So you’re starting you new dream job of being a real estate agent. Between the classes, licensing, broker fees, and membership dues you are looking at least $2526. Then you’ll need to start budgeting for running your business.

The best thing you can do is budget for two different marketing budgets. The first is going to be for you and your business. The second is for the homes you are going to sell.

Many new real estate agents think that they can cut corners by doing their own realty photos. Then their budget is dedicated to flyers, billboards, and any other print advertising.

This is a mistake. You need to source local real estate photographers as an important step of setting up your new business.

Real Estate the Old School Way

Real estate agents would hire local real estate photographers to take pictures. Then they would be used to create flyers that would get distributed by handing them out or posting them in high traffic places.

One of the most popular places is to post them in the window the of real estate agent’s office.

If someone wanted to buy a home, they would call up their local agent, and ask what they had in inventory. Then the agent would work with the client to find the right home for them.

Real Estate Sales the Modern Way

Today potential buyers “window shop” by looking online. This is partially because the internet and social media have simply taken over. The other thing to consider is how many real estate agents don’t have a physical office.

For most agents today, their “office front” is their social media page. This means you have a lot more competition when it comes to grabbing people’s attention.

Think about it this way, when someone is walking down the street, there are limited distractors in the physical area in front of an office. But when you are on social media, you compete with everything else on social media.

This includes people’s friends and family, entertainment pages, groups, and other businesses.

Images Matter

Did you know that people only retain about 10 to 20% of the information they read or are exposed to? But if you pair that information with a visual element the retention rate goes up to 65%!

So using an image will have people remember your posting about homes for sale. But it isn’t just about remembering your posts, you want more people to see them too.

Well, good news! Using high quality imagery can translate to 94% more views. Now you have more people seeing your posts to remember them.

Quality Realty Photos Do the Work for You

What’s the secret to successfully selling homes? You connect emotionally with your potential buyers.

Remember, people are looking for their next home, they want to feel it. So appeal to them visually.

Not only will your home stick in their mind longer, but you can get the message to them faster. Plus you get the message across no matter what the reading comprehension is of the buyer.

Finally, quality photos trigger emotional responses. So why not get potential buyers dreaming of backyard BBQs and family dinners before they ever even get to the house in person?

You Can’t Use Just Any Real Estate Images

Some agents think they can supplement their own photos with generic stock photography. After all, that’s professional photography right? That should be good enough?

Wrong! Nielsen Norman Group did a study where they tracked the viewer’s eye movements. Purely decorative images are completely ignored.

Users pay attention to those that provide supplemental or relevant information. Translate this to real estate photos and a professional photographer can ensure you have informative images that people want to look at.

Branding Consistency

One of the most important parts of starting your business is to make a name for yourself. Do you have the photography skills to take all of the pictures you need to create a cohesive identity?

Remember, you will need to take the time to take the pictures and then also edit them. Your time could be better spent building your business.

Don’t fall into a common trap of trying to do everything yourself. It is better to hand the reins over to an expert and get it done right the first time.

Working with a local real estate photographer they can help create an identity for your real estate business. Then they can ensure that all of your photos follow the brand guidelines.

Hire Local Real Estate Photographers

Don’t hire your friend’s brother’s cousin who claims to be a pro photographer part time. They are not going to have the time to dedicate to your business.

Don’t hire a professional photographer who normally does school portraits. Or the photographer that only does wildlife.

To take realty photos well it requires knowledge and experience. Without this, you’ll end up with pictures that make your home look like a wrapped fun house.

Look for a professional photographer that can show you their experience taking pictures of real estate.

Contact us today and let us help make your new venture a success. We can help make your photos stand out, look professional, and sell your homes.