A Picture is Worth a Thousand Dollars … Part I

What is the true benefit of having your home listed with professional-quality photo … Is it truly worth the money invested in paying for a professional photographer?

YES!

As the graphic above shows, there can be a significant return on your investment in using DSLR photography. However, as most DSLR cameras are generally out of the price range of the average leisure photography (ranging from $500 to over $1,000), it makes sense to assume that most DSLR photography for home listings will be done by professionals. A professional photographer will usually cost $100 -- $500, so it stands to reason that because using professional photography could net you thousands of dollars more on your home sale, it is a worthwhile investment to use your marketing dollars on.

Given this monetary benefit of professional photography, it is shocking that a majority of listings out there today are still shot using point-in-shoot photography, or even just a camera phone. Let's be perfectly blunt: Without the investment in professional photography when marketing your home, you aren't really marketing your home. See the photos below for a specific example of this - the photo on the left was taken with a point-and-shoot camera, while the picture on the right was taken by Andrew Hensler, a professional photography, using a DSLR camera. Do you see the difference?

A few more interesting facts taken from the Redfin analysis – Homes shot with a DSLR camera:

• Receive an average of 61% more views than other homes, across all price tiers.
• Have a 47% higher asking-price per square foot.
• Have a better chance of selling, for homes priced above $300,000.
• Stay on the market an average of 10 days longer than other homes, across all price tiers.

So homes that use professional photography will get more page views and eventually sell at a higher price, but it takes longer for these homes to sell. What does this all mean for the average home seller? It means that you should make sure that you, or your agent, are making the investment in professional photography! Great photography can drive more buyers to view your listing, and the more people that are viewing your listing, the greater the chance of you receiving an attractive offer.

But what is the best way to make this professional photography work for you when marketing your listing? Stay tuned for our next blog, outlining some tips and tricks to really get the maximum value from your photography!