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Hire a Professional or Do-It-Yourself ???

I came across an interesting article today that discusses the benefits of hiring a professional real estate photographer - posted in a Canadian newpaper - For The Money Shot, Hire a Pro

My clients agree that professional photos do make a difference, but a great many of real estate agents I market to do not feel that it is very important to the selling of the property listing --- OR more to the point they agree that there is a benefit, but simply cannot afford it.

The vast majority of home buyers whom I've surveyed (and who have posted to blogs similar to this) agree that professional real estate photography and virtual tours make a huge difference when they conduct a MLS search listing. Many realtors agree, and some excerpts from the article back this up:

"The days of lacklustre photos snapped by realtors may be numbered. Despite digital cameras, a growing number of real-estate agents are hiring professional photographers to showcase properties online, according to Ann Bosley, a Toronto real-estate broker and president of the Canadian Real Estate Association."

"Professional shots make sense even for low-end properties, according to Richard Silver, a real-estate agent who sells homes at all price levels in the Toronto area. Since Mr. Silver began using professional photography two years ago, his sales have gone up by about 25 per cent, he says. "I don't even put out a listing without the professional photos."

Lauretta Stewart, another Toronto real-estate agent, says she switched to professional photography two years ago after using a small condo unit as a marketing experiment. Drawn by the professional photos online, "the buyer made a special trip from Guelph to see it," Ms. Stewart says.

Honest feedback?

Cheers,

Jason Bennett - Nashville Virtual Tours & Photography

Posted by Jason Bennett on 09/05/2007 12:34 PM

Comments (24)

real estate photography, virtual tours, architecture photography, middle tn, nashville, mt juliet, murfreesboro, brentwood, franklin, market

Post is included in group: Middle Tennessee Top Real Estate Listings with Virtual Tours

24 Comments on Hire a Professional or Do-It-Yourself ???

SEP

2007

Good post, but with a little time and practice I don't see why we can't all get good shots! The cameras today are easy to use and if you have a digital and some software (that you know how to use) it is a snap.

Barbara,

Yes, your comment is shared by well over 80% of Realtors. I think the point is - as the article stated - these realtors were taking their own pictures before, but when they turned to using professional real estate or architectural photographers, they realized the benefits of doing so -- more visits to the property, more offers, higher sales, etc.

I agree with your comment somewhat; there are a few realtors who have the equipment, knowledge, patience and time to take some pretty good photos. Most, however, do not.

What you say is akin to saying (1) home sellers don't need realtors to sell their property, since there are plenty of FSBO sites and books available (I don't agree with this - always go with a PROFESSIONAL), and (2) if your comments were true, there would be no need for architectural photographers at all - any company that wanted professional photography work would simply buy a $200 camera and send the office boy out to take a few snapshots, then use "some software" as you pointed out to get great photos.

Ditto for haircuts - most of us could buy a $20 clipper kit from Walgreens and do it ourselves (or have a spouse help out). Hmm.....no, I think I'll pay $15 per cut and tip to have a professional do it.

Most professionals own over $2000 worth of camera body and lens alone. Average results are attainable with average know-how and equipment. The jist of the article is that if you want the property to stand out, then hire a professional.

Cheers,

Jason Bennett - Nashville Virtual Tours & Photography

SEP

2007

Hiring a professional photographer is definitely something to consider with a high end property. Just as with accounting and other business services, it often pays to hire out that which we can't do well ourselves... and good enough often isn't.

Lane - agreed.

Recent conversations with Realtors have also highlighted the fact that many take the pictures themselves simply because they like to take photos. It's a "fun part of the job".

One client in particular admitted that when he first hired me he missed doing this. I asked him recently if he felt his decision was worth it, and he stated "I wish I had known of your services several years ago. I do miss the enjoyment of taking the photos myself, but the return on investment has been too huge to ignore. Plus, I have more time now to spend on other aspects of my business which in the long run generate more sales and income for me."

Thanks for the feedback!

Jason Bennett - Nashville Virtual Tours & Photography

Jason,

I think a professional is important no matter what the price range is. Maybe even more important in the lower price ranges since those homes will really stand out amongst the "dogs".

Jason,

Agents need a variety of tools to do their job. As the market continues to twist into a buyer's market, agents are going to need to attract those fewer buyers to their properties.

I just looked several listings that had really poor photos. If I were the property owner, I'd be really miffed. I'd tell my agent to get decent photos on the listing.

Unfortunately, too many agents think they can handle the photography of the property to save some money. I wonder if they do the same thing for the picture they put on their card?

George

SEP

2007

I just spoke with a client (a Realtor in the Nashville metro area) who closed a house I did a tour on two months after the tour was completed.

