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The Importance of Multiple Photos in Real Estate Advertising

Colorado Springs Real Estate Photos When selling your Home - or even thinking about selling your home, one of the BEST things that you can do is make sure your agent takes as many high quality photos of your home as possible.

The Pikes Peak MLS allows Colorado Springs Realtors® to put in up to 16 full-color photos for each of our listings. Almost ANY home in Colorado Springs can offer at least 16 good photos. Even smaller homes can get some great yard and view shots.

It drives me absolutely bonkers to see just 1-3 photos in the MLS, when I am searching for homes for sale for my Buyer clients. I cannot believe what a great disservice these agents are doing to their Sellers. I know that I am sending all homes that fit my Buyer's needs to them electronically. They filter through them and then we decide which ones we are going to go look at. The ones with multiple photos get more showings. Hands down.

Sometimes my Buyer clients actually "fall in love" with a home for sale before we even see it - based purely on the photos.

For another great read on this topic, please read: Photos are worth 1,000 words (and a lot of money too)

Homes for Sale in Colorado Springs Did you know that per a recent Realtor.com study, homes for sale that offer multiple photos are viewed 299% more than those with none or just one photo? And, these same homes have 72% more click-throughs (meaning that potential home buyers "click-through" to see more information on the home). Since Realtor.com kind of has the market cornered on advertising real estate - even Colorado Springs Real Estate - these statistics are vitally important.

If you are still not quite convinced about the importance of advertising your home for sale with multiple photos, take this test:

Pretend you are moving to Phoenix, Arizona. Go on line (Okay, I know. You already are on line. So, just open up a new window ...). Start searching for homes for sale. Even use Realtor.com if you would like. ... I will wait ...

Okay, what did you find yourself looking at? I will take a stab in the dark and say that you were more drawn to the ads that provided multiple photos of the home for sale. Right? (Not really much of a stab in the dark ...)

This is human nature. We are visual people. And we are nosy. We want top see as much of the home for sale as possible - whether it's Phoenix or Colorado Springs Real Estate ... Multiple property Photos are SUPER important. If your home is not being marketed with multiple photos - you are missing out on a HUGE pool of home buyers (and their agents) who can't be bothered "guessing" at what a home may look like.

In the Colorado Springs Real Estate market where there is more competition (more homes on the market/less buyers) when selling your home, you cannot afford to be overlooked. Multiple photos are essential.

Posted By: Mariana Wagner - Colorado Springs Real Estate Agent and Photographer

Posted by Mariana Wagner ~ Colorado Springs REALTOR® on 11/19/2007 09:50 PM

Comments (12)

colorado springs real estate, colorado springs, sellers, listings

12 Comments on The Importance of Multiple Photos in Real Estate Advertising

I hate it when there are no photos in MLS or no Virtual tours. I have buyers that will not even go look if there is no photos.

11/19/2007 09:59 PM

by Monika McGillicuddy~NH Real Estate Broker (Prudential Verani Realty)

When I pull up the new listing reports to send to my clients, I just skip over the ones with no photos. My reputation is on the line when I recommend that they go see a home and a listing agents inability to take and upload a photo gets them POOF...knocked off the list!

11/19/2007 10:11 PM

by Lisa Heindel, New Orleans West Bank Real Estate (Latter & Blum Inc. Realtors)

Mariana,

It drives me crazy when I find listings without a single photo, days after the listing was entered in the MLS. Those agents are doing their sellers a real disservice, as most people will just skip over the listings and never return.

Sandy

11/19/2007 10:55 PM

by Sandy Nelson Realtor - Olympia, WA (Riley Jackson Real Estate Inc.)

I loooovvee to put up plenty of pictures....and market a seller's property appropriately....how come when it's time for me to look for something for a buyer I don't get the same courtesy?

11/19/2007 11:05 PM

by Celeste "SALLY" Cheeseman (RA), e-PRO HAWAII Real Estate & HAWAII Relocation (Century 21 Liberty Homes -Mililani, Hawaii)

Monika! - It drives me insane. Complete lack of fiduciary duty IMHO.

Lisa - Exactly. How are we to know which houses to send to our Buyers if we cant see anything?!?

Sandy - Even the ones with just ONE photo make me steam.

SALLY! - YES you do. Most definitely!

11/19/2007 11:24 PM

by Mariana Wagner ~ Colorado Springs REALTOR® (Wagner iTeam -Keller Williams Clients' Choice)

It drives me absolutely bonkers to see just 1-3 photos in the MLS. I go bonkers when I see none. It's one thing to see none the first day or two but when you don't see any after a year and the house hasn't sold - Duh!

11/20/2007 04:51 PM

by Dena Stevens ~ Ecobroker ~So. Colorado Realtor (Colorado Western Real Estate)

One of my pet peeves for sure, NO PHOTOS, why can't an agent get photos up immediately, we all have digital cameras, I just don't get it, I too have had buyer who don't even want to see a listing with no photos.

11/20/2007 06:19 PM

by Michael Eisenberg, Bellingham Realtor (Fairhaven Realty)

Dena - ... Some people's Realtors!

Michael - and even if there is an agent that does not have a digital camers, I am SURE there is someone in the office who DOES!! Geesh!

11/20/2007 09:44 PM

by Mariana Wagner ~ Colorado Springs REALTOR® (Wagner iTeam -Keller Williams Clients' Choice)

The quality of the photos matters, too. I have to wonder what is going through a seller or listing agent's head when they post partially-completed construction photos of a house that was finished a year ago, or dark, washed-out, or otherwise poorly-composed photos of interior spaces.

I'm waiting to buy a house in a year or more when it becomes clear that this market collapse has pretty much run its course. I'm watching the market now, and ads for houses that can't paint an appealing picture of the house and its surroundings aren't making it to my looky list unless they're listed for about $100K below market for the square footage and neighborhood, or it's obvious that the house is closely surrounded by Sherwood Forest and only a properly qualified elf could get off a decent shot.

12/29/2007 03:49 PM

by Bob ~ Striking Member of the Homebuyer's Union

I won't even pass along listings that have no photos, or only one photo. There are so many options these days, we all need to tell our sellers they need every competitive advantage they can possibly have in order to get buyers interested. A few more photos does not take much time.

12/29/2007 03:52 PM

by Carol Zingone, Broker Associate, GRI, SRES (Vanguard GMAC)

I can not believe that there are still agents that do not take advantage of today's marketing tools. If the local MLS site allows 20 photos...post 20 photos. Any attempt is better than doing nothing for your client.

12/29/2007 04:03 PM

by Ian Haseltine (Haseltine-Photo)

Bob - Thank you for your comment - The Sherwood Forest part took the cake!! LOL! ... Here is a great site to check out if you want to see some of real estate's WORST dressed MLS pics: Bad MLS Photos of the Day.

Carol - I believe that even SEMI decent phtos should be mandatory for every MLS input.

Ian - If it is a small house, then post view and yard pics...

12/29/2007 04:18 PM

by Mariana Wagner ~ Colorado Springs REALTOR® (Wagner iTeam -Keller Williams Clients' Choice)

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