New Home Source: Five Things Real Estate Photographers Want Agents to Know

Here's an interesting article on the New Home Source news site about what real estate photographers would like real estate agents to know about their work.

Check out #4.... a quote from yours truly!

Taking Real Estate Photography to New Heights

I came across an interesting article about a real estate photographer in New York City that's known to scale heights and cross rooftops in order to get the shot. (Source: National Association of Realtors)

It reminded me of a shoot that I did a few weeks ago for Associated Estates, the management company for two great apartment communities in Charlotte. I was walking rooftops to get pictures of Alpha Mill, a large community near downtown Charlotte. I loved it!

Here are a few rooftop sample shots!

Ethics in Real Estate Photography

Here's an excellent article in the Chicago Tribune about the "gray" area of real estate photography as it relates to real estate sales. Photoshop and other processing software products can change a lot...but that doesn't mean it should be done. Rule of thumb: if it's materially related to the home, don't remove it from the picture.

Top Five Reasons to Use Professional Photos for Your Home Sale

As the old saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. But could a picture - or more specifically, a set of fantastic professional real estate photos for your home sale - translate into more traffic, less days on the market, and a higher sales price?

The answer is YES! Here are five reasons that real estate agents and sellers should use professional photography when listing their homes for sale.

1. To home buyers, photographs are the most important feature in an online listing.

According to the National Association of Realtors' 2012 Profile of Buyers, photos are the most important feature that buyers want to see in an online property listing. Photos need to reflect the home's features and true character - and draw a buyer in.

Source: National Association of Realtors

2. Home buyers are searching for homes online - first.

If buyers say that photos are critically important in online listings, how many are searching for homes online? The vast majority of them. There are many statistics that back this up:

* 92% of home buyers use the Internet to search for a home (National Association of Realtors).
* Over half of home buyers started their home search online online (National Association of Realtors)
* 43% of recent home buyers FIRST found the home they purchased online (National Association of Realtors)

3. Buyers can "fall in love" with a home through an online sales listing.

This is an interesting point related to human psychology. Not only are most buyers looking closely at photos in online listings, they can develop attractions to certain homes and want to see them.

Nearly 80% of home buyers find their home "crush" online, according to the Wall Street Journal's article: "Why We Fall in Love - With Houses." From there, "about one-third decide to then decide to go see the house in person."

Of course, there are many factors that come into play regarding the decision to see a home, including location and asking price. But the last thing you want is for your home to be passed up by a willing and able buyer because a comparable home looks more attractive in photos.

4. Homes with professional photography sell faster - and are more likely to sell.

According to RedFin's research center:

"Because online searching and browsing is such a critical part of the home-buying process, it follows that a better-photographed home will sell faster because more people are enticed to visit the home and people know what they are getting before they even set foot in the home."

Here is another graph that tells a similar story. Homes photographed with DSLR (digital single lens reflex) are more likely to sell within six months than homes photographed with a point and shoot camera.

5. Homes shot with professional photography sell for more money!

Perhaps one of the strongest arguments for spending a small amount on professional photography at the front end of the listing is the fact that final sales price is more likely to be higher at the closing table.

Based on RedFin data, the Wall Street Journal reports that "listings with nicer photos gain anywhere between $934 and $116,076–as measured by the difference between asking and final price–over listings using photos from point-and-click cameras."

Hopefully this list will be helpful to real estate listing agents and home sellers who are considering hiring a professional photographer. I could go on about the benefits that my customers have realized, from time saved to more showings to impressing their clients and interested buyers. Sounds like good material for another blog post in the near future.

Charlotte Real Estate Photos Earns Best of Houzz 2014 Award

Charlotte Real Estate Photos by Julie Legge Receives

Best Of Houzz 2014 Award

Annual Survey and Analysis of 16 Million Monthly Users

Reveals Top-Rated Building, Remodeling and Design Professionals

[CHARLOTTE, NC], February 4, 2014 – Charlotte Real Estate Photos by Julie Legge of Charlotte, NC has been awarded “Best Of Houzz” by Houzz, the leading platform for home remodeling and design. The real estate photography and marketing services firm was chosen by the more than 16 million monthly users that comprise the Houzz community.

The Best Of Houzz award is given in two categories: Customer Satisfaction and Design. Customer Satisfaction honors are determined by a variety of factors, including the number and quality of client reviews a professional received in 2013. Design award winners’ work was the most popular among the more than 16 million monthly users on Houzz, known as “Houzzers,” who saved more than 230 million professional images of home interiors and exteriors to their personal ideabooks via the Houzz site, iPad/iPhone app and Android app. Winners will receive a “Best Of Houzz 2014” badge on their profiles, showing the Houzz community their commitment to excellence. These badges help homeowners identify popular and top-rated home professionals in every metro area on Houzz. 

“Houzz provides homeowners with the most comprehensive view of home building, remodeling and design professionals, empowering them to find and hire the right professional to execute their vision,” said Liza Hausman, vice president of community for Houzz. “We’re delighted to recognize Charlotte Real Estate Photos by Julie Legge among our “Best Of” professionals for customer satisfaction as judged by our community of homeowners and design enthusiasts who are actively remodeling and decorating their homes.”

With Houzz, homeowners can identify not only the top-rated professionals like Charlotte Real Estate Photos by Julie Legge, but also those whose work matches their own aspirations for their home. Homeowners can also evaluate professionals by contacting them directly on the Houzz platform, asking questions about their work and reviewing their responses to questions from others in the Houzz community.

Follow Charlotte Real Estate Photos by Julie Legge on Houzz

About Charlotte Real Estate Photos by Julie Legge

Julie Legge is a professionally-trained residential and commercial real estate photographer, specializing in Union County, NC and South Charlotte, NC. In addition to professional real estate photography, Ms. Legge provides high quality property virtual tours and videos, and comprehensive real estate marketing and communication services. Ms. Legge holds an active North Carolina real estate license, and has worked in the the commercial, corporate, and residential real estate industry since 1995. For more information, visit www.charlotterealestateservices.com. 

About Houzz

Houzz is the leading platform for home remodeling and design, providing people with everything they need to improve their homes from start to finish - online or from a mobile device. From decorating a room to building a custom home, Houzz connects millions of homeowners, home design enthusiasts and home improvement professionals across the country and around the world. With the largest residential design database in the world and a vibrant community powered by social tools, Houzz is the easiest way for people to get the design inspiration, project advice, product information and professional reviews they need to help turn ideas into reality. For more information, visit www.houzz.com

New web site

Please see http://www.charlotterealestatephotos.com for more information about commercial and residential real estate photography in South Charlotte, NC, Union County, NC and surrounding areas.