Nicola Kelland - Photography

Has your real estate agent suggested that you don’t need to pay for professional photography to market your home?

The age-old saying that “you get what you pay for” is very true when it comes to property photography. So often when I am looking through the real estate papers and on the various real estate websites, I see properties advertised using the most appalling photography. Often these photos are taken by the real estate agent using a smart phone in an effort to save time and cost to the client. But the reality is, the money spent on photography of your property is the best investment in marketing money that you can spend.

Try this test. Flip through the real estate newspapers casually, and stop when something takes your eye. Was it the photography that made you stop? A beautiful photo will quickly attract you to the property, long before you have read about the number of bedrooms or bathrooms. A good professional photographer will know how to capture the best angles to enhance your property and give it the X factor.

The Internet is the same. When you view property on trademe or realestate.co.nz, you tend to view the listings together on a page, then select the ones you want more detail on. The photography is what draws you to the property first, so make sure that the photo that is displayed with the listing is enticing, it is what we call the “Hero shot”.

We tested this theory recently, having taken over a listing that was previously marketed through another agency. We had new photography taken and re wrote the advertising copy. In one weekend we had more potential purchasers viewing the property, than the entire previous marketing campaign of four weeks. Obviously the owners are delighted.

So don’t sell your property short, make sure you have beautiful photography.