunday Open House? The answer is, probably not. Pictures matter and that means staging and the quality of the pictures taken make a difference as well. Staging will be a topic for a future blog article. When I do searches for buyers on the MLS I can tell immediately when a Pacific Union agent is listing the property. There is no way an agent can go out with a digital camera and take the quality of pictures offered by a professional with lights and huge wide angle camera lenses. The difference on how the house looks, even if it’s a fixer property, is remarkable.

The photographer I use, Thomas Grubba, tgrubbaphoto.com, just got recognized by Matt Kloslowski, one of the foremost Photoshop educators in the world. Check it out at www.lightroomkillertips.com/archives/gallery-spotlights.

I am proud to be associated with an artist of this quality and I think you will agree with me that you want him taking your pictures for your home when you decide to sell it.

edited by: Dan Joy