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Today on our brokers' tour I saw a pretty house in Woodley Park, one of my favorite neighborhoods.
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28 Comments on Presenting Our Listings In The "Best" Light
I do believe it is our job to get the buyer into the home and then the home has to sell its self. Making it look appealing with out exaggeration is a line we need to be aware of.
Patricia - Last week a client drove by one of the listings I sent her and called me to say the house in the MLS photo was not the one on the lot. Now that's a mistake an agent should not make.
I'm trying to do better. However, I'm so disappointed with my last photo shoot, that I may want to consider purchasing some reflectors and flashes to compensate for the "dark" areas of some rooms. I go all out when it comes to photography. It's what I put out there that represents me. It should never be "mediocre".
Hi Pat, I belong to 2 different MLS's. I was posting photos on the second MLS the other day for a rental I have, and an interesting thing happened to the kitchen photo. It is a small kitchen, when I put the photo in, it stretched it and skewed the picture! Now the kitchen looks like you could fit 25 people in it for a party!
I take great pride in my photography, I am very critical and if I can't get a good shot, I won't put a bad shot in the MLS. Or, I won't put a horrible shot in, LOL.
Great post!
Pat - I do think that photos that set very high expectations can be almost as much of a problem as no photos or bad photos. I can especially relate to photos of homes that were lived in and very nicely staged but are now REO's and are dirty, flooring and carpeting missing, etc.
Pat - Article 12 in our NAR Code of Ethics states, in part, "REALTORS® shall be honest and truthful in their real estate communications and shall present a true picture in their advertising, marketing, and other representations." Now, the big question is: "What does 'true picture' mean?" We all know that the purpose of marketing and advertising is to get potential buyers excited enough to want to purchase. My guess, it that photographic technology has really not reached the level that Joe or Jane Realtor can really go out there, buy something and take a "true picture". Ditto many of the virtual tour companies that are nothing more than Realtors that learned good camera angles and couldn't sell real estate.
It's really a tug of war -- home buyers don't like house that don't have photos on the Internet and sometimes pass them by completely. On the other hand, when they see the house in person, they may be disappointed. Let's not forget that even if the home pictures are as accurate as can be they don't always show the neighborhood - as you pointed out in your previous post about "views".
This is why, in my view, it is critical to see the house live and in person either by previewing, as you do, or with the buyer in tow.
Oh - I have been to MANY of THOSE homes...... I do take pics for my personal listings from all kinds of different angles. For one thing, I am SHORT - Only 5' 3/4" (yep, not even 5'1") so I stand on ladders etc BUT only to get a perspective on the room from a normal persons height. IMO - the wide angle lenses will often times distort the room instead of making it appeear bigger. I stay away from the wide angle..... but, that's just this short person's opinion! ;)
I'm not sure what the correct answer is here, but we always try to make our homes show in the best light possible. We use a wide angle camera to help show more of the room. It doesn't make it look bigger than it is, but helps show more of it than a regular camera. I don't doctor my photos to make them look fake, but you always hear "looked better online" or "the photos didn't do it justice" so who knows?
Sincerely,
Kathleen
Good photos can be a great sales tool however wide angle lens tend to warp the true room. I think it is best to not use them for interior shots. Nothing is more disappointing than getting to the house and thinking it is alrger than it really is- although, a good agent would pull the lsiting info in advance and have the room sizes handy.
Pat..that is a very good question..On one hand the buyer will be disappointed that the home is not what he or she expected..on the other hand you have the sellers asking where are all the buyers?? why isn't anyone looking at my house..Who do represent??? I don't think you should doctor up photos as one agent suggested.. but as a listing agent isn't it your job to make the home appear as desirable as possible???
It is a picture ..You have to see the home and the area my vote is with KEN
HelpfulHannah your friend in Philadelphia
More than taking the photos, I love photo shopping them. It is amazingly fun, but I need to discipline myself there and let others do it.
A wide angle is sometimes required. But it should not be routine. Too many tire the eye...and the patience.
Some use one just to be lazy.
Modifying pix will quickly get you in trouble with my MLS.
Good photos represent the house the way it really is. If the photo is distorting things in some way don't use it. I have the opposite problem., to me the house is better in person than what is portrayed in the photos that I am usually able to take.
I don't care for the results with wide angle lenses - I do sometimes use Photoshop to improve my own photos but always attempt to have a 'what you see IS what you get' presentation -
Well the start is getting GOOD pictures! I think photoshop is fine - to "help" a photo - not to change the subject. I once had a great listing that had the most wonderful natural sunlight. Of course the week before putting it on the market - it rained everyday. Photoshop help create the sunlight !
Patricia,
there are a few issues here. One is intentional distortion. Can happen, but it is sometimes akin to perfect staging. Both are to impress. And the other issue is just using the technology. You shoot with wide angle, and yes, it shows more of the room, but it distorts the dimensions. But try to make a good shot of a galley kitchen with a portrait lenses and you get crap.
MLS descriptions always seem exaggerated. Intentionally distorting pictures seems wrong as well. As a buyer reading these things and seeing pictures that no where near the same as the property leaves a bad taste. It also lowers my expectations and it is possible that someone going out of their way to show the property as it is may get discounted to.
The purpose is to get them in the door. If they don't get in the door, you have absolutely 0% of selling them.
I was in to A and W the other day and notice the photos of hamburgers hanging all around the place. They made the hamburgers look so large. The proportions were definitely jigged. I had one because of the nice presentations and I have to say was totally disappointed. I won't be going back for another one.
When it comes to photos of a house, I don't doctor them at all and I don't think they shoud be. The house is what it is. Potos of the house are only going to get you a viewing. To get you a buyer, you have to let the actual house do the talking.
Well, the thing you did right was you previewed the home before you showes it to your buyers. Technology should be used to nake our job easier, not to enhance bad features
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