Trust me, I completely understand the appeal to DIY. After all, I'm the guy who tried to design and build his own robot vacuum cleaner instead of just buying one. I took on a role normally filled by, at minimum, dozens of skilled engineers and product developers, put in weeks of valuable time (to an engineer probably worth thousands of dollars...) only to end up with a fan screwed to a box and a very dirty floor...
The point is we can't be specialists in everything, and while it might be a fun learning experience, trying to do something outside your area of expertise without first acquiring years of experience can waste your time and leave you with a subpar product at the end. Case in point: real estate photography.
Cell phone cameras are amazing these days, no question. The detail and resolution of some phone cameras rivals even some blockbuster movie standards, so why should you pay someone else to take photos of your listing property when you've got this incredible piece of machinery in your pocket? Well, setting aside the obvious answer of "you don't have to do it yourself," there is more to photography than having a decent camera.
Angles: Professional real estate photographers know how to highlight the best in a room, from placing the camera in the right spot to emphasize the scale of a room, to knowing exactly the right height to shoot from to produce a natural view of the house's exterior. Vaulted ceilings, inset nooks, stairways, unique architecture, all these things are elements of a property you want buyers to know about, and a professional real estate photographer knows how to make these elements stand out in an image.
Lighting: Blasting a room with a flash is a great way to show off how flat, small and boring that room is. Professional real estate photographers understand the subtleties of light and how just a simple touch in a particular area can make an image pop off the screen. Au Courant professionals make use of the natural lighting in a room combined with subtle additions to give our images depth and life, so you can catch your buyers' eyes.
Editing: It's inevitable: the neighbors leave their trash cans out, the sky is dreary, and you just noticed that crack in the wall. With a professional real estate photographer, you don't need to reshoot, you don't need to wait to get your listing up. How is that, you might ask? Magic... Editing Magic! Professional photographers are almost always professional editors as well, and they are well-versed in the art of editing magics. A pro can remove items from an image as if they were never there, or replace the dreary sky with a gorgeous cloudscape, and of course the enhancements given to an image's color or lighting can add additional depth, texture, and warmth to the scene.
Another reason not to do it yourself: you don't have the time!
Hiring a professional real estate photographer to capture your listing photos not only gets you and your clients the best presentation, it also gives you the time to focus on growing your business! If you have to find the time to prep the property, shoot the property, and then edit all the photos you take, you're going to be losing time that you can use to run your business. By hiring a pro you can give your clients a more personal touch, and get their return business. You'll love that you save time, and your clients will love the attention to detail you put into their listing.
Take a look at how Au Courant's Photographers can help you craft the perfect listing today!
Adam J. Ferguson
Photo and Video Editor
Au Courant Marketing