We now live in a highly visual world where people are seeing great images and photos online all the time. That’s part of the reason why hosts of the TV show “Cash Pad”, JoJo Fletcher and Jordan Rodgers, recommend professional photography as an essential step for short term rental hosts:
As JoJo put it in the above video:
“The only way guests are going to see your property is digitally first. So that means your photos have to be just perfect. You have to make sure you’re hitting the right angle. You have to showcase what you have to offer.”
The median income for Airbnb hosts is about $440 per month, although this varies from location to location, and yet even on such low income the experts in Airbnb and short term rentals recommend that hosts should be investing in great photos if they want to make the most of what they have:
“Poor photos lead to fewer click throughs, fewer bookings, and less money. Not having a professional to do your photos is a huge missed opportunity for many hosts, especially new hosts.”
– Symon He from Learnbnb.com.
If Airbnb hosts are getting professional photos, then how much more important is it for real estate agents and homeowners to incorporate high-quality real estate photography into their marketing campaigns?
Airbnb hosts are making $5000 to $11,000 a year from a side hustle that they often do in their spare time. A real estate agent will, from a single sale, make $5000 at the bottom end and up to $60,000 or more at the top end. Given those numbers, why are some real estate agents reluctant to spend much, if anything, on professional photography?
Let’s look at some numbers:
Airbnb hosts: median income of $5280 per year.
Airbnb hosts: based on a fee of $250 for photography, that’s 4.7% of annual income.
If a real estate agent is making $7500 on the sale of a property (assuming a 3% commission on a $250,000 home), then the equivalent 4.7% spend on photography would be $352.
In other words, real estate agents who spend less than $350 on photography, when making a $7500 commission on the sale of a property, are investing less into their photography than many Airbnb hosts are doing with their side hustle, even though real estate sales is probably a full-time job.
We live in a visual world, and that requires a commitment to using the very best in visual marketing.
Is it time for full-time real estate agents to follow the lead of part-time Airbnb hosts, and look to invest in high-quality professional photography for every marketing campaign?
If it’s a must-do activity for a side hustle, then it’s certainly a must-do step for real estate agents. If you don’t yet have a professional real estate photographer that you can call on, then head to the front page here at BestRealEstatePhotographers.com where you’ll find a great photographer in your city or town.