Real Estate Blog - Do you REALLY need to hire a professional photographer for every listing?

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Do you REALLY need to hire a professional photographer for every listing?

Heck no you don't!

That's right, I said it and I'm a photographer.

Listen, every once in a while I see a post on AR by a real estate 'photographer' or virtual tour business where they suggest, imply, or outright accuse agents of doing their clients a disservice by not 'hiring a professional'.

To be sure, there plenty of situations where a photographer can enhance your business tremendously but there are also many situations where it might be money down the drain.

Situations where you probably don't need a professional photographer:

The property is sizzling: Last year I recall a listing I shot, curious about how it was doing on the market I asked the agent about how it was going. She just laughed; "That sold in one day." Now, I'd like to think it was my photos that garnered such a rapid sale but let's be honest...that was simply a hot property. Location and availabilty determined the rapid sale. We probably could have put up crayon drawings by a three year old and it still would have sold in a day.
The property is a teardown: No kidding, I've been hired many times to shoot teardowns, including interiors. Now, I'm seldom inclined to argue with a client when they are more than happy to pay me but...seriously...tear downs are bought for the land. Maybe you need a few nice land pics but hiring a professional to shoot the $100k house on the $900k bit of land seems like overkill to me. :)
None of your competitors use professionals and your clients don't expect you will either: Remember, you are running a business. You are trying to utilize minimum capital to acheive maximum revenue. If your clients really don't care, and you aren't going to lose business to competition who might be competing by using professional services you really may not need to hire a photographer. I know, I know...you guys are going; "Has Bryce gone crazy?". I do feel by using professional services when your competition doesn't, you have an advantage that leads to more business but that's a choice (or a judgement call)....it doesn't mean you need to.
You take really dang good photos! A lot of folks in this group have worked hard to improve their skills and it's paid off for many. Some of you are taking some really good shots. I've seen some lately that I'd be hard pressed to distinguish from a professional.
The commission structure doesn't support the cost of a professional: Sometimes the math just doesn't work. I've known agents who work on very narrow margin listings. It doesn't make sense for them to sacrifice a large portion of their profit for very little return.

You can probably think of a few other situations I can't. My main point is you shouldn't feel bullied or guilty about not hiring a professional if the situation doesn't warrent it. :)

So what are we photographers good for (besides outstanding photos of course)?:

If you rub our belly, we will grant you three wishes
We ward off the giant, seven toed foozit (seriously, have you ever seen a foozit and a photographer together? I rest my case)
We can predict the weather (example: it might rain, or it might not rain)
Flat tire? We can fix it!*

* Actually, we are notoriously lazy. Can't we just call for roadside service?

Some snaps from last weeks listings, enjoy:

Cheers, -B

Seattle-Photographer

Posted by Bryce Mohan on 05/21/2008 01:05 AM

Comments (54)

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54 Comments on Do you REALLY need to hire a professional photographer for every listing?

MAY

2008

Okay, your pictures are so much better than mine - I may have to hire a professional and soon. Thanks for the post. Betty

beautiful pix

Bryce: Here is my recipe for taking good pictures. First, get a decent camera. I have a Canon Rebel XTi. Then, a decent wide angle lens. Third, read the directions. Fourth... take about five times the number of pictures you think you will need. That way, you are bound to get enough good ones. Fifth... I use a very simple picture management software... Picasa... which is free. I is so simple... even I can figure it out. This works fo me.

Bryce,

The photos of this property truly make you feel that the home is inviting you in......

Great post, Bryce.

As a provider of virtual tour services I have to admit that sometimes I bite my tongue looking at what some people upload. Others do a pretty decent job with their photography.

But what people also need to remember is that if the house for sale down the street is using professional photography, that’s what they’re competing with. So, they can put their photos along side the professionals’ and ask themselves, which one is going to get noticed first.

Gorgeous photos Bryce. I agree with Karen's comment about taking way more photos than you need. I took 43 pictures of a floral arrangement in order to get 1 decent picture for my website - thank goodness for digital cameras :-). Bet you don't have to take that many photos!

I'm a REALTOR who tries to teach other agents how to take better photos. The first point I make in taking better real estate photos is, "hire a professional photographer." I then go through the simple things an average agent can do to improve their photos, but I end with, "hire a professional photographer."

I can't believe I'm hearing a photographer say what you are saying. I usually have to make the points you just made in defense of agents who take their own photos. In fact, I can't think of another situation where I wouldn't use a professional photographer. You are right on the money.

