Home Selling Tips in Murrieta, CA: A Picture Is Worth 1,000 Words... Or $116,076

If your cooking is awful, buy a better stove.  I could play better if I had a better piano.

In reading the article, it is assumed that if one spends the money to purchase a DSLR, they already know or will take the time to learn to use it effectively.  In general, this is probably true, but you can't conclude that if your photography is sub-par now, that a more expensive camera will automatically provide better photos.

I have read more than one blog from those who have purchased entry level DSLR's and are dissatisfied with the photo results in comparison to the point and shoot they "upgraded" from.  Conversely, a professional photographer can take great photos with almost any camera.

I'm not knocking the article, just your conclusion.  Better photography helps to sell homes more effectively.  That, I will agree to.  I have personal examples of how this is true, but it's been hard to find quantitative, statistical evidence to back up this claim.  This article is one of the best I've seen on the subject.  

I will even agree that a home shot professionally will bring more than the same house shot poorly.  But even photography alone will not sell the home.  We still have to market the property effectively and price it competitively.  A grossly over priced home won't sell no matter how great the photos are.  And buyers need to know that the home is for sale.  The agent still has to do their job.

At less than $200.... THIS IS a wide-angle lens and great zoom in a little point & shoot!

Interesting point. Personally, I bought a Nikon D40 with a telephoto lens through eBay last year. I don't know if I am getting better prices for my listings since using it, but I certainly feel confident when using it. People ask, "Who does your photos"? I proudly say that I do.

My clients are impressed.

Cheers,

So I guess Lee is saying that picture of the open toilet won't look any better with a 35mm lens or a 23mm lens from a nice DSLR.

Ultimately, it all comes down to the expertise and talent of the photographer.  Technology can do a lot of the heavy lifting, but it will only get you so far and there is always the learning curve associated with learning to use more sophisticated equipment.  I find that many people don't know how to use a camera on any setting other than "AUTO".  Current P&S cameras actually have a lot of the same features that DSLRs have, it's just that very few people understand them enough to get that extra mileage out of them.

As far as Redfins study, I believe they just used the EXIF data to compile their numbers.  While this is not an all together unreliable way of gathering this info, it does leave out one of (if not THE) most important attribute to those photos and that is the skill of the person taking (and even editing...) them.

And just because you can upload 24 pictures to your MLS doesn't mean we need a picture of every toilet in the house!

As a professional photographer, I am always curious why any Realtor or professional agent would let hundreds of thousands of dollars to millions of dollars of real estate rest on their amateur photos.

Thank god home sellers are stupid.  Otherwise why would they allow a non professional photographer (read their agent) shoot the photos of their biggest asset.  It may not be unpopular to say, but photos are the most important part of any real estate marketing campaign.  It's your foundation that you build everything else on yet I see time and time again agents spending hundreds of dollars on advertising only to use horrible self-taken photos in those ads.

Lee got it right.  Price of the camera means nothing.

I don't care if an amateur went out and bought a $42,000 dollar Hasselblad H4D Medium Format Camera (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/671879-REG/Hasselblad_70480533.html) with a Phase One $30,000 digital back.  I'd still be able to take a better photo with a $10 dollar disposable from Wal-Mart because I'm a professional and I know what I'm doing.

DSLR, point & shoot, Polaroid, etc, the cameras mean nothing.  The person behind the camera means everything.

Gregory

Agent Headshots | Real Estate Photography

I wouldn't go so far as to say photography is everything.  I used to think so, but then I realized that even properties with bad photos were selling.  If I had to say what THE most important thing in selling real estate is, it would be price.  Price it right and it will sell.  I have often said anything will sell at the right price.  Having said that, I will agree photography comes in a close second in importance.  Better photography will help to generate more showings.  Remembering my economics class, as you go up on the demand curve value increases.  If more buyers see the house, the likelihood of it selling for a higher price also increases.  Of course, the house needs to look as good in person as it does in the great photos, so staging is also important.

@Lee.. not to pick nits but I'd say that location trumps price in most cases.  That said, with more than 90% of home buyers searching on the internet, the importance of superior photographs should be self evident.  I agree with Lee that equipment is secondary to knowledge and skill.  Someone with the knowledge and skill will be able to take better photos than someone without but with better equipment.  That said, I'd be willing to wager that, once you've attained that knowledge and skill, a P&S camera just won't leave you with a satisfied feeling.  You'll want to upgrade your equipment.

@Don - Sounds good to me.

Hmmm...Price? Location? Photos? I don't think they can really be compared. They're kind of like different tools in the tool box.

If I'm looking for a home and search for ones in my desired area and price range, then the photos are paramount in attracting my attention and showing me what a property looks like. But if the home is across the country, or totally out of my price range, it probably doesn't matter much what the photos look like.

But I also agree with Gregory above. I don't understand why a homeowner would ever allow amateur looking photos to be used to market their most valuable asset. That doesn't mean that agents can't take their own photos. It just means they need to be on a qulaity level of the pros. And getting a better camera isn't necessarily the answer.

Just my 2¢

The Truth About Professional Photographers YouTube video.

Not exactly like I would have said it, but it somewhat relates to the topic.