Shoot with a Pro

by

Tips from the Experts

Shoot with a Pro

By Joe Loehle, Loehle Photography

When selling a home, there are few things that help you sell it better than professional photography. Hiring a professional photographer to shoot your home for sale is one of the easiest ways to sell that home faster and for more money. When buyers are first looking online at potential homes, good photography gets them in the door. Studies show that listings with professional photography are viewed online 139% more and visited in person three times more.

Professional photos keep paying off during the “thinking” phase of the buyer. As Forbes magazine wrote, “Often, after buyers have toured your home, they return to their computers and look at the property again online. This time, they can put together the floor plan and understand how the home flows and how each room relates to the next. High-quality photos that show the home well will keep them interested, perhaps even encourage them to go take another look.”

And they sell for more money! According to a study done by Redfin, these listings bring in a higher selling price than ones shot by a non-professional. How much more? A $200,000+ house sells for about $1000 more on average. A $500,000+ house sells for almost $7,000 more on average. A $1 Million home sells for $116,000 more when professional photography is used. Something that gets you more viewings and more money is hard to beat.

Smartphone cameras have gotten incredibly good. Entry-level, professional cameras are very affordable. However, a good camera has as much to do with getting a good photograph as a nice kitchen does to five-star dining. High-end cameras on steady tripods, sharp, wide lenses and professional lighting create beautiful images if you know what you are doing. There are no shortcuts. It is less about the tool and more about the worker. It takes the eye of a photographer to see how the home will best be photographed. It is about composition and lighting. It takes technical skill to know the right settings for the camera and the flashes for each shot.

A professional real estate photographer has shot thousands of homes. They know the angles that work. They know the time of day to shoot those houses and make them look their best.

Photography means “painting with light.” There is nothing more important in photography than how the light works in an image. A professional real estate photographer uses professional lighting in a room to show it off. Your eyes see much better than a camera can, so we must compensate for that with additional lighting. The quality and color of that light is also important. Have you ever noticed how yellow interior lights can look or how blue the light outside at dusk is? Lights have color temperatures, and when mixed together in one shot, it can be very distracting. Using lighting makes all the colors inside match those of outside. It also makes the colors of your walls, furniture, and fabrics look true to life.

For a while, utilizing techniques like HDR was a cheap and easy way to photograph houses without learning how to use professional lighting, but that has quickly grown out of favor. Many magazines and websites will not even allow HDR photos anymore. So stick with a photographer who uses his or her own additional lights.

Twilight photos can be incredibly appealing. Though they take a lot of time and effort, the outcome is beautiful. Having one of these “hero shots” for your main image can ensure that the listing gets viewed more online.

Of course, we can’t discuss marketing homes today without also mentioning video. Real estate video is another avenue that allows potential buyers to have an emotional connection to the home. It is more than just documenting the space; video brings the home to life. The buyers can imagine themselves being in that home and experiencing it themselves. Video also takes the most amount of time to do, and therefore is more expensive. But for higher-end homes, you need higher-end marketing.

When selling a home, make sure you are getting professional photography (and video) done for it. You will have a huge advantage over the other homes that do not.

Joe Loehle is the owner of Loehle Photography. He has been doing real estate marketing and photography in the Golden Isles for more than a decade. Joe’s work can be seen in the portfolios of the best real estate agents, interior designers, and magazines. You can contact Joe at 912.571.2756, joeloehle.com.