- Tags: real estate marketing, selling property, how to
How to Market Your Home with Photography
Cost of Photography for Your Property
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OPTION 1: DIY for Free
+ Cost of camera equipment
+ Cost of editing program
+ 1 hour to shoot and edit yourself
OPTION 2: Pay a Professional
- $100 - $200 is the standard cost for photographing your home, although some companies charge up to $500
You may pay for extras like:
- a signboard with the photos to put out the front of your house
- Drone photography
- Twilight photography
- Virtual Furniture
OPTION 3: Or use a real estate agent
Why do photographers charge what they do?
Professional photographers can bring thousands of dollars of equipment to a shoot, including a camera, lenses, tripods, and lighting equipment. One lens alone can cost $5,000!
The more experienced the photographer, the more expensive their equipment will be and the more they will charge. You are also paying for the photographer’s time and travel costs. Then there is the editing process. Because proessional photographers shoot in RAW footage, the photos can be edited to a greater degree, producing the quality you expect from a professional photographer. This kind of photography takes skill and knowledge of specialised editing programs like Adobe Lightroom.
Why do you get from a professional photographer?
A professional photographer will usually provide you with 10 – 20 professionally edited photos. They will usually send through a set of high resolution photos, which are good for using in brochures and on signboards to promote your home; as well as a set of lower resolution photos which are smaller files (of the same photos) that are better for using online and on social media (because they are a smaller sized file they load quicker).
If you don’t have furniture in your house, some photographers will also be able to edit in virtual furniture, (see below for an example).
Like home staging, virtual furniture helps buyers imagine their own furniture in your home, giving your photos a bit of extra appeal. Virtual furniture is a cheaper alternative then using a home staging company, and you can even do it yourself online. Websites like boxbrownie.com.au are charging $40 per room at the moment - all you need to do is upload your photos to the site and pick your preferred style and then their designers will send you the finished version back within a day.
Property Signboards
Some photography companies, especially the ones that specialize in real estate photography, may also be able to organize a signboard to be printed for you too.
A signboard (like the one on the right with our agent Bob Berry) is a fantastic marketing tool because it can easily capture the attention of any buyers driving around the suburb (perhaps attending other open homes!) and let them know your house is for sale. It may seem old-fashioned, but at First National a significant number of buyers still contact us because of signboards they have seen in the neighbourhood – so I would definitely recommend getting one if you can.
Do you need photography to sell your home?
Yes. I don’t think anyone actually wants to advertise their property without a photo – that’s like opening a restaurant and not providing guests with a menu. You just wouldn’t do it. What you may be wondering though is why you need to pay so much for photography when you can just whip your iPhone out and do it yourself…right?
Photography is arguably the most important part of marketing your property. It’s the first thing a buyer will look at when browsing for properties to buy, and they will likely return to the photos of the property again and again when deciding whether or not to put forward an offer.
Will a buyer be able to tell the difference between a $100 and $500 photo shoot? Maybe? Will they be able to tell the difference between a professional photo shoot and something you took on your iPhone or even with your own DSLR? It depends on your photography skills, but they probably will.
The aim of using a professional photographer is to present your home as professionally as possible. If your home looks a bit average in the photos, why would someone click on your ad to have a closer look, let alone come to your open home or make an offer. If you’re confident with your own photography and editing skills then you can of course do it yourself. If not, it’s probably best to get a professional to do it, particularly if you’re looking at getting drone photography or twilight photography – it’s definitely worth the investment to get it done right. <<< Go back to read about advertising your home using realestate.com.au
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by Nikki Tuarau
How to Market Your Home with Photography
palmbeachfn.com.au September 2017 First National Palm Beach 15 Palm Beach Ave Palm Beach, Queensland 4221
Phone: 07 5559 9600