Spotlight on Real Estate Photography
Don't Do It Yourself!
DIY is a concept whose time has come. They even have a cable network! Big Box Stores, Google and yes, networks like DIY and HGTV, are devoted to making every home owner their own design team, contractor and interior decorator. If you have a hankering for installing a toilet, demoing your old kitchen or laying that wood floor, then by all means, give it shot.
However, when it comes to selling your home, DIY is definitely not cool. I mean really, even the DIY shows all depend on real estate agents to offer their expertise. Why is that?
A recent article on Realtor Magazine's website lists nine different ways an agent earns his commission and is worth every penny of it, but one reason stands head and shoulders above all the rest: MORE MONEY!
Most people who FSBO their house say they are doing so to "save" the commission fee. Well, get ready for this. Even after you factor in their commission, a real estate agent will get you over 25% more than selling your house yourself. So now what's your excuse?
One More Great Reason
There's one more reason, not mentioned in the article cited above, for allowing a real estate agent to list your home. That sales price of 25% more is just the beginning of the money your agent can save for you. Every day of their life, a real estate agent is dealing with inspectors, appraisers, title companies, repairmen and all the other vendors you are going to have to deal with before your real estate transaction is over. They know who to call.
You can do all the research you want to, read all the reviews and even use a referral network that guarantees those vendors they refer, but you are not going to be able to judge who's good and who's not, the way someone in the business can.
Will they always get you the cheapest price on every service? They won't even try. They know low-ball pricing is the way vendors make up for lack of experience, lack of licensing, poor quality materials or even bad service. What they will help you find are vendors who will do the work you want, the way you want it done for the absolute best value.
One of the vendors your agent should use when they list your home is a professional real estate photographer. Yes, you can get great pictures with your phone these days, but you aren't going to get the kind of quality shots that really sell a home. For every minute spent shooting a home, professional photographers spend three minutes editing and processing the shots. What's more, they know how to get the money shots, which has nothing whatsoever to do with taking the photo and everything about what a potential buyer will feel when they see it.
So, if you're thinking of selling your home, then hire a great real estate agent to list your home. Then be sure they call a professional real estate photographer to take the pictures - a photographer like Bill Sadek of Spot On Images!