Great post!

Bryce, Thanks for the advice. I'm not a great photographer, but I don't have any listings that I feel require the services of a professional photographer. But, that said, I would hire you in a NY minute if I needed one. WOW!\

Beautiful pictures there.

Bob, what you said reminded me of my marriage. My wife and I get along so well because early in are marriage we agreeded that she would make all the small decissions and I would make the big decissions. We just haven't had any big decission to be made. It's all in how you define, "when you NEED" a professional photographer.

Thank you for your advice. There are a lot of simple things you can do to improve the quality of photos you take.

Enrico Pozzo, Coldwell Banker Bain: Seattle Condos, Lofts, Houseboats and all Seattle Real Estate Listings

Always a pleasure to ready your blogs. I love the photo of the porch with a garden. I do take photos myself. I would love to have a better camera, but for now, I try to do the best by using my artistic vision and Photoshop. This week one agent in my office is hiring me to take photos of her listing. I guess it is some kind of recognition.

Betty, thanks very much. Actually the pics are immaterial to the article but I'm so used to posting blogs full of pics I had to throw a few in. :)

Keith, thank you.

Karen, sounds like you have a good system. Glad things are going well for you. :)

Chapman(?), thanks, glad you like them.

Michael, I agree 100%...I think I mention that scenario in the main article. An agent would do well to consider what their competition is doing as a business decision.

I recall a particular instance where an agent had at least three properties with a local builder, all of them 1M or more in value. The 'marketing' consisted of some very crude P&S images which were then (and I couldn't make this up) badly xeroxed in black and white on flyers.

One of my clients swooped in and snapped up all three listings on the srength of her marketing. They then sold.

The first agent saved herself $1200 in photography, $300 in printing professional flyers and lost $100,000 in commissions.

So there are many situations where a professional photographer or virtual tour shop can add huge value to agents (and hopefully that's obvious to this crowd). I just want to make sure folks know the alternative also exists, and to think about which is which. :)

Charlene, I take loads of photos! Actually this is one of the first things you learn to do when shooting professionally so you are on the right track. I think I looked at last year and at a rough estimate I came in at around 100k images last year.

Lee, thanks for stopping by (always glad to hear from you). I do think there are many situations where agents will really benifit from using a professional. Don't get me wrong. ;)

That said, I just people to know that you don't always need one...knowing which situations to hire a professional in can save agents on a budget a lot of grief.

Bob, I hear you. One thing I do ask agents to think about is if they ramped up their marketing, would they become more competitive (i.e. get more listings, even one more per year)? That depends a lot on whether they have the ability to leverage their marketing based on their services...but one extra listing per year pays for all my shoots that year and then some...so most agents can afford this provided they are able to get the max value from a pro (if that makes any sense).

Enrico, no problem. :)

Cheers, -B

Irina, thanks very much. That's great news...if someone is hiring you to shoot a listing they surely appreciate and value your artistic ability. Well done. :)

-B

I agree that many times a professional photographer is not needed but some agents need to just bite the bullet and acknowledge that they can't take decent photos and hire someone. I've seen some pretty poor pictures online!

Bryce, I try to do my best on my own, and have some good shots once in a while, but there certainly are times when it is best to call in the pros - checking my ego for the good of the client. A hobby and having fun with it is one thing, doing the best job possible marketing is another!

MAY

2008

Susan, that's probably true. :P

Kent, That's a good point and certainly not one that I'd argue with, still I think some folks can do their own shots...and sometimes it isn't going to matter much even if they can't. The key is to know when the agent can afford to take their own shots and when they'll lose business if they do.

I just want to remind folks that they don't always need to hire the job out. :)

Cheers, -B

I have taken my own photos and they are not bad. However, after taking photos on a recent listing which I thought looked good, I hired a photographer for a virtual tour. He also did some still shots for me. The professionally done photos were hands down much better. I don't always hire a photographer, it depends on the property. Some properties are just easier to photograph than others.

Yvonne, good point. That should be on my list...some locations are so photogenic it's difficult to get a bad shot...which is good! :)

-B

Thanks B! and very nice to meet a fellow photographer!

Good Luck!

Gail

Gail, likewise...stop by any time. :)

-B

Great points as always, Bryce. It makes sense sometimes to use a professional but for me many of my listings just don't warrant it. And I like to think my photos do justice to the property, and help me stay within a rasonable budget. Using professionals makes where agents are not able to take decent photos themselves, or need to impress the client. And perhaps even if they are too lazy. :)

Always enjoy looking at your photography.

