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Professional Real Estate Photography Sells Homes 32% Faster

VHT Studios’ Analysis shows high-quality photographs dramatically reduce Days on Market

CHICAGO, Ill. – September 2, 2014 – Realtors® who use professional real estate photographs to sell listed homes 32 percent faster than all other listings, according to a new study of Chicago-area real estate sales by VHT Studios, the nation’s largest real estate photography network for homes and businesses.

VHT Studios’ analysis aligns with industry research indicating when a home is photographed and presented in its best possible light, the listing attracts more buyers by getting more clicks and a higher click-through rate. As well, a property with professional photography has a higher perceived value, minimizing prolonged negotiation and accelerating the sales process.

VHT Studios’ analysis also shows the most experienced and productive Realtors® are typically the biggest users of real estate photography, said Brian Balduf, CEO of VHT Studios.

According to VHT Studios’ first-of-its-kind analysis, Chicago-area homes that were professionally photographed sold 32% faster, spending an average of 89 Days on Market (DOM) – compared to 123 DOM for other homes. According to the analysis, Realtors® who utilized professional real estate photography cut average DOM by nearly five full weeks. VHT Studios analyzed homes in every price range, indicating home listings in all price-points benefit from professional photographs.

“Our findings are not surprising, given consumers’ behavior when searching for homes in today’s market,” Balduf said. “Time-crunched shoppers are online and are attracted to striking photographs, which simplifies their decision to visit a property in person and speeds up the buying cycle.”

VHT’s findings are no surprise to top real estate professionals such as Chicago’s Leigh Marcus, @Properties’ Number One Individual Agent of 2013. Marcus ensures that all his listings are accompanied by VHT’s flawless, high-resolution photographs.

“High-quality photographs capture buyers’ attention and that’s one reason why my clients’ homes sell faster than the competition,” said Marcus. “VHT helps sellers reduce the hassles of showing their homes. Plus the sooner you sell, you’re more likely to attain your asking price or – better yet – have buyers bidding over your home.”

New York City’s Tracie Hamersley of Douglas Elliman Real Estate relies on VHT photographs for all her listings. She said her clients also enjoy a shorter sales cycle – fewer than 30 days – due in part, to the impact of VHT’s real estate photography.

“Amazing professional photographs bring in crowds of buyers and ultimately contribute to a faster sale at the best price – the first offers we are getting are often the best ones,” added Hamersley.

“This analysis shows once again that professional real estate photographs are not just for mansions and estates,” said Balduf. “They are as important, if not more important for the average home for sale. Our study shows that Realtors® who are not taking advantage of professional photographs in their listings are missing opportunities for themselves and their clients.”

Eva Oliver and David Sporn of Coldwell Banker, Miami Beach said VHT Studios’ professional real estate photography helps brokers to generate the activity needed to sell their listings.

“Photos are the first impression prospects and realtors see online and on the MLS.  If a property fails to give a good first impression online, then it's possible your listing may not be shown,” said Oliver.

Sporn added, "Staying true to a property’s look and offering great quality photographs will generate more activity than other properties. Professional photographs and a virtual tour is a no-brainer when it comes to marketing our clients’ homes.”

Balduf said VHT Studios’ 2014 success is an indicator of real estate professionals’ increasing use of high quality professional photography to market their listings. Compared to 2013, VHT Studios has experienced 40% year-over-year growth in sales revenues and photography orders. Other 2014 milestones include:

VHT Studios’ images produced in June 2014 -- 1.1 million
Realtors® benefitting from VHT Studios’ photography and VHT ImageWorks video: 200,000+

For examples of VHT Studios’ professional real estate photography, please visit this slide show - www.vht.com/premium

How VHT Studios Conducted Our Study
The study analyzed all Chicago metro-area homes sold in 2013. The average Days-on-Market for all homes comes from reports available to all agents in the area by Midwest Real Estate Data https://www.mredllc.com/statistics/fiveyear.asp. VHT Studios compared Days-on-Market for VHT-photographed homes versus all other single-family homes sold during that period.

About VHT Studios

VHT Studioshelps top real estate professionals become even more successful. Properties that VHT photographs get seen more, sell faster and at a greater price. The VHT Studios team completely takes care of Realtors’® most compelling selling tool – high-quality photography - so they have more time to take care of their customers.

With an unrivaled nationwide network of highly skilled photographers and Image Specialists, VHT Studios is an affordable, valuable investment for real estate brokers who expect their listings to be automagically seen whenever and wherever homebuyers search.  Based in Rosemont, Illinois, VHT’s 150+ photographers have helped more than 75,000 real estate professionals sell more than $200 billion in properties since the company’s founding in 1999. For more information, visit www.vht.com.