Now thanks to many great apps and even 4K cameras on phones many people try to take their pictures themselves. To be successful, you need to have studied the best listings and have a great understanding of what works. Before we share our thoughts on which is best the do it yourself or professional photography let's look at what you need to take the best photos.
What Do you Need to Take Great Real Estate Photos?
Now, this is a matter of opinion in part, but it is backed by research and millions of successful real estate listings.
The Camera
A Gimble & Tripod
The gimble will prevent your camera for shaking and or moving when taking video, 360 photos, and even make the images better when using a tripod. Many modern cameras have image stabilization which helps but with a gimble and tripod for manual photos you are assured the best final result. Yes, they are available for smartphones as well.
The quality of your camera and the computer you used to edit your photos matter. For 360 tour photos, you can start with a package that costs about $500 for the camera and tripod. A professional camera and kit for 360 virtual tours can be just over $1,000.
When it comes to the regular photo gear the pricing can be similar.
Photography is easier than ever before because of technology. Yet still, experience makes all the difference. Knowing where to set up your camera, lighting, and which ways to frame your photos for the best results come with time and experience.
If you are computer savvy that can help your real estate photos, tours, and overall quality as well. There is so much you can do now with raw photos once they have been taken.
An entire industry now has come about called real estate staging. Now thanks to modern computer editing virtual staging is a thing as well. You can edit your photos to include furniture that was not in the original photo. This helps potential homebuyers see and feel how the home might look decorated and staged. Staging whether virtual or with rental furniture in the real estate itself can dramatically improve your sales. Virtual staging is great because clients can see not only how the home looks when empty but also how it might look with modern styles applied.
These are tools that modern real estate photographers often have available. For the realtor or their staff, these skills take time to build up but with effort in a few months’ time you can get some great results.
Homeowners Should Not Take Their Property Photos
If you are a homeowner unless you have photography background experience do not take your photos yourself. There is just too much to master, and too many things to feature. For the best shots, you need special lenses and a high-end camera. Consider the small cost of a professional photographer for real estate (which can be as low as $250 for smaller homes).
Also, for certain real estate tours, there is a bidding war on lower-cost homes. Homes under 2,500 sq ft and list prices under $1 million are often going to the Matterport device and photographers that use that service. These devices do not do a professional level job but they are fast and easy to use and the costs savings is reflected in the cost of creating those kinds of virtual tours. This competition is bringing down prices for a good portion of the real estate market.
How Much Do Professional Real Estate Photographers Charge?
Like any other skill-based service photographers charge the most they can. You can often find photographers with less experience who are willing to work for rates that experienced and very talented photographers never would work for.
This is true just like anything else. If you are preparing your home for sale and need to have the house painted, for example, you can do it yourself, hire day labor, a handyman, or professional painters. As the property owner, you can also choose the quality of paint, colors, and how it is applied. Well, the same is true with photography.
The secret is getting value for your money. If you are selling a low-cost property, it does not make sense to invest $5,000 in photography to sell a home that is worth $250,000. However, if the home value is $1.5 million or more you may want to invest in that top-level photographer. Also, a professional tip. If you are going to hire a real estate photographer, ask for bids or quotes from at least 3 providers. Or work with your real estate agent who likely already has very talented photographers they work with, and have established set rates with. You are much more likely to get a great price for this service through your realtor than buying real estate photography as a one-time purchase.
Is Professional Photography Worth it?
Take a look at sites like Zillow. Look for properties that have been on the market for over 90 days. The most common feature you will find is poor-quality photos. It appears the worse the photos the slower the sale. Truly poor photos can often be part of the cause for listings that stay up with properties unsold for 6 months or more.
So invest wisely and consider working with your realtor to get the best value on photography for your home sale. For more information head to www.chrispricerealty.com