Photography a major asset

HOMEBUYERS are spoiled for choice in the current market; whether they’re hunting through the weekend Property Week or real estate websites.

Professional photography can make an overwhelming difference in first impressions. Photo: Contributed

HOMEBUYERS are spoiled for choice in the current market; whether they're hunting through the weekend Property Week or real estate websites, there are scores of homes for sale in any given price range.

With that in mind, photographs of a property can make the difference between a potential buyer deciding to call an agent or move on to investigate the next listing.

"There has been a lot of research done overseas that indicates professional photography can make tens of thousands of dollars difference in the sale price of a property," local Top Snap property photographer Sean Robinson said.

"From personal experience when I was looking for an investment property I gave up looking at anything that didn't look good from the photos."

A recent survey of more than 600 Australian real estate agents by Top Snap found 99% of them say property photography is their most essential tool for successful property marketing.

The agents surveyed believed that in addition to enhancing a home's presentation, professional photography also attracts more buyers (89% of respondents), increases inquiries (79%) and clicks on internet campaigns (68%).

More than half of those surveyed said it helped secure a higher selling price.

Despite the stats, many vendors shy away from spending the extra money on professional photographs.

Sean said while professional photos were an extra expense, the outlay was minimal - he charges less than $200 for a dozen professionally shot and retouched images.

"It's a small investment to attract that initial interest, first impressions are really important," he said.

Sean said lighting was one of the most important points of difference in professional property photographs.

"We use studio lighting to get rid of dark shadows and corners, plus we have other techniques like retouching to make sure we show the property in its best possible light," he said.

"Your photos should not be so much a documentation of rooms, but a selection of shots that draw in the buyer; you've got to look for the home's strengths like a nice kitchen or bathroom."

While not everyone has the latest and greatest decor, professional photographers can even remedy that.

Top Snap is one of a growing number of photography services now offering virtual furniture.

"We can take an empty room and add images of furniture, or put the image over the top of existing furniture."

Sean said virtual furniture was particularly effective when marketing empty homes because it gave buyers an idea of what could fit in the space.

For those with too much furniture, Sean recommends a good de-clutter and tidy up before a photographer arrives.

"De-personalise the space and get rid of things like sponges on sinks and even coloured towels; you can make it look too busy."

Originally published as Photography a major asset