| THE Daytona Beach Real Estate & Community Event Blog. By Lisa C. Hill, "THE SMART CHOICE!" |
Bad real estate photos. We've all seen them. And we've read posts about them and seen videos about them, etc., etc. And still they continue. I realize that some people are never going to have an eye for the right angle and light. But why not experiment with turning the lights on or off, and/or just take 15 shots of the same subject, from different angles until you get it right? Just getting the entire house in the shot would be an improvement sometimes. Or how about asking someone to step out of the frame? 
The question begs to be asked. Is it inexperience, or is it laziness? Whatever the answer, it does a huge injustice to our real estate sellers when the MLS is full of poor quality photos of their houses. The same goes for our real estate blogs, web sites, and don't even get me 
started on Localism!
I'm not a professional photographer by a long shot. But I do have a good camera. I wouldn't dream of taking photos of my listings with my camera phone. If you're going to call yourself a professional, why are you not investing in your business? A good camera is an absolute necessity! You can even get a cheap tripod for around $25. And for crying out loud, don't EVER take a photo from within your car. The only time my car is a factor in my house photographs is when I stand on the hood to get a better angle. I'm begging my fellow REALTORS to learn to take better photographs.
I recently found this web site with tips and trick on how to take better real estate photos. And here's another blog with tips for taking better real estate photos. And here's one by Greg Swann at the Bloodhound Blog.
I ran across this question and comment on another blog site...
-
Q: Why are some RE agents so lazy? A picture I came across a month ago was taken out of a car (you can see the frame of the window).
- A: "Because RE agents are lazy - I take my own pictures create my our virtual tour and website, and sold my last two houses - unfortunately I had an agent as well so the fact that I sold my last two houses by being at every open house and talking to every person that came - they are waaaaaay over paid for the little to nothing they do - not all I guess. I made my agent give me a point back on the commish because he told me that without the things I did the house would have never sold."
And then another response to this same discussion...
- True and sad! It is not like they are doing it for free. They are getting paid for it and paid pretty well. If you do a job, do it well or do not do it at all.
The public is speaking. Are we listening? They're speaking the truth here! If these comments aren't a wake-up call, I don't know what is. The real estate listings will go to the most capable agents. You can claim to be a professional until you're blue in the face. The proof is in the presentation (one of my own marketing phrases). The least you should be able to do is take a nice picture of your listing.
This is going to sound harsh, but in my opinion, if you're not going to take good photos of your listings, then get out of the business. Some of us take our jobs seriously. We owe it to our sellers to present their listings in the best light. You don't want to have your photos end up in the Unbelievably Bad Real Estate Photos Hall of Fame.
Real estate sellers, if you have real estate to sell in Volusia County and want a professional REALTOR who will present your valuable possession in the most appealing setting, make a Smart Choice and call Lisa Hill. I take pride in my work. My job is to SELL your house, land, business or whatever type of real estate you need to sell. I will put my heart, soul and time into presenting my/your real estate listings in the best possible light. Choose Wisely When Selecting Your REALTOR®!
Lisa Hill sells real estate in Daytona Beach, South Daytona, Port Orange, Wilbur by the Sea, Ponce Inlet, Daytona Beach Shores, Ormond Beach, Ormond by the Sea, Holly Hill, New Smyrna Beach, Edgewater/Florida Shores.
- Every one of the photos in this post came from the Daytona Beach MLS. If you're a REALTOR in our area and one of them is yours, I apologize. I did not even look at the names of the listing agents. I very quickly went through a few listings and found the poor examples I needed to make my point. Aside from seeing people in the frame, no lights, houses cut in half, crooked images, overexposed images, cluttered counters, and poorly arranged furniture, there were many other errors I did not include. So I'll repeat my plea. PLEASE, show some professionalism and present your listings in a professional manner!
www.DaytonaBeachRealEstateSales.com
www.DaytonaBeachRealEstateVideos.com
;)
;)
;)
