You're probably used to thinking of professional real estate photography as an expense, right? Well, we would love to flip that mindset! Our goal is not to just collect money from you...we want to be your partner and a crucial member of your team. As real estate photographers, we aim to provide so much VALUE that by hiring us, you'll actually come out ahead (way ahead!) vs. struggling to take the photos yourself. Here are ten reasons why.
1. Professional photos build your brand.
Photos that are amazing and professional make YOU look amazing and professional.
Investing in quality real estate photography isn't just investing in the sale of that one particular house...it's investing in your personal brand and reputation.
If your sellers are thrilled about how you present their house, they're more likely to write you a glowing review and refer their friends to you. And future sellers who are looking for a listing agent will certainly look at how you've presented and marketed your listings in the past.
Your name is associated with every single listing, so we recommend hiring a professional real estate photographer for every single listing. Whether the sale price is $1 million or $100,000, treat every listing as a chance to build your brand.
2. You'll win more listings.
Each house you list is a golden opportunity to generate leads for your next listing. In today's low inventory market, it's even more important to differentiate yourself from the competition. High quality real estate media is one of the best ways to do that.
In addition to professional photos, we can create cinematic video walk-throughs, 3D Matterport virtual tours, drone aerial photos, and floorplans. These services are a great way to impress your next sellers and show them that you'll go above and beyond for them.
Think about it from the perspective of a proud homeowner. You've poured a lot of money and effort into taking care of your house, maybe even remodeling it. When you're comparing different listing agents, are you going to choose the agent who takes mediocre photos with their phone and says that's good enough...or the agent who utilizes a professional to showcase the home you've worked so hard on?
3. You'll gain the help of an expert.
Just because you can do something yourself, doesn't mean you should.
The question isn't whether you can get a house sold with DIY phone photos (it's absolutely possible, if the price is right). But then again, it's also entirely possible for a homeowner to sell their house as a FSBO (especially in Spokane's seller's market).
The question is, how much are you leaving on the table by not hiring an expert?
Freddy FSBO thinks he'll save money by not paying agent commissions, but ends up losing MORE by selling at a lower price than he would have gotten with an agent.
Donna DIY thinks she's saving money by taking her own photos...but had she hired a professional real estate photographer, the house could have sold for MORE, earning her a higher commission that would have covered the cost of photos.
In both cases, Freddy and Donna also miss out on the expertise, guidance, and help of an expert. They struggle through a process that they don't really enjoy or understand, when they could have taken it off their plate and ended up net-positive.
4. Your listings will sell quicker, and for more money.
You only get one chance to make a first impression.
And when it comes to selling a house, the photos you put online are, overwhelmingly, that first impression. A recent study tracked the eye movements of home buyers and found that 95.1% of them looked at the photos first...then the property description...and lastly, the agent's remarks. So it's critical to capture buyers' attention right away with quality photos, or they may never even read your description, much less schedule a showing to see the house in person.
As for the selling price, the data shows that on average, homes captured by a professional real estate photographer sell for $3,400 more. It makes sense: beautiful photos attract more attention online, which leads to more buyer interest, which can result in multiple offers, pushing up the sale price by thousands or even tens of thousands.
And it's not just that. The same study by Redfin showed that houses with high quality photos sold three weeks faster than similar houses without professional real estate photography.
5. Delegating frees up your time to spend on the things that only YOU can do.
This goes along with the point we made about hiring an expert. As a Realtor, you're already wearing a lot of hats. You're busy, and your time is valuable. Our job is to make your life easier.
Capturing and editing real estate photos, walk-through videos, and Matterport 3D tours can take anywhere from 2-8 hours. Is that the best use of your time? If you were to delegate those tasks to us, could you focus on something else that only YOU can do?
Our goal is to free up your time to do something that's more valuable for your business, or to spend that time with your family.
Pick which services you want for your listing, and we will take care of the rest. You can trust us to get it done quickly, professionally, and affordably.
6. You'll gain a marketing partner in us.
Aileen has a background in social media marketing, and we're active on Instagram with thousands of engaged, LOCAL followers in Spokane. That makes us a great marketing partner for you!
We always follow the agents we work with and engage with your content. And often, we'll post the houses we've shot and tag the agent who hired us, giving lots of great exposure to your listings (and you!).
We don't consider our service to be a transaction, where the relationship ends after you've paid the invoice. Instead, we consider ourselves to be your partner. We genuinely seek to contribute your success and build up a mutually beneficial, long-term relationship.
7. You'll gain a library of quality photos to use in your personal marketing & social media.
This is not something that every real estate photographer allows, but we do. While we retain the copyright to all our images, we are happy to let you to use any photo we've taken for you in your personal marketing. This continues to give you tons of value, long after the sale closes.
Working on an informational booklet for first-time buyers? Creating a listing presentation for your sellers? Planning an email marketing campaign, or scheduling some Instagram posts?
You can use any of the photos we've taken for you in the past! This is something we offer for free, without requiring an additional fee.
Your marketing content will stand out and be so much more impactful, with your OWN unique, original photos rather than generic stock photos.
8. You can rely on our professional gear & knowledge.
Great photos and video are about more than just the gear. You can have the latest-and-greatest smartphone, or even the exact same setup that we have (DSLR camera, wide angle lens, professional tripod, gimbal, 3D camera, drone, and so forth)...yet, you could still create disappointing results.
A professional real estate photographer will know the best compositions to make rooms look spacious, the proper camera settings no matter the situation, how to take multiple exposures to capture the full range of tones, and which angles will show the flow of the house.
We've also trained our eyes to look for little things we can move or change to boost the room's appeal (things like making sure curtains are even on both sides, toilet lids are down, and garbage cans are hidden away).
And beyond capturing the photos on-site, we also know how to edit photos to make them look their very best. This is actually a big part of what separates professional photos from amateur ones!
9. We have the ability to create content that you can't
Admittedly, you can create your own photos and walk-through videos with your phone. If your brokerage has a Matterport camera, you could even create your own 3D tours.
But can you take professional quality photos, with the window views and the interior exposed correctly?
Can you capture drone photos or video, to showcase the property from above?
Can you capture and edit a high quality, cinematic video, with smooth footage, clear audio, and professional color grading?
We can do all of that and more! We're here to make your listing shine, and help you stand out from the competition.
10. We are licensed & insured.
This may be the last point, but it's really important! All of our drone pilots have their FAA Part 107 certification, and we carry all the proper insurance, so you can rest assured that you won't get slapped with a big fine when you work with us.
Our goal is to simplify your life. When you have a listing coming up, you already have sooo many other things you're thinking of and working on. We'd love to take care of the photos, video, and 3D tour for you. We hope to become such a valuable and trusted part of your team, that you'll never want to take your own photos again!
Interested? You can book a shoot with us online, or call/text us at 509-713-2008.
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