How Are Realtors® Handling Their Real Estate Photography?

Generally, the first introduction buyers have to a new house on the market is photos.

How do you make sure your client’s home is getting the best first impression online? Nearly three-quarters (72%) of agents in a recent HomeJab survey said they hire a professional photographer for every listing, while 15% only do if the property is over a specific price. And many Realtors® are posting a variety of photos to let potential buyers see every angle they can. Eight in 10 agents reported posting at least 30 images of a property, while 5% said they post over 50. Agents reported taking photos most frequently during the week. Twenty percent of Realtors® schedule photography for Wednesdays, while 18% each choose Tuesdays and Thursdays. Saturdays (9%) and Sundays (4%) were the least popular days.

If a seller moves out before the property prior to listing, do you stage it? The majority of agents do something, they said, 30.5% stage it virtually, while 29% stage it traditionally, with real furniture. About 40% of agents leave it empty. Are homeowners generally prepared for photography? Thirty percent of respondents said sellers are not prepared about half of the time, while 28% said 10% to 25% and 21% more than half of the time.

It’s no surprise that the pandemic accelerated video and 3D tours, with the number of orders rising from 37% to 54% in 2020, and dropping slightly to 48% in 2021. However, demand for aerial photos has decreased slightly since the pandemic, dropping from 15% pre-pandemic to 12% in 2020 and 14% in 2021. More than half of agents (55%) said they use aerial photography depending on the property, while 12% use it on every listing. Only 12% said they had never used it and 16% are interested for future use.