The Importance of Professional Real Estate Media in 2024

As we ease into the new year, realtors can expect many things to change. We all know that the current market is “awkward” (best described by several realtors I’ve talked to) but one thing is becoming increasingly important and hasn’t changed one bit — having professional photography and videography for your listings.

With interest rates still in the ~6-7% range, houses are sitting on the market. Although some are still going under contract within a few days or even a week, it seems like some properties just aren’t selling, even when they should be. This is very different from 2020-2021, when the rush to buy was off the charts. Although I began shooting properties here in SC in 2023, I was well aware what the surrounding market looked like, as I saw constant posts about the amazing Charleston market and the lowcountry areas taking 2 out of the 10 spots for “Hottest Real Estate Areas” in the country. At that point, it didn’t really matter what media you had for your listings, some buyer from out of state was going to push a $25K over-market cash offer to your mailbox within 12 hours of listing.

But that was 3 something years ago, and the market has changed. Over the course of a year, I saw houses disappear from the market in less than 15 hours (yes, I woke up the next day after the shoot and it was already under contract) to houses sitting for weeks, if not months. I’ve seen some realtors counter this with more media, such as professional video and twilight images for cover photos, but many won’t “change their ways”. Believe it or not, there are still realtors in 2024 that take iPhone photos of their listings and post it to the MLS.

Yet one thing these realtors don’t understand is having professional photo and video will not only sell your listing faster, but likely at a higher price point as well. That one front image is going to either draw the potential buyer in and click on that listing, or they’re going to skip over it because the front photo was a dull, boring, off-angle phone photo that took about 2 seconds to take. After that, they’ll want to see beautiful and bright photos of every angle in the home, which will help them picture what they could have in the future.

This is where it gets interesting. According to Benchmark Realty, homes that have been professionally photographed sell 32% FASTER than homes that were not — and not only that, an estimated 87% of buyers heavily rely on those photos when making a decision about purchasing. For realtors, this should be a no brainer - you get what you put into it. Another point I’d like to push is a realtor’s portfolio. As a photographer, I prefer to have the best photos I’ve taken at the top of my portfolio, and you can’t find iPhone photos anywhere near my website. In fact, 72.2% of realtors said that high quality, professional real estate photos helped them gain listings with other clients in the future. Realtors should view this as the same thing; potential selling clients don’t want to see minimal-effort when you list their properties. Take a look at all of the ultra-successful and big name realtors right here in the lowcountry; look at their past listings, and you’ll see what I mean.

Luckily in this modern age, realtors are not just limited to HDR photos with selling a home. There are additional options, such as using a twilight image on the front photo. This is either an image that has been taken at sunset of the home, or a regular photo edited to appear at sunset. In fact, according to PhotoUp.net, using a twilight photo on the front cover of a listing leads to over 76% MORE views than listings without one!

Last but not least, if you’re really looking to maximize the listing price and limit the days it’s on the market, I recommend either a listing video or social media video to top everything off. This is the best way to present a new home, especially for the buyers who either don’t have time to tour or are from out of state. Better yet, electing to post this to social media gives it a chance for thousands of people to view your property. RubyHome Realty estimates that properties with videos get up to 403% more hits than ones without video.

In conclusion, if a realtor is looking to provide a great experience for their client, minimize their on-the-market time, and is looking to add beautiful photos to their portfolio that they are proud of, they should be looking to maximize their professional media for their listings.