There is a difference of opinion among real estate brokers about whether it’s cost-effective or worthwhile to take your own photos or let a professional handle the job. As the industry and consumers move deeper into the use of online multimedia in the form of video home tours, company Web sites and personal blogs, buyers and sellers will naturally have higher and higher expectations for the quality and convenience of the media being presented. This is especially the case with the advent of broadband service in most areas of the country (and world), and a technology industry that is constantly pumping out new products that promote the use of higher quality multimedia.

So, if I’m the owner of a house about to hit the MLS and I compare my broker-taken photos against professionally shot photographs there won’t be any competition. The professional shots will have better composition, be brighter and clearer. I’ve even heard that some brokers use their

cell phone cameras to take photos for their brochures and online virtual tours. A cell phone camera cannot adequately photograph and give perspective to the average room for a potential buyer. As demonstrated in the two photos of the same room here, the professionally taken photo provides much better dimension and detail. You can actually see the molding and part of the ceiling in the professional photo, and much more of the overall room. Notice how much more of the wall on the right side is visible. And, at least this cell photo is in-focus. I see a lot of photos that are blurry and dark. I can’t really think of a better way to show a client you don’t care about their listing than to provide photos that are muddy and out of focus. Clients will know immediately that you’re cutting corners, and head-to-head with a comparable property with higher quality online marketing, your listing will look shabby–if it’s even seen.

The highest producing real estate brokers in most areas are the brokers who invest in themselves and their clients, which means they not only market their properties, but they consider the quality of that material. High quality marketing leaves an impression within the marketplace to past, present, and future clients, and so does low quality marketing. If you put yourself in the shoes of a prospective client which broker are you going to choose?