This question was recently posed by the Realtor.com Blogging Team:

There are many listings on the Internet with limited or poor quality photos.  In your experience, do good listing photos help to sell a home?  Please share with us a recent example or two.        

According to NAR Statistics, fully 84% of all home buyers start their search online.

You can never make a second “first impression” and for that 84% of all potential buyers looking for Hernando County Real Estate, the first impression they will have of a home is the photography.

I myself am very passionate about the photographs I take for my listings.

I’ve purchased several thousand dollars worth of camera equipment and image editing software and I have taken the time to learn how to use it well (and continue to learn more and better ways to “get the shot” with every home I photograph).

In fact, I occasionally get chided by my family for spending up to 2 days working on the photographs for one house…usually taking 100-300+ photographs of each listing before narrowing it down to the best shots to use in my marketing materials.  

Why do I put so much effort into photographing my listings properly?

Let’s think for a moment about the process that a buyer goes through when trying to find a home.Generally that process tends to look something like this…

1. Buyers will first type in some search criteria to get into the general ballpark for the type of home they want (# Beds, # Baths, Square Footage, etc).
2. Then once they have those general results, they will look first at the photographs of the properties that come up.
3. If the photographs entice them to want to know more, they will read through the text (usually referencing the photographs as they go).
4. At that point, they will decide whether or not to put the home into the “see it in person” list or not.
5. From there they will drive through the neighborhood
6. And then (finally) walk through the home in person.

Keep in mind, very few buyers walk through the home for the first time and immediately decide to make their purchase…most will usually go back home to think about it, and go over the photographs again (usually several times).

They are of paramount importance!

They are the first impression, and they are very often the most referenced piece of marketing material you will put together.

A great photograph will entice a buyer, thrill the seller, and help to get more interest and activity for the listing - thereby helping it to sell faster, and for more money than it would otherwise.