Q: HOW TO SHOWCASE YOUR LISTING TO BUYERS
A: PLAY UP THE VISUALS ON YOUR LISTING
“Multimillion-dollar homes demand Madison Avenue marketing and advertising…” the New York Times
5 ESSENTIAL PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS FOR REALTORS SELLING LUXURY REAL ESTATE
Its no secret sexy sells. And that goes for luxury real estate. Top performing realtors know one secret to a quicker home sale and selling their listing at top dollar in the luxury real estate market is hiring a professional luxury real estate photographer.
“Many sellers don’t want to spend more than $1,000 a day to hire a good architectural photographer (unless the house is worth millions). Instead, they rely on their agents to take the photos, which are usually taken hastily with a handheld digital camera. And since agents aren’t required to take photography courses to get a real-estate license, it’s not surprising that the results are often poorly framed and lit, grainy and washed-out.” ~ MSN real estate article
1. The Power of Professional Real Estate Photography
Here are a few articles the tout the importance of professional real estate photography.
MSN REAL ESTATE: The best shot: A photography lesson for home sellers.
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL – What a Picture’s Worth: Adding a photograph to a listing can translate to a big price bump. Some hard economic facts and data that proves that professionally photographed homes sell the listing faster, increase the selling time and sell the house closer to the asking price.
And this NEW YORK TIMES article by Christine Haughney, To Sell a Luxe Apartment, No Ordinary Snapshot Will Do: A great article on the importance of professional staging and the merits of using a professional real estate photographer for luxury real estate listings: “These photographs, the real estate equivalent of head shots, are the bait that lure buyers to Sunday open houses. When these photos work, they help buyers picture themselves holding parties in their dining rooms.”
“Adding at least one photo to a residential-real-estate listing increases the final sale price by up to 3.9%,” says Ken H. Johnson, an associate professor of finance at Florida International University’s Hollo School of Real Estate. “That can mean an extra $39,000 for a $1 million house.”
2. A Picture is Worth a Thousand Dollars. True or False? Well that depends…..Actually it could be tens of thousands, even a hundred thousand. A recent article by REDFIN sifts through real estate sales data and give you the no nonsense facts on how remarkable luxury real estate photography taken by a professional real estate photographer turns “listings with nicer photos gain anywhere between $934 and $116,076.” {~REDFIN – article }
3. Professional Home Staging: Get the home staged. Staging def: Home staging is the act of preparing a private residence for sale in the real estate marketplace. The goal of staging is to make a home appealing to the highest number of potential buyers, thereby selling a property more swiftly and for more money. Staging techniques focus on improving a property’s appeal by transforming it into a welcoming, attractive product that anyone might want. Is it worth the investment. You bet. Home staging can take a mundane property, both interior and exterior and give it new life. And in a competing market on price with similar floor plans first impression is everything. As realtor when you sell for top dollar you and your client benefit, resulting in more referrals.
“These photographs, the real estate equivalent of head shots, are the bait that lure buyers to Sunday open houses. When these photos work, they help buyers picture themselves holding parties in their dining rooms.” ~ Christine Haughney for the New York Times
4. Drones aren’t just for the Militia: NEW YORK TIMES article: Still Unconvinced, Home Buyer? Check Out the View From the Drone. “We’re not selling $150,000 homes with this technology,” said Matthew Leone, the director of web marketing and chief drone master for Halstead. “Multimillion-dollar homes demand Madison Avenue marketing and advertising, not Main Street.” here’s the link.
5. Remove the Clutter: A great article on transforming small spaces: condos and apartments from the NEW YORK TIMES. How Would You Make an Apartment Photo-Ready? Christine Haughney for the New York Times. In many luxury markets, apartments and condominiums list from the hi $900,000’s to the millions.
