Why Listing Photos Are Your Most Important Marketing Asset And How to Get Them Right
More than 95% of home searches in Chester County begin online. The photos are your home's first showing, and for most buyers, the photos determine whether they ever schedule an actual showing. This is not an area to cut corners.
Professional Photography: Non-Negotiable
A skilled real estate photographer knows how to use wide-angle lenses, correct exposure, and natural light to make spaces look their best. The difference between professional photography and smartphone photos is often the difference between 20 showing requests and 5. This investment of $200–$500 is recovered many times over in the price and speed of the sale.
Beyond Photos: Additional Visual Tools
Drone photography and video: Particularly valuable for properties with significant outdoor space, a lot with appealing surroundings, or homes that are set back from the street. Aerial perspective conveys a lot of size and setting better than any ground-level photo.
Video walk-through tours: Video tours allow remote buyers, particularly relocating buyers who cannot visit in person, to self-qualify a home before scheduling a showing. In Chester County's market, which attracts relocation buyers from New York, DC, and beyond, video tours can be the reason a remote buyer makes the trip to see the home in person.
3D virtual tour (Matterport): A 3D scan allows buyers to virtually walk through the home at their own pace. Increasingly expected by serious buyers, particularly in the $500,000+ price range.
Staging
Professionally staged homes sell faster and for more money than vacant or owner-occupied homes with furniture and personal items still in place. Full staging (renting furniture for an entire home) is typically appropriate for luxury listings or vacant properties. Partial staging accessorizing key rooms with rental pieces is appropriate for most occupied homes. At a minimum, work with your agent to remove, rearrange, or replace items that detract from the presentation.
What Makes Great Listing Photos
Daylight shooting with maximum natural light through clean, open windows
Wide-angle lenses that represent room size accurately without distortion
Vertical shots of spaces that demand height (vaulted ceilings, tall windows)
Exterior hero shot: The best possible front-of-home photograph, typically taken in soft morning or late-afternoon light
Seasonal considerations: Shoots in early spring, summer, and fall capture landscaping at its best. Winter shoots are possible and can be attractive, particularly for cozy interiors, but require extra attention to exterior presentation.
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403 W Lincoln Highway, Suite 106, Exton, PA 19341