The first home I sold at the beginning of my career was a four bedroom home in Winston Park of Coconut Creek. It was a nice home with a pool. I hadn't made a dime yet in real estate but I hired a professional photographer to take the pictures and create a virtual tour. The original asking price was $425,000. The price was dropped to $410,000 about a month later and I got a offer for full asking price! And this was just after the market began its huge decline. After the closing I learned that the key factor in the buyers choosing the home were the pictures and virtual tour. 

The couple who bought it lived in Texas went back home after viewing homes in Coconut Creek. The pictures they had of my listing cemented the choice for them because it helped them visualize living there. The others they had to refer back to, didn't. Ever since then I hire a professional whenever it is practical. Lets face it some homes just don't show well. It may be outdated of a real handyman special. In that case less is more. I will just take a few shots myself of the best features like the view perhaps. It drives my nuts when I am looking through listing and most of them have horrible picture. Even with those million dollar listings it is common to see amateur photos that are dark and poorly framed. 

                   

A professional uses the correct wide angle lens that enhances the view of rooms without making them look small. A pro also knows how to frame a photo correctly at its proper angle and lighting. I recall a listing of a small one bedroom condo on the beach. It was only 720 square feet.  It was in very nice condition and the photographer made it look like a small palace. Despite it being  priced too high in my opinion, it sold in less than two months to a couple from Colorado who bought it sight unseen. The pictures above I took myself and they aren't half bad. These below were taken by my photographer.  See the difference?

                   

The rooms look bigger and brighter. Was it worth the extra money to hire a pro? Absolutely and all my listings that show well get professional photography.

Tom Day, RE/MAX in Motion
Pompano Beach, FL
www.TomDayProperties.com