When I asked him if the real estate photography and virtual tour helped he said "Oh yeah, most definitly. Several people who stopped by to see the house told him they were intrigued by the pictures enough to want to see it in person. Some said they didn't even look at houses online for more than a second or two if the pictures were not good quality, and the one's you did for me really stood out."

The proof as they say, is in the pudding.

Cheers,

Jason Bennett - Nashville Virtual Tours & Real Estate Photography

NOV

2007

The photo is what is going to get your listing noticed first. It is important that it is a good first impression.

Unless you can become a pro, hire one. Why settle for anything less? I'm sure the homeowner doesn't want to... Think about this for a minute, even on a lower-end property in my area, the average commission is $3000 and the median is around $6000. Remember these are just some average numbers, commissions on higher-end property can easily hit five digits. Now I know agents do have additional overhead to pay for, but shouldn't something be set aside to help the next listing sell faster and for more money? Personally, I really don't need much more justification to spend a few hundred dollars to properly market a property then the promise of a nice commission when the deal closes. The advertising I'm buying is available to over 80% of homebuyers via the internet, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Print ads can't do that, yard signs can't do that, open houses can't do that, nothing has the kind of penetration that online content has. It just makes sense to spend the money there.

If you are broke, selling real estate isn't going to be easy. You will have to find a more creative approach to financing the marketing. If it is truely unaffordable, ask the homeowner to pitch in or pay for it and you can reimburse them at closing. Worst case scenario, they have a great marketing package/ keepsake they can take with them (if it sells or not...) and you incur little out of pocket cost. The one good thing about discount brokers is that they have made up-front payment acceptable in my area. If you show them high-end, compelling pictures and video done by a professional, they are more likely to see the value and help with the upfront costs.

NOV

2007

The biggest problem is most realtors are hypocrites. They won't pay a professional because 'they can do it themselves', and we can see everyday what THAT means (crooked pictures, rear view mirrors in the shot, photos of the window and corner, toilet shots....examples of not just bad, but HORRIBLE photographer is everywhere on listings.)

However, listen to their sales pitch to a client when they're thinking of selling their house FSBO..... THEN.... it's different. THEN... you need to hire a professional. Because (supposedly) a realtor does this everyday and can do it better, faster and more efficiently than YOU, Mr. FSBO, because we have the EXPERIENCE and KNOWLEDGE.

Guess what? A whole lot of FSBOs can do a hell of a lot better job of marketing a property than a whole lot of realtors can! The only barrier to real estate is $300 and a little studying to get a license and pass the test with information you will never need.

Think about it. It's a total double standard. (Of course, most realtors will say it's NOT the same thing....but it is EXACTLY the same thing.)

@Sarah - I agree with everything you said expect for "The only barrier to real estate is $300 and a little studying to get a license...". While this is not an entirely false statement, I believe this would be more accurately stated by saying that the first barrier to real estate is the $300 and passing the test. If that were the only barrier then a lot more of the 10,000+ people that get a license each year in my state would still be in real estate the next year...

As far as your main point, it is hypocritical for agents to use the 'hire a pro, get better results' arguement when they themselves put out amatuerish marketing. The risk vs. reward is in the agents favor and yet most still feel that hiring a pro isn't worth it. There is nothing wrong or unprofessional with an agent admitting they are not a great photographer or videographer, as long as they compensate by hiring someone who is. I really don't think that expectation is even there. Most Sellers just want the best marketing they can get, they don't care if you had to have someone else come in and do it. In fact, I would go so far to say that it is more professional to outsource the work you are not competent in then do it yourself to save a few hundred bucks. Granted that sort of business practice is so commonplace that the Seller probably wouldn't even notice if the pictures were bad, it really is a poor long term business decision imo...

FEB

2008

Check out this article from the New York Times:

Making Every Pixel Count

I must agree with many of the above comments. A real estate agent that advertises professional services better use professions in preparing the listing. Over the years I've met many agents that thought of them selves as professional stagers and photographers - they weren't either and the photos they use for their listings proved it.

My clients pour a lot of money into a listing just to get it on the market - they bring in a staging company, have me photograph it (and I'm not cheap), and even buy fresh flowers to add the final touch in the photos.

One thing I can tell you is that it works. Even very expensive homes (well over $1M) sell in remarkably short time even in difficult market conditions.

Jay Groccia

OnSite Studios

Jay,

I couldn't agree more. I just completed another virtual tour for a real estate property listing in Nashville, the second for this realtor based on the quality of the initial one.

These will definitely help him market and sell this Nashville real estate listing.

