Professional Pics Get the Clicks: 12 Reasons to Hire a Professional Photographer

There are a ton of reasons to use professional photography for your marketing imagery. Spoiler alert: It’s deeper than “they look cool”.

You’ve got 10 seconds to catch their attention. Make a lasting first impression. People scroll fast. You’ve got a much better chance of making them pause to look at your listing if your imagery is purposefully composed, well-lit, and professionally retouched. You want people to be thinking about YOUR listing - not scrolling to the ones with better photos. Twilight imagery is awesome for creating a scroll-stopping experience.
Your listings sell for more - often thousands more. The Lake Samammish home pictured above was under contract in 5 days. It sold for $202k over the asking price. That paid for my services by a long shot and made for some very happy sellers. Who do you think the sellers will be using for their next purchase or sale? Who will they recommend to friends? Yep, the agent that opted for top-notch photos. Yes, there’s a lot more that goes into it than great photography. The agents work very hard to coordinate landscaping, staging, painting, inspections, etc.. But what if the people willing to bid against each other scrolled past their dream home because of subpar imagery? You work too hard to let that happen.
Better Images. More Views. Studies conducted by large real estate companies show a 61% increase in views when the imagery is professional. Ditch your iPhone. Get the clicks. And yes, the study was conducted by RedFin. (Link provided for credibility)
More Views Translate to Faster Sales. It seems a bit obvious, but this too has been studied. More people viewing professional-quality images translates to faster sales. Not only does that make your clients’ lives easier, but it means you get paid faster and can sell more properties in a shorter amount of time - exponentially growing your business.
Higher Likelihood of Sale. For a variety of reasons, some listings have a harder time moving than others. Whether it’s a cosmetic issue or a larger problem, strong imagery is going to get more eyes on your listing. No matter the place - someone wants that property. Professional real estate photography ensures they find you.
Professional Retouching can Save Your Schedule. Here’s a true story. The week called for thunderstorms (Rare here. I know.). We had to move fast. The only problem: I was scheduled for photography before the roofers were able to start. Professional retouching to the rescue. I was able to photograph and photoshop the home’s exterior to reflect what the roof would look like after being fixed. The roof appeared online exactly as it did when buyers came to visit the home - even though I was there before the roofers. We avoided scheduling conflicts and that home went on to sell for $1.7M. Another scenario that comes to mind is when I arrived to photograph the home before the garage door was delivered. The agent was happy to relieve client anxiety, and the garage door installer had time for lunch that day.
Elevate Your Brand. After a professionally photographed property or two, you begin to attract potential clients with a consistent aesthetic. The narrative is elevated by giving your property descriptions a strong anchor. You’re awesome, and you know it. Let your photos reflect that. Let’s not forget a strong headshot ;)
Win More Clients with an Elevated Portfolio. Listing competition can be fierce. You’re way more likely to win a client by presenting yourself professionally. Imagine leaving a meeting with a potential client. You feel good about it and smile. But not for long. On your way out the door you pass the next agent meeting with your client. Their portfolio is printed and looks amazing. You stare through the coffee shop window only to see a stunning portfolio with imagery from Erik Sven. It happens ALL THE TIME. They get the listing. You go home to eat leftover spaghetti for the fifth time this week.
Better Social Media Content Builds Credibility. Drive people to your site and ultimately into a contract with strong social media content. This is especially great for your tech-savvy clients. Google searches are great, but you’re leaving money on the table if your social media presence is lacking high-quality, professional imagery.
Problem Solving Capabilities with Virtual Staging. Need a photoshoot tomorrow, but your refrigerator delivery isn’t on time? This happened to me. We were able to move forward without the appliance, but you bet clients saw an awesome fridge on the MLS.
Save Time for What You’re Good at. There’s a reason you became a real estate agent and not a photographer. You’re an amazing people person who overdelivers to clients to give them exactly what they didn’t know they needed. I’m like that too. I’ll save you time, and we can both stick to what we’re good at. In short, you get to spend more time on sales.
Emotions Play a Major Role in Purchasing Decisions. Story telling with strong photography creates an emotional response. Most buyers already have a location, budget and idea of what they want in their head, but it’s emotion that brings them to visit a property. If your home falls within their parameters but the imagery doesn’t make them want to come visit… you’ve just missed a great opportunity.

So there’s my first blog entry. It might come across as a bit “sales-ish”, but I really believe in the importance of strong imagery when it comes to real estate sales.

Have a question? Or just want to comment? You know what to do. I’d love to connect.

To everyone I'm currently working with: Thank you so much for your continued support! It means a lot!

-Erik

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