Professional real estate photos are an INVESTMENT for listing agents business

PFRE blog reader Terry Iverson, in Redmond, OR, recently wrote the following post on his ActiveRain blog. We are reposting it here because it got such a positive response from Realtors on ActiveRain.

7 Reasons why Agents should retire their camera

Think of it as buying a lottery ticket. It is a small risk to pay for professional photos, but the payoff could be in the thousands for this listing and many more to come as a result of smart marketing and your image as a marketeer.

I’ve moved my business to Central Oregon and in talking to agents I’m finding that “snapping photos” instead of hiring a professional photographer seems to be the norm. Being hired to sell a home is purely a marketing event and requires good marketing strategies to sell quickly and at the best price. If you can, set aside the fact that I am a photographer and allow me to put my business consultant hat on, which is a role that I had before starting my photographer business.

Reasons to hire a professional photographer

1. Potential buyers have a better expectation and feel for the home before even visiting.
2. The listing agent is viewed as a marketer who presents his/her listings in the best way possible.
3. Great photos often generate multiple showings and multiple offers resulting in a higher sales price.
4. The Realtor becomes a hero to their seller often resulting in referrals to friends and family, more listings and a higher annual income for the Realtor.
5. In future listing interviews you are able to use those photos to impress the homeowner that you will present their home in the best way possible. We are an image driven society and people are drawn to a great photo. $100-$150 spent to hire a professional photographer now turns into thousands of dollars of commission back to you now and later.
6. Securing more listings means more happy sellers, more potential referrals and another factor to brag about during future interviews. Simply put, the more listings you get, your image of success is stronger which generates more listings and money in your bank account.
7. You won’t have to spend the time taking and later preparing the photos for MLS. It will be magically done for you.

Reasons to take your own photos

1. It will save you the cost of hiring a professional photographer.
2. You have the pleasure of processing the photos instead of making more potential listing calls. 

The bottom line is that taking your own photos will save you the cost of the photo shoot but in many cases will cost you thousands of dollars in lower commissions due to selling at a lower price, taking longer to sell and do nothing for your image as an agent who understands good marketing.