The virtual tour - http://www.1820appleridge.info/

A quick real estate video I created for this listing - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2xrZnSz9Qo

Here are a couple of my tours and streaming video presentations:

Click the photo below to view the streaming video presentation on YouTube - then look in the description on the YouTube video and you'll see a link to the interactive virtual tour.

Even though most of the homes that I photograph are very expensive, I have clients that use me on very modest homes that they need to move quickly. This home is vacant - it is never easy to make an empty home look interesting - again CLICK the photo to view the tour:

Jay Groccia

OnSite Studios

FEB

2008

If you want a home to move quick, in any price range, presentation is key! That goes for both the home and the listing. Since the listing photos are often the first place a buyer sees the home they make an instant decision on whether or not the home is worth looking at.

The photos must be top-notch! Don't even question the cost - you get the money back after selling quick. You sell quick with great presentation...

I agree with Libby. The presentation is the key. Not only for the house but the quality photos do provide a good presentation for the Agent as well.

Also, as a real estate photographer, I never give the pictures to my clients as they come out of the camera. Post process is everything when it comes to real estate photography. One out of 50 images can be the perfect one, but with the uneven lighting that comes out of the windows (especially if you are using a wide agles lens), the post process provides great opporunity to improve the images.

There are many advantages to use a photographer, and here are few.

1- Agents don't have to spend the time to take the pictures (although they save time on post processing since many agents don't photoshop the images).

2- Phtographers have the right equipment for the job. External Flash (in many cases more than one), the technical skills.

3- Phtographers spend the time for the still iages as well as stitching the virtual tours, where the Virtual Tours display the whole room to a client as opposed to one perspective of the room.

MAR

2008

I too feel that having the right photos for a home will make a world of difference in getting people to stop and check out your listing. Being a veteran Naval photographer, and retired real estate agent--good photos will not only make your home stand out to potential buyers but if the house doesn't meet the needs of the buyer, the Realtor that takes the time to showcase a home to it's fullest potential show's me that they care about their clients and will take the extra time to do a good job in helping me buy or sell my home. Oh, and it really helps to get very good pictures selling a small home. A photographer looks for the best lighting, best angle, can adjust the photos as needed, and can also tell you if your home is too cluttered or lacking something. Staging a picture is just as important as a showing. Fresh flowers, lights glowing, water running, shinny surfaces, warm and inviting is what you want your pictures to show. Also play up details in your home that you get wow's from your friends and family. If they say you have a great patio or deck for entertaining-play it up. Set the table for a out door b.b.q. with a fire in the pit or grill, table set with watermelon, food etc. plants and lights.

Hope this helps, and to any photographers in training--offer your services to Realtors cheep. The more you do for the Realtor, the more experience, word of mouth and business you will get!

MAR

2008

Tracy,

I would caution any 'new' photographer to discount their services. The reputation that they will gain is 'the cheap photographer' and not 'the fantastic photographer'.

The most difficult thing to do in business is to raise your rates.

If you apply the discount mentality to other professions you can see how silly it will be. For example: Would you go to a $10/hr lawyer? How about this one: Discount LASIX surgery?

My best advice to any photographer getting in the business would be to work under an established photographer - they will see how they interact with their clients, sharpen their skills, and when they are ready to go out on their own, they will have a solid book to show potential clients and will be able to set a proper price for their professional services.

Jay Groccia, Principal Photographer

OnSite Studios

Jason - I do agree the photogaphy is even more critical than ever before, and like any skill, photogaphy is a learned skill. However, with digital cameras as good as they are today - it helps out the novice photographer.

I looked at your profile and see you do virtual tours. What are the advantages to Virtual tours vs. a simple video, like youtube. I am looking at expanding our listings on our web site and offering a virtual tour or a video would be a good way to do that. Thanks

David,

I've been very busy as of late, and have not had much time to add comments to this blog I started - but I did want to respond to your question:

The question of STILL PHOTOS vs 360 PANOS vs VIDEO arises all the time, both with realtors asking me to provide them with virtual tours as well as within the virtual tour community. You'll find situations wherein a virtual tour provider who only does as an example video who claims video is much better than all other formats (of course he/she will state that - since that is what they offer). I do all three - which allows me to provide my realtor estate agent clientelle base with any format they want - and therefore my opinion of which one is better isn't biased towards one or the other.

Therefore -

I wouldn't necessarily say that one format is better than the other, per se. Ultimately, it boils down to the knowelege, expertise, and equipment (camera equipment and software) that the person owns. One person who does an "avergage" job taking STILL PHOTOGRAPH only virtual tours will produce something nicer than someone who is an expert at doing 360 VIRTUAL TOURS. And of course the opposite applies as well. VIDEO on the other hand is extremely hard to provide in a desireable quality online, for various reasons, but with the right equipment and knowlegdge it can be done. I for instance own $5K worth of VIDEO camera equipment, and know how to use it - so it would be very difficult for somone to replicate the quality I can provide, unless they were a professional themselves.

