At Home with Monika Rais
Stepping onto the battered scene of Manhattan real estate in 2009 was a decision only a small amount of friends called brave. The wide network of my sphere used words like ‘insane’ or ‘professional suicide’, but I was determined to close my concierge business that made me work out of my apartment and get out of the house and my comfort zone.
I was lucky. I landed at a brokerage firm with solid marketing support and within weeks I was running around Manhattan, showing apartments and enjoying the new experience. Real estate in New York City is unique. There is no other market similar to it in the world. This is where you can show a fifth-floor walk-up on Avenue A to a newly minted fashion editor of an online start-up magazine at 10am, go for a 12pm listing presentation for a ‘diamond in the rough’ loft on Green Street owned by a still stunning retired movie star and finish your day by taking in that one of a kind Central Park view from a terrace of a gorgeous Fifth Avenue penthouse, while sipping an extra dry gin martini at a broker’s open house party, hosted by one of the top agents in Manhattan. I fell thoroughly in love with the industry despite its bad reputation and cut-throat competition.
My very first listing was a lovingly renovated spacious alcove studio in a classic white-glove Upper East Side building, with a stately lobby and myriad of staff. I was in heaven. I arranged for photography immediately and anxiously waited for the promised 4 photos. When I opened the files, I couldn’t believe my eyes. The oversized windows that let all the beautiful sunshine in were dark. The gleaming hardwood floor looked dull and old. The updated state of the art kitchen had the size of a closet. How could I possibly list this beautiful jewelry box of a home with photos like that? I was on the verge of crying when a veteran agent came into the office from a showing and saw my face. He immediately put me in touch with a trusted photographer who agreed to shuffle around his schedule as a favor for my friend and take photos the next morning. And that is where the drama ended and I learned a very important lesson.
More than 90% of people start searching for a home online. They scroll through photo after photo until they find the apartment they like. Does this mean they did not like the other properties or those listings simply did not have the quality photography that stops those scrolling fingers? The recent data is eye opening. Listings with professional photos sold more than 35% faster than other homes. The average time on market for those homes was also 20 days less compared to the days of other listings.
Are all real estate photographers the same? As my experience suggests, not all images are created equal. Second only to price, quality real estate photography is the most important part of selling a home. Listings with nicer photos receive an average of 61% more views than their peers across all price tiers and have 47% higher asking price per square foot.
Professional photographers understand the essential elements that create stunning, quality images. Great real estate photos need the right light, angles, and composition to create an ideal showcase for the home. Truly talented real estate photographers are able to capture a grand multi-level townhouse with the same ease as a tiny studio.
