Real Estate Photographer Speeds Home Sales

The Bedford family was desperate to sell their $600,000 home outside of Greensboro, N.C., but their first Realtor couldn't get the job done. Then, last June, they sold it in 30 days. Carolyn Bedford, 39, credits several factors for the abrupt change in fortune: A new Realtor, home staging -- and high-end photographs taken by a professional real estate photographer.

For years, real estate professionals have preached the virtues of using experienced photographers. Online home-photo listings are usually the first thing buyers look at to break through the clutter when determining potential homes to visit.

The Bedfords' 4-bedroom house had been on the market for four months when the couple decided to change Realtors last June; they were prepared to take a loss in a competitive market. Frances Giaimo, the new Realtor, sold the house within 30 days for $510,000. (A $90,000 loss.)

"It's about price and ego, says the Greensboro based photographer Andrew Mayon, (Triad Real Estate Photography) who shot the photos for Giaimo and the Bedfords last summer. "Realtors are notoriously frugal and think, 'I should take the pictures. How bad could they possibly be? Realtors don't have the equipment or lighting, and their photos are often over or underexposed. Some angles can make a house look like the Titanic."