Why Professional Real Estate Photos Sell Homes for More

According to Redfin:

“The iPhone is the number one camera on the market right now, but we are still very far from it replacing a DSLR, which offers a higher quality image with higher pixelation. It’s the level necessary in this business, that will be continued to be used in the market for years to come.”

But you need more than just a fancy high-tech camera, you also need the know-how.

“The number one thing people get wrong with listing photography is having the mindset that anyone can do it and deliver a beautiful photo,” he said. “There is a lot of behind-the-scenes work you don’t see, capturing layers of High Dynamic Range (HDR) images to create one beautiful shot.”

Layers, he explained refers to multiple exposures. “This allows us to highlight shadows and bring out brightness or darkness through the windows. And then you stack those layers, which creates the beautiful windows in our photos.”

As online searching and browsing is a critical part of the home-buying process, it makes sense that professional photos will entice people to visit the home as they know what they are getting before they even set foot in the home.

“Today we have more shoppers buying from abroad or out of state and making an offer sight unseen, and really want to see a home documented,” Drew said. “They want to see every corner of the home, and that’s the beauty of the DSLR is offering a resolution that allows the out of state or city buyer a chance to see the home in full.”

Inspired by Drew’s insight, we took a look back at the 2013 study. The data revealed that professionally photographed homes priced in the $400,000 range sold three weeks faster and for more than $10,000 relative to their list price, than their counterparts with amateur photos.

For each price range, the days indicate how much faster a professionally photographed home sold compared to a home with amateur photos.
Data 2013 study by Redfin

The 2013 findings also found that homes listed between $200,000 and $1 million sold for $3,400 to $11,200 more relative to their list prices when photographed professionally with a DSLR camera. At the high end of the spectrum, professionally photographed homes for more than $1 million sold at prices similar to those with amateur photographs.

For each price range, the dollar figures indicate how much closer to list price professionally photographed homes sold versus amateur photographed homes.
Data based on 2013 Redfin study

Additionally, The 2013 findings also looked at photo sharpness, or, the detail added to a picture by using a good camera, lens and lighting. Whether a crisp reflection, or bright flowers, a sharper picture will show a house in its best light. The sharpest 10 percent of photos sold at or above list price 44 percent of the time, while listings with average sharpness sold at or above list just 13 percent of the time.

Better looking, sharper photos are more likely to sell above list price
Data based on 2013 Redfin study