So to answer your question - which are you better at? Garbage in, garbage out as the saying goes. I'm not against real estate agents doing their own virtual tours --- but let's face it, most lack the experience to produce anything of good quality based on the limited equipment/expertiese they have. I'm so tired of seeing $500K+ homes with crappy "do it yourself" virtual tours online - be it still photos, 360's or videos. A message to all realtors who do these yourself. - please communicate to your clientelle that you are going to provide them with a virtual tour, but that it will be done by you and therefore not as high of quality as could be done by a professional were you willing to spend the $$. See how that goes over.....

People continue to ask "which format is better?" instead of the much more important questions - (1)

Your comment about "good digital cameras making the job easier today than ever before" = a true statement. However, I guarantee you I could create a better virtual tour than 99.99999% of realtors even if I were using equipment that is 4 years old vs. them using new equipment - because I KNOW HOW TO DO IT CORRECTLY. So - are you going to create these yourself with a "new" digital camera or rely upon an expert who has much more expensive camera(s) an Lenses (this is where the real $$ is spent), etc. than you do to produce these virtual tours? "Gargabe-in, garbage-out" is the answer to your question. Unless you can make a very good quality YouTube type video, who cares? If the quality stinks, you may drive customers AWAY from the listing - I'm finding when I talk to buyers that this happens more often than realtors think. Way too many crappy virtual tours out there - why would you want to do one unless the quality is good??? And 99.9999% of realtors cannot produce good STILL and/or 360 and/or VIDEO tours on their own. Stick with what you are en expert at - real estate - and leave the other to experts in that field. Major companies across the country out-source all the time, because they realize it is faster and better to let experts to what they do best, and for you to do what you do best.

As a counterpoint - I could bust my hump for 3-6 months and earn my realtors liscense. Wouldn't mean I would be anywhere near as good as realtors who have been in the real estate business for over 2+years.

Finally - It amazes me that we live in a world where people will spend $100 and the time/gas to drive to have professional portrait photography taken of their familes once every year or two (because the professional studio portrait photographer does such a better job at it than they could do at home with their "new" digital cameras they don't know how to use), but at the same time realtors will not hire a professional real estate photographer $150-$300 to assist them - and the home seller who is paying good $$ for the realtors services - to help them sell an assett that is worth half a million dollars or more. Completely blows my mind.

Final note - my business has picked up dramatically over the past six months, so many realtors are beginning to see the light.

Cheers,

Jason Bennett - Nashville Virtual Tours & Photography - www.nashvtp.com

If the agent is on a tight budget and has the time, then doing it him/herself can mean moving those funds over to production of the marketing materials and other advertising. Since everyone works within a budget, the goal has to be to find the right mix of marketing to sell the house. When the budget is big, then the decisions get a lot easier.

MAR

2008

I personally believe someone should hire a professional photographer, unless of course they actually like to take the time to take pictures, and make them into something amazing, like the Hokkanens.

MAR

2008

dear jay,

i wasn't exactly speaking about a photographer career and offering cheep services as a professional photographer but as a student in a graphic, photography, or art studies, this would be a good way to interact with client professionals, get experience and provide the students learned skills--which have to be better than most real estate professionals. i'm sorry if i miss wrote what i meant about "cheep" rates. anyone with a eye for marketing, staging, and skills in photography or even take photos as a hobby would be produce better photos than some realtors.

lighting, staging, angles, point of perspective, season all play into a great home picture. people that are only able to shop by internet want as many angles and details as possible, in good quality pictures. how you play up the home is up to the photographer, but will make or break a sale.

I stand by my comments and I would add that the 'student as professional' mentality (and when one charges a fee for said services, they enter the "professional" realm - the definition of professional is one that charges to perform said services), one enters a dangerous territory. Think about it this way:

I'm deeply involved in the real estate industry. I work with stagers, have strong relationships with scores of real estate agents, appraisers, home inspectors, advertising, marketing, and web professionals.

I could easily 'consult' with a FSBO and show them all the places to advertise their home, show them how they can get listed on the MLS, show them how they can get a custom website built for the house and get it indexed to the major search engines, and essentially out-market the average real estate agent. I wouldn't be involved in the sales process beyond shooting the listing photos and tour, yet to an outside observer, I'd be helping them sell their house.

Wouldn't you agree that they would be far better served if I referred them to a top agent that did all those things for them?

The bottom line is there is no substitute for professionalism.

Jay Groccia, Principal Photographer

OnSite Studios

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