Jeff

MAY

2008

Bryce,

I wouldn't think of taking my own pictures. And unless an agent has the equiptment, time and talent they shouldn't either.

MAY

2008

Beautiful photos as usual Bryce. And your post was right on.

MAY

2008

Jeff, great to hear from you! I'm not touching that 'lazy' comment. :P

Susan, there are times when you need a photographer and times when you don't. The trick is to know the difference.

Michelle, thanks very much.

MAY

2008

Great Photos! I do want to point one thing out that I may have skimmed over in some of the other comments... Staging. The photos are nothing if the room you are photographing has not been set up properly. I would put staging the scene right behind the wide angle lens and right before correct lighting. All three are the most important, but if you have the owner's junk all over the place or an empty room (which is almost as bad), you can rule out hiring a photographer unless you expect them to come in and stage the shot for you. If you are a realtor dealing with junk while photographing- spend some time and move stuff out of the camera field of view. Cluttered countertop? move it all to a corner behind you and out of sight. You can always put it right back after you take the shot. This can go for many things- family photos, towels and toiletries, even a small TV set that may be out of place with the rest of the room. Finally- dont just think about stuff you have to take out. You can also add things to the shot... Plants are a big one. Even if you just get some cheap ficus and grasses from Garden Ridge or other similar store- throw them in your car just in case you need some extra foilage to brighten up the space.

MAY

2008

Jason, thanks. I couldn't agree more about staging. I have the pelasure of working many great stagers and my photos wouldn't be the same without them.

Cheers, -B

MAY

2008

Bryce,

I agree that you do not need a professional photographer for every listing, however, it is the way you capture and present a property that makes all the difference! Even the smallest of properties should be caught in their best possible light, if the ultimate goal of the seller or agent, is to "SELL" the property! Thanks for sharing your pictures they are absolutely stunning!

JUN

2008

Michelle, I agree...there are many agents that do a very good job at this, especially lately. I think agents are taking more care to produce great photos which is very good to see.

Cheers, -B

JUN

2008

"We can predict the weather (example: it might rain, or it might not rain)" - HAHA That is too funny!!

JUL

2008

Beautiful shots! The shape of the rooms give an indication that a wide angle lens was employed, but the walls do not have the charactaristic skew and curvature. I presume some post processing is necessary to acheive these beautiful results. Do you mind me asking what focal length lens you use and what post processing software you use?

Keep up the fine work!

JUL

2008

Besides of course distressed properties. Why would you not want to sell more value on why to select you as there listing agent. I think that professional photos and a tour are very important to mention in your presentation. As a professional I choose to use the best equipment and techniques in my field. Why many agents choose to do almost everything themselves is honestly beyond me. I would think that an agent or realtor would get more work by showing off how they market a home and photos should be onn the top of your list. I see more effort in someone selling an item on ebay than they do on there RE photos. Okay I dont want to sound one sided though here. Some agents actually do wonderful work its the other percentage I am talking about.

JUL

2008

Somebody let me know when real estate agents can do shots like this.

(CLICK THE PHOTO to view the rest of the house)

Jay Groccia, Principal Photographer

OnSite Studios™

OnlinePropertyShowcase™

JUL

2008

There are some here that can, and better.

You might want to consider a new approach to demonstrating your value.

BTW, the article doesn't suggest photographers are superfluous, rather that agents (like any busines owner) should consider when they need a photographer and when they don't.

Implying agents always need a professional photographer is counterproductive, and frankly...just plain wrong.

-B

AUG

2008

Bryce-

I agree with your post. I am a photographer as well as an agent (it is one of the benefits that I advertise to clients) and am with you on the fact that in some instances, it may not be worth the investment. With the improvement in technology, many times an aspiring photographer can capture some truly great shots and what an opportunity to practice your craft!

ps- I just stumbled upon this photography group and was truly excited to find it! JB Brookman

Bryce,

We recently decided to partner with a professional photographer. We take decent photos, but nothing compared to the professional. In our opinion, it's like the hobby stager vs the professional stager..there's no comparison.

Thanks for the post!

Michelle

Bryce - Okay - Okay I get it. I tried Picasa and holding my breath when I snap a photo and doing different angle things. I will post my last efforts this week. I'm a stager not a photographer I give up. I NEED A PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER. I bow to you - great photos!

