Do Professional Listing Photos REALLY Matter?

Picture this.

You’re in the market for a new home and your agent has set you up on an automated search. You receive notification of a new property that meets your search criteria and are eager to check it out. You find yourself sadly disappointed. The home appears dimly lit, cluttered and… wait… are those dirty dishes COVERED in mold?! Why on earth would they want to showcase that? You’re finding it difficult to determine what you’re even looking at due to some “creative” liberties taken by the photographer (who is likely also the agent… iPhone in hand). Needless to say, the photos are less than appealing. It doesn’t seem as though much care has been taken in preparing the listing. It makes you wonder if the property has been neglected in a similar manner. You immediately write this one off. This, unfortunately, happens quite often when presentation is not carefully considered. Let’s talk about why.

In a technologically-driven world, 82 to 90 percent of buyers start their home search online (National Association of Realtors – NAR study). Over 90 percent of them stated that the photos captivated their imaginations and helped them to make their decisions. The latter goes to show that home buying is an emotional process for most. Listing photos are utilized by consumers to help them to envision themselves in the space. This is why it’s so important to provide a neutral canvas for them to work off of. Too much clutter or poor quality imagery can be distracting and counterproductive in captivating your audience’s imagination.

Now, let’s delve a little deeper. A recent Redfin study showed that MLS Listings with photos taken by professionals have approximately 61 percent more views than listings without—and that’s across all price tiers. Like anything else, real estate is to some extent a numbers game. If you can increase your exposure by up to 61 percent, you’ll likely find your Buyer that much quicker. This has been demonstrated in a study by VHT Studios that showed homes with high quality photographs sell 32 percent faster than their counterparts. Furthermore, it has been found that professionally-photographed listings sell for higher prices – between $934 and $18,819 more (Redfin study).

The proof is in the pudding if you ask me. More and more, consumers are using technology and, in this case, listing photos to influence their purchasing decisions. First impressions are EVE-RY-THING and you only have one shot at it. Make sure professional photography is within the scope of your agents service offerings prior to signing an agreement. Clean, crisp photos could mean you walking with thousands more.