If your real estate photos don't dazzle buyers, you've wasted your time. Prospective buyers used to see a listing in a newspaper or local flyer, and then drive by the home to get a better look. If they liked what they saw, your agent's phone would ring.
Back then, curb appeal was the most important factor. Some extra nosey people might creep up the front step and take a peek in the window but most would use the exterior to extrapolate their first impression of the entire house.
Even agents would use a similar method: when new homes were added to the MLS, all the local real estate agents would flock to the home in a drive by as well. They would check out the house, get an overall impression and then consider whether it was a good match for any of their clients.
But that's changed. Now, both agents and buyers look at the photos of your house, inside and out, before they ever drive to your neighborhood. Instead of judging your home simply on the adorable tree in the yard and whether you painted this year, they are looking at every single room. If your pictures don't impress, you will never hear from that buyer.
Let's take a look at a couple examples of how a poor quality photo can undermine your entire sale:
Examples: Out of Focus / Poor Quality & Too Dark
But those show the room just fine, right? Wrong. Buyers aren't going to analyze your photos and see your home the way you do. They don't look at a dark photo and imagine the room with more light, and they certainly aren't seeing clearly with a bad quality image. Most people spend less than a second looking at a photo, which means you have to make an instant impression.
So, what does that room actually look like?
Example: Fantastic Professional Photo
It's the interior of an expensive luxury home and the original photo was taken by a professional photographer. You can really see how the poor example photos above undermined the actual beauty of this room. And if your home isn't a stunner in the first place, the effects of a bad photo are even worse.
Don't even think of taking your photos with an iPhone or Blackberry, and fire anyone who mentions the word "Instagram." Also forget about using the pictures you took last winter, and absolutely don't list your home until you have the perfect photos. If you don't know how to take a great photo, this isn't the time to learn—instead, hire a pro. The investment is worth it.
