Digital real estate marketing involves promoting your real estate business on the internet and via digital devices. Given the digital nature of the modern world, if you aren’t prioritizing digital marketing, you’re missing out on a major opportunity to connect with potential customers, generate leads, and drive sales.

Digital marketing for real estate agents encompasses many aspects, including email marketing, content marketing, social media marketing, and several others. What is the one thing all these digital marketing strategies have in common? High-quality images — they are a real estate marketing must-have.

Read on to learn more about why high-quality images matter for real estate digital marketing, along with tips for including the best photos in your digital marketing initiatives.

The Power of the Picture in Real Estate Marketing

It’s not news that photographs are important in the real estate business. After all, the first thing buyers see when they enter a search are photos of potential homes.

Compelling photos catch their attention and entice them to click into a listing for more information.

Conversely, unattractive images have the opposite effect with potential buyers clicking away without even considering a property.

Five Reasons Why High-Quality Photos Matter

Specifically, high-quality photos can make a difference in several key ways, including the following:

Customers expect them.

Gone are the days when people would scour the newspaper listings or spend hours driving around different neighborhoods looking for “for sale” signs.

Today, a whopping 97 percent of homebuyers search online during the homebuying process, according to a report from Realtor.com. Furthermore, can you guess what the same report noted was the most important feature for more than 9 in 10 buyers under age 55? Photos.

People don’t spend the majority of their time reading listings. They spend the bulk of their time perusing photos. High-quality photos help to affirm that they like what the listing enough to make them want to act.
You have a limited time to make a big impression.

In our era of instant gratification, people have very short attention spans. You may not get a second chance to make an impression — so make sure you get it right the first time with the most engaging images.
High-quality photos are the best way to showcase a home.

Sure, you can take photos of your listings, but that doesn’t mean you should. While professional photography costs more, it also pays for itself.

Professional photographers know all the techniques and tips, which can make spaces look bigger and more inviting. High-quality photos truly highlight the best elements of a home.
Homes with high-quality photos sell faster.

Homes that use professional real estate photographs sell 32 percent faster than listings without professional real estate photos, according to a 2013 study..

The reason for this is simple: People are attracted to attractive photos. With many options from which to choose, the difference between high-quality and low-quality photos may be the differentiating factor in whether a buyer decides to visit a priority in person.

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Homes with high-quality photos sell for more money.

Homes with high-quality photos don’t just sell faster; they also sell for more. The right photos will not only recoup what you spent for professional photography; they’ll add to your home’s value.

What Are the Elements of a High-Quality Real Estate Photo?

All of this begs the question: What makes one real estate photo a selling point and another a flop? Several factors come into play including the following:

Lighting: Well-lit photos make homes look warm and inviting. Indoor photos should be taken during the day in natural light conditions. Exterior lighting can be harsh at mid-day, leading to overexposed photos. The best lighting conditions for exteriors are usually early in the morning and late at night.
Staging: The best images convey what a home could be to prospective homebuyers — not what it is to the current inhabitants. Photos should capture clean, tidy, and clutter-free environments.
Angles: Photos should show all the dimensions of a listing. Prior to a photo shoot, you should identify all the critical images that you want to capture of a home’s interior and exterior. And shoot everything from several angles, if possible. Then you’ll have more choices when deciding on the final listing photos.

While these tips can help when you need to take photos in a pinch, do not underestimate the training, expertise, and value a professional photographer brings to the table.

Real Estate Photos: Beyond Real Estate Listings

Online listings are just one example of how technology has changed the real estate industry. It follows that the need for high-quality photos isn’t limited to listings, either. Your website and social media should also feature beautiful, relevant, and authentic photos that speak to your business and brand.

On that note, steer clear of stock photos. They may be cheap and easy, but are those qualities you’d like associated with your brand?

Think of it this way: You don’t post inauthentic content on your blog, or use canned social media posts, do you? Every piece of content you use in your digital marketing efforts should be authentic and intentional. This goes for images and video, too.

A strong digital presence can transform your real estate business by helping you not only get your brand and properties in front of more people, but also in moving them through their buyer’s journey — oftentimes before you even interact with them in person.

Digital marketing IS the future of real estate agents, and there’s no better time than now to get on board (and get ahead!) of your competition.

If you’re ready to give your real estate business a major boost, The Light Digital team is ready to help with our real estate online marketing expertise. To learn more about how we can help you create and implement a comprehensive real estate digital marketing plan, contact us today.