Why Each Listing Needs The Right Photographer

Photographs are a powerful tool in real estate agents’ arsenal to help market properties, especially in today’s world of online and social media marketing, where striking images often command more attention than words.

Real estate professionals shouldn’t rely on poorly lit and composed photographs and expect a home to sell quickly. Today’s buyers want appealing eye candy that only professional photographs can provide.

However, not all professional photographers are created equal. Every listing presents its own challenges and every photographer brings an individual set of skills and experiences that are deployed during a photoshoot. Some are more skilled at capturing the beautiful finishes, architectural details and spaciousness of luxury mansions or estates, while others are more experienced photographing starter homes or condos, using their trained photographic eye to make confined spaces appear more welcoming, expansive and brighter.

Often when real estate agents need a professional to photograph a property, they are offered the next available photographer. Most companies lack the coverage and deep bench of photographers with a wide range of expertise, so it usually doesn’t matter whether the photographer’s experience and skills match up with the characteristics and demands of each unique listing.

Real estate agents who decide on the most convenient photographer are missing out on leveraging a prime opportunity to choose the right photographer with the perfect skill set to shoot their listing, develop a working relationship, and showcase homes in the most ideal way to attract prospective buyers.

This means real estate agents need to begin approaching real estate photography from an evolved lens, beyond just “getting the photographs taken.” In an age where the quality of photographs is essential to successfully marketing a property online and in social media, just having any photographer will not cut it. Real estate agents should examine photographers’ works and experience to decide if the photographer is right for their specific listing. And if they lack the time to explore a photographer’s portfolio, they can rely on a photography company that makes the choice of photographer easy because they have a deep network of highly trained and experienced photographers for each agent’s requirements and listing’s needs.

For instance, a wedding planner will turn to an artisan baker with sophisticated skills and deep experience to create a towering multi-tiered cake with cutting edge ingredients and artistic decorations. When called on to create cupcakes for the bridal shower, the very same planner might instead turn to a professional with different skills.

As marketing real estate continues to evolve, agents must also evolve their expectations of real estate photographers and seek the right one for each property in order to showcase their listings, which will lead to increased sales and attracting more clients.

Sarah Anderson is Vice President Marketing at VHT Studios, the nation’s largest real estate photography and visual marketing services company. The company recently introduced an industry-changing professional photography suite to provide more flexibility for Realtors®, through a tiered array of services designed to better serve clients with a more effective and better matched offering for every property.

For more information, visit VHT.com, The VHT Studios Blog or find us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.