“A stunning first impression was not the same thing as love at first sight, but surely it was an invitation to consider the matter.”

In the wide world of real estate, first impressions online absolutely matter. It’s the opportunity to invite a potential client to view what you’re selling. You should value what you’re selling and you probably do. Then why do some Realtors not value quality photography for their listings enough to hire a professional photographer?

What is a professional photographer? I know it’s a silly question to ask, but the quick definition is it’s someone who specializes in making great photography in their given field for a profit. Recently, someone recommended me to be their friends newborn photographer. I thanked them for the recommendation, but backed out of the “bidding” because it’s not what I do. That takes an entirely different skill set, equipment and experience that I do not have. If you’re going to pay for photography, make sure it’s by someone who specializes in that field.

Being able to determine what type of photography needed is crucial. Generally, the type of photography required is based off the listing. Is it a fixer upper or a multimillion dollar estate on beach front property? Each of those require different types of photography. The fixer upper could be taken with a cell phone or in 30 minutes with a camera. Whereas the million dollar estate should be shot with care over the course of an entire day to capture the various moods created by the light. It may also need a video tour and drone shoots by an FAA certified drone operator. Most homes fall somewhere in-between these two extremes but this is to prove a point that it’s not one size fits all.

Often times, Realtors are photography enthusiasts and take it upon themselves to shoot their listings. They can be very good at their craft. The bigger question is: Do they have the time to do it? Realtors are some of the busiest people around. They follow leads, show homes, stage others, finalize sales, host open houses and many more things. The busy Realtors who understand the importance of great images generally would rather outsource that aspect of their listing to a professional photographer simply because they don’t have the time even if they’re capable.

Cell phone cameras have come a long way in 10 years, but at the moment they don’t have the ability to take quality photos in high contrast environments such as a home’s interior. Realtors will sometimes do this just to get the home online immediately, then once they have it professionally photographed, those images are replaced. If the home warrants decent photography, you want to be taken seriously as a Realtor, then you want to make a good first impression with your potential clients. Sure the home may eventually sell with no-so-good photography, but how much sooner could it have sold had you made a better initial impression?

The example photo here is real world. I don’t know the circumstances surrounding the “before” image but a new Realtor was hired and I was subsequently hired to take new images of the home.