Why Photos Sell Your Home

As we head into fall, the change in seasons brings about a feeling of concern for some sellers. They fear that their home won't be looked at as much or, worse, won't sell.

Yes, it's true that many buyers, especially those with children, like to be settled into their new home before the school year starts. However, that doesn't mean it's too late for your home to sell.

Stepping up the marketing and generating the right kind of buzz can keep the visits to your home high and create interest in some high traffic places such as social media outlets that can help lure potential buyers in.

We all know the adage, "A picture is worth a thousand words". Well, when it comes to real estate, homes with high-quality pictures are about 60 percent more viewed than those advertised without photos. I'd say that poor photos would also lessen the chance that your home is viewed and/or visited.

This simply makes sense when you think about where most people start to shop for a home--online. Simply having text copy that describes the home, no matter how well written it is, doesn't do what photos and video can do.

Having your home professionally photographed is worth the time and money. If the photographer knows his/her trade well, the photos will "WOW" viewers. Even better, if a video accompanies the photos, you can place both on social media sites. Through the video, you can tell a powerful story. The agent or the homeowner can share compelling information about what makes this home unique.

In a video, you don't want to be emotional, rather, you want to share why this home fits the audience you are targeting. That means you need to know your audience. The same goes for the photo.

At the heart of your marketing should be images that tell a story in photos that convey why this home is a "must-have". Of course, searching for a home is still ultimately based on these parameters (which are usually entered-into a search engine): price, location, square footage, number of bathrooms and bedrooms, pool, etc. Once those parameters have been met and a filtered list of homes is shown, then it comes down to the photos and videos. Potential buyers don't want to waste their time physically driving to homes that aren't what they are looking for. So the better quality the photos, the better results in sales.

What makes quality photos? Good lighting, interesting angles, non-cluttered rooms, color, depth (size of room space), and overall exceptional quality of the image and video. That means the ISO, can't be too high or you'll experience a lot of "noise" (dark areas) in the photo. Raising the electronic gain too much on the video camera can make the video quality poor.

Unless, you're an excellent or pro photographer/videographer, don't attempt to photograph your home yourself. These photos are vital to the sale of your home. They're the marketing materials that will enhance the copy that's written about your home. And, again, the video and photos are often the enticement to actually get potential buyers in the door to make an offer.

Prepare for the professional photographers and videographers. Before your photo experts arrive, be sure to make a list of suggested angles and areas to shoot. Think about where you have your morning coffee. Is it outside on the deck overlooking an amazing sunrise? If so, even though that isn't specifically a photo of the home, it's a photo that tells a story about the home–be sure to have the sunrise photographed. The message in the photo and video will tell a story about the kind of experience buyers will have in this home when they buy it. And, that is definitely worth a thousand words