Why I use a professional photographer/ videographer to shoot my home listings
Attention desperate Williamsburg VA home sellers. Don’t want to lower the price on your house? Consider better photos & video. Real-estate listings that use photographs taken by the higher-end SLR cameras favored by professional photographers, tend to do better than those that use photos from cheaper point-and-shoot cameras, according to an analysis done by Redfin Corp., a Seattle-based brokerage.
Believe it or not, this is an actual photo from a house listed for sale in the Williamsburg VA area
Redfin found on in an analysis of more than 100,000 listings in the Boston metro area and Long Island, N.Y., that homes with professional photographs sold anywhere between $934 to $116,076 more than those shot from cheaper, point-and-shoot cameras. That’s probably enough to start making you feel a little insecure about your home’s photographs if your real estate agent didn’t use a professional or a high-end camera.
What’s more, homes with professional photographs were found, on average, to be viewed 61 percent more online than others in that price range shot with a lower-end camera. The listings that used digital SLR cameras also commanded a 47 percent higher asking price per square foot, according to the Redfin analysis.
Zillow listed the top factors home buyers uses when determining which home to purchase and came up with the following list in their 2016 research report
HOME SELECTION & PURCHASING FACTORS
When determining which homes to consider purchasing, home buyers place importance on a variety of methods, including:
Taking a private tour of the home (78 percent)
Having an inspection/pre-inspection (78 percent)
Having access to comprehensive data and history about the home (67 percent) Utility bills, ages of systems ie roof, HVAC, appliances.
Viewing a floor plan of the home (64 percent) I will cover this important issue in a subseqent post
Getting their agent’s evaluation of the home (54 percent)
Viewing professional pictures of the home (52 percent)
Having the home empty/free of the previous seller’s belongings (51 percent)
Attending an open house of the home (48 percent)
Watching a video tour of the home (35 percent)
Having the home be staged (33 percent) Another important task I will cover.
Each of these methods is more important to Millennial and Generation X buyers compared to buyers over age 50. Private tours, having an inspection, and getting access to comprehensive data about the home are nearly equally desired among the age cohorts.
Preparing to list your Williamsburg, Richmond or Hampton Roads VA home for sale can be a daunting task. With so many decisions and plans to be made it can seem a little overwhelming at times. One very important item that is often overlooked until the day of the appointment is marketing photos. These photos play a huge role when selling your home.
Highlighting the best features of your home has never been more important. Today’s tech savvy buyers are doing more and more online research before deciding which properties are worth viewing in person. Your marketing photos/ video may be the only opportunity to showcase everything your home has to offer. Buyers will move on quickly if the photos of a property don’t leave a good first impression.
So what does all this mean to someone selling a home in Williamsburg / Richmond or Hampton Roads VA?
Be sure that you, or your agent, invest in professional photography and video. A professional-looking photo/ video dramatically increases the likelihood that a potential buyer will click through to view your home listing, and drives more buyers to tour your home. Ultimately, the more people interested in your house, the better your chance of receiving an attractive offer. A photo/ video really can be worth a thousand dollars.
Here are a few photos of my past listings ….we always include the neighborhood amenities so that buyers can see what is in the community
And here is one my latest videos
As a Williamsburg/ Hampton Roads or Richmond Virginia home seller, there are many things that you can do to help guarantee that your home leaves the positive lasting impression that you are hoping for. You’ve probably already thoroughly cleaned your home from top to bottom and made sure everything is in good condition, but what else can you do? Here’s a list of suggestions that will help you “beat out the competition” and bring buyers to your door.
Interior
Remove clutter from bookshelves, fireplace mantles, coffee tables, bedrooms, kids’ rooms, kitchen, and anywhere else photographs will be taken.
Remove personal or family photographs.
Open all window coverings to make rooms appear brighter and larger.
Turn on all lights and replace all burned out light bulbs.
Conceal garbage and recycle containers.
Clear kitchen counter tops and remove all pictures and magnets from the refrigerator.
Keep floor coverings such as throw rugs to a minimum.
Remove table coverings.
Remove all signs of pets including food/water bowls, pet beds, chew toys, crates, etc.
Clear bathroom counter tops lower toilet lids, and put out your nicest towels.
Empty shower or tub of soaps, shampoos, shaving items, caddies, etc.
Hide valuables and medications.
Exterior
Conceal all trash, yard waste and recycle bins.
Move vehicles out of driveways and away from the front of the property.
Make sure hedges, shrubs, lawn etc. are neatly trimmed and leaves are raked. Also, add fresh mulch/or pine straw
Conceal gardening tools, mowers etc.
Remove or coil hoses.
Remove kids’ toys and/or pet toys.
Open patio umbrellas and set out cushions
Remember, your home will only have a few seconds to grab the attention of potential buyers. With just a little extra effort you can be sure that the perfect buyer is seeing and falling in love with the home of their dreams.
Psst. I’m a Williamsburg/ Richmond and Hampton Roads VA real estate agent.
This post was authored by local resident and REALTOR, John Womeldorf. John is known around town as Mr. Williamsburg, for both his extensive knowledge of the Williamsburg/ Richmond/ Hampton Roads area and his expertise helping buyers and sellers in the local real estate market.
If you are a home owner searching for someone innovative to sell your home I would love to share my thoughts on marketing. You can read some of the stories I have written about the homes I have sold here.
Additionally, I have helped hundreds of folks find their dream home/ community and would love to help you find yours in Williamsburg, Yorktown, New Kent, VA Beach, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Isle of Wight Poquoson as well as Richmond.
You can text/ call me by phone at 757-254-8136 or email [email protected]
I look forward to serving your real estate needs!
Best
