Photographs are your listing's "first showing."

With most home buyers starting their search online today, the photographs you use are essentially your listing's "first showing".

Just like you would meticulously prepare the home for its first showing, it's important to invest in quality professional photography that will compel buyers to come see the home in the first place.

Look at the images here, can you see the difference? So will your buyers, and so will your happy sellers that will in turn refer you business over and over.

Of course, not every homeowner is is Martha Stewart and some homes may lead Realtors to think  "Why even bother photographing this, let's just price the home low enough and hope it sells..."

This mentality goes back to the history of the Real Estate business, when inventory was kept hidden from the public at large in physical books that were only accessible to Realtors.  The target audience for the marketing materials back then was fellow Realtors and so it made sense that their professional eye wouldn't need fancy photographs to discern which properties would be most suitable for their home buyers.

Today it is the consumers are who are the direct recipient of the marketing efforts. Let's face it, how often are Realtors made aware of the new inventory by their own clients?

There has been a change in target audience, and determining your target audience is the starting point of all marketing.

That's why according to Realtor.com,  "The photos of your house, along with the pricing and listing description, determine whether or not your house is considered good enough for an in-person look, or placed on the “do-not-see” list. [...]  Your house needs to put its best (square) foot forward! Otherwise, buyers-who are much more in control today of what houses they see and which ones they don’t-will eliminate it just by looking at the photos online."

Don't you think it's time you provide the professional guidance your sellers expect form the expert who's supposed to direct the marketing of their most expensive possession?