AUG

2008

Another stager here - I feel the same way, bring on the Pros! I am learning photography as a hobby, and looking to purchase a wide angle lens, but I am nowhere near taking my own pictures, yet anyways.

We make the home look fabulous and the photographers can turn it into something spectacular. They really do make the stagers complete!

AUG

2008

Well Done Bryce!

DEC

Yesterday I purchased an SLR digital camera...the Nikon D90...and I am amazed at the pictures I am taking...I also have a version of Photoshop in my fireworks program...was wondering if you could recomend any books that could help me with the more advanced photography like HDR that can be accomplished with Photoshop...I am really excited and love your photos, they are awesome!

Happy Holidays!
Shawn

Bryce,

Thank you for shedding lots of light on this subject. I enjoyed reading this post and loved the great sense of humor along with the information.

DEC

Not everyone needs to hire a professional, however there are a lot of agents out there that should that don't. I can't believe some of these pictures they put on MLS. I am a Realtor who doesn't hire a professional except once and a while for a virtual tour because I don't have the equipment.

Do you know anyone in Houston you can recommend for my staged houses?

JAN

Thank you for this blog. I agree with as an agent invested in photography, I know when I need to call in help!

FEB

Bryce,

Your images are exceptional, you have a better 'eye' than most pro's I know (and trust me, I'm not knocking anyone, they're certainly not GWC's), that being said, I'm glad I'm not in Seattle. 8}

I have to take some issue with what you've posted though. While I realize one can justify and rationalize away certain things to cut corners, I don't see that taking professional photography out of the equation is a smart move in most situations.

#1 & #3-- Honestly, how many times has someone thought the property was gonna fly, only to see it sit on the market for months? The fact of the matter is, 85% of buyers use the internet to search for property these days, many of whom are set up on automatic emailings from a buyer's agent and/or only look at listings that are new on the market. What's that mean? That you have one shot, in a large number of cases, to get your listing seen, and if you don't have any pictures or pictures that stand out, then you've missed your best chance to appeal to your target market.

#4 -- See the comparison I posted in my latest blog. I think the most important point there though, is the relationship building aspect towards clients. If an agent hires a professional to take care of things for them, it adds a certain amount of credibility in the relationship, and that isn't tangible.

#5 -- I'm not sure what the Seattle market looks like, but around here I'm only getting $75/property. To me, it's seems worth it to pay $75/property to ensure a reputation of having top notch standards, especially when you're making $1,500 + on a transaction. It's a business expense, and the question that really needs to be asked is, do I want to be average, or do I want to try my hardest to be exceptional? I don't know about you, but I was always taught that intentional mediocrity is never acceptable. I'm not trying to sound like a bully, just raise the bar of acceptable standard.

Again, beautiful work Bryce, I'd love to see more.

tim

FEB

Great shots!.... any tips for those, who still choose to shoot for themselves? Thanks, ~ JC

FEB

YES!! YOU NEED ONLY A DSLR CAMERA WITH A WIDE ANGLE LENS. I'm not a pro-I'm just an amateur hobby photographer...wide angle is so important when taking interior shots. TIP: when using a wide angle, take the photo while on your knees, you'll end up with less room distortion.

This is The Guilford Bed and Breakfast for sale in Guilford, Maine. A beautiful grand mansion with interiors just begging to be photographed!

My camera is a Canon D40 - the wide angle is a 10-22. I love it!

MAY

First off, I stop posting here ages ago because I don't have the time. That said, this post never seems to die.

The last three posts (removed) have been by 'photographers' who either haven't actually read the post or choose to purposefully misinterpret it.

Do professionals generally make better photos than non professionals? Of course.

So do you ALWAYS need to hire them. NO.

Try again, go back and READ the original post.

JUN

Dana, you have a great camera and lens ... but the post-processing that a professional does is what makes a photo. Here's what yours could look like (could have been better if I was starting with a hi-res image) ...

No, you don't always need to hire a professional ... but if you're competing with listings that have professional photos, don't you want to stand out?

JUN

@Dana,

Those are very good shots for someone who isn't a professional. Honestly, they're on par with many professionals in my area. (I notice that you work for Sotheby's and am going to assume that it is a high end listing.) However, a top shelf professional could have done much better by properly lighting the room using the ideal technique and spending the time in post production to fine tune the image by adjusting white balance, correcting for distortion, etc. In all, photographing a luxury home to high standards typically requires roughly $5000-10000 in equipment, as much as 4 hours onsite, 2 hours of editing and costs roughly $300-500to yield enough photos to accurately portray the property. For that, the listing agent gets a couple dozen images suitable for publication in magazines, brochures, online slideshows, etc. We are also capable of producing high quality images rain or shine, year round and within tight deadlines.

