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Photos Count in the Sale of Your House - New Research

By
Real Estate Agent with Golden Gate Sotheby's International Realty BRE Lic. #01793143

For years we've credited part of our home selling success to our use of quality, wide-angle photos in the marketing of your home. Now, there's research to back it up.

A new study by Redfin took a data sample of more than 100,000 listings that were listed for sale during 2009. They evaluated the selling price of homes that had pictures taken with a simple digital point and shoot and compared them to properties where the listing photos were taken with a digital SLR (professional quality photos). The result? Homes that had higher quality or professional photos taken got a higher selling price - between $934 and $116,076 more than homes that did not.

Which do you think looks better?

Professional quality photoAmateur "point and shoot" photo

The photo on the left was shot with a wide-angle, professional grade camera. The one on the right was a point-and-shoot.

With 90% of buyers beginning their home search on the internet, curb appeal begins online. That's why every house that is listed with Kevin & Spiro receives professional-quality photos. What's more, we also believe in the quantity of photos, not just the quality. Another survey a few years ago showed that the more pictures you have in the local MLS, the faster your home sells.  Our local MLS allows 25 photos, and we use the maximum possible for each house we list.

Professional photo, 7 W BarberryJust consider this example. Escrow closed today on a house we sold in Pointe Marin, 7 W Barberry Place. It sold 55% faster than the average Pointe Marin home, and for 97% of the original price.  Outstanding photos captured the interest of potential buyers, plus we included a virtual tour: VIEW 7 W Barberry Tour

This home sold for $1,065,000.

Below, you can look at the data from Redfin's study. One last note: what's surprising is that only 15.4% of homes in Redfin's data set were marketed using professional photography. The majority of listings, 80.9%, were photographed using point-n-shoot photography, and still another 0.7% used just a camera phone.  

Redfin photo study

To learn more about how we market your home to sell for top dollar, contact us today!

Kevin McGinnis, Realtor

Spiro Stratigos, Broker/Realtor

www.BestHomesMarin.com

 

Posted by

Kevin McGinnis

Decker Bullock Sotheby’s International Realty

Serving Marin County

(415) 725-1911 Direct Line

(415) 384-4121 Fax

BRE Lic. 01793143

www.BestHomesMarin.com

Decker Bullock Sotheby's International Realty logo

Jessica Wallace
Coldwell Banker - Santa Cruz - Santa Cruz, CA
Santa Cruz Realtor (831) 419-9345

Great photos (or not so great photos) can really make or break the sale of a home I have found.  I like to get a professional photographer to take photos of my listings.

Oct 08, 2010 08:37 AM
Mark Druckmiller
Real Estate One - Saline, Michigan - Saline, MI
Customer Care coordinator - Real Estate One headqu

Actually I use VisualTour to just STITCH photos do to a wide-angle shot, and can SOMETIMES be able to include those in the listing.  But I'll also take those stitched shots and use them on multiple sites, as well as pushing the VisualTour.

Oct 08, 2010 08:39 AM
Mary Anne S. Daly
Stearns NMLS #232164 CA BRE #01380812 - Mill Valley, CA
Queen of the Loan & Radio Broadcaster

Great blog post.  I have friends (who are also clients) who bought a house in Portland a few years ago, which they purchased under market, due to bad photos.  No one came to see the home, no one made offers, so when my friends showed up to see it at their Realtor's recommendation, they made an offer and got a steal. 

 

Oct 12, 2010 11:25 AM