@Glenda,

That's a good attempt at improving the image but post processing is only part of the job. Lighting the room properly so that the image is almost perfect when taken will produce better results than Photoshop almost every time.

@Bryce and everyone,

I agree mostly with Bryce. Realtors do not need professional photography services for each and every listing. Unfurnished, mid-market homes without significant architectural detail that won't be staged typically benefit little from professional photo services. Same goes for homes where the Realtor knows that the home won't show well anyway because of owner apathy, neglect, etc. I disagree with Bryce on his bullet about "hot" homes, I've worked with enough RE Investors to know that any home that sells in less than a week is priced below market. We all know that any home will sell quickly if its priced low enough, the goal of photography and marketing is to get the home to sell at market or above. Bryce's third point about the competition only makes sense if the Realtor deals in distressed properties, for most residential agents though, quality professional photography can quickly turn into a real competitive advantage earning you listings that would otherwise go to someone else. Finally, I would only agree with Bryce on the fourth point if you can objectively say that your photography is better than the top professionals in your market, especially for luxury properties.

I happily teach my clients how to get the most out of the camera they own. Once they start taking better property photos its much easier to have an honest conversation about their limitations and where we bring value to their marketing process. In summary, while its clear that not every property warrants the services of a professional photographer, the best agents know that the images that represent their properties not only represent the owner's homes but also represent them and their business.

JUL

Good point, Glenda.

Here's a comparison between an out-of-the-hi-res-camera (how the camera sensor sees the scene) image and a High Dynamic Range (HDR) image post-processed closer to how our eyes actually see a room.

http://sandiegorealestatephotography.com/portfolio.aspx

AUG

Glenda: You are spot on with you comment. A pro photographer usually spends more time in post production than he/she does doing the actual photography. And it results in higher quality photographs of the property. Those stunning, Stop, Click and Call the Agent for a Showing photographs.

Luis: Very good comments - however I think any - ANY - listing benefits from professional photography. I've been hired to do some low priced town homes, condos in my area that, shall we say, were not "staged" the way they should have been, and I have produced photographs that made them look the best they could, made the realtor and owner very happy and they sold!

Michael

www.mkyphotography.com

SEP

I know I am coming into this post after a long discussion but I wanted to say that while I agree with the OP that you don't always need a pro, most of your listings warrant it.

If you really want to stand out, a pro will have the right gear, know how to properly light the room, know how to tweak everything in post and deliver much higher quality images than a hobbiest with a DSLR and a wide angle lens.

There is way more to it than just buying a "good" camera. Wanna stand out or just stand with the crowd? There are so many bad images in the MLS systems that when you post great ones, EVERYBODY will notice them.

SEP

"There is way more to it than just buying a "good" camera."

Amen!

I just delivered some impromptu photos that I took while the family was together for a funeral. Everybody was carrying on about how this was the best picture ever of this person and that. My grown nephew says, "Man, that camera takes GOOD pictures!"

I just kept my mouth shut about light and composition, or the hours I spent in post, making them all look "unusually" good. :)

Here's an interesting story on a little flip project.

The owners of a local radon mediation company decided to try real estate investing. They purchased a home that was a complete mess (I'd post the 'before' photos, but I don't own the rights to them - search MLSPIN for them) for about $70,000 and then put about $60,000 into it. They did a really nice job, they did most of the work themselves and hired quality subs for things they didn't have expertise. The final result was a real nice looking house.

The real estate agent that helped them buy the house took the listing. He subsidized part of the staging fee and paid for my services - he uses the stager and me for every listing because, in his words, "It works".

I shot the house on Thursday, May 28, 2009. It went on the market for $199,900 on Friday, May 29, 2009 and the first open house was on Sunday, May 31, 2009 and three buyers tendered offers. The accepted offer was for $206,900 and made by an FHA approved borrower with no house to sell. The closing was at the end of July 2009.

At the time of this listing there were 94 homes between $185,000 and $200,000 listed for sale in Worcester, MA.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, THE most important think someone can do to sell a home is to have a compelling online presentation - the house must look better than every other home on the market in that price range. This is what a professional architectural photographer will do for you.

Here's the house - click the photo to take an online tour:

Jay Groccia

Principal Photographer, OnSite Studios™

Founder, OnlinePropertyShowcase™

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