I've never been a fan of seeing people in listing photos. I think it's distracting, kinda like when we tell sellers to remove the family photos wall of fame. I mean, isn't it a time honored truth that except for those fresh flowers on the table, we really want the home to look like a model where no one actually lives?
Let's face it, when we see people in a listing photo it's always pretty apparent that it's just the result of a sloppy photographer. Shot of the family room with the tv on and Johnny lying on the couch with a bag of chips in his lap or gramps sitting at the table reading the paper. OR worst of all...the Agent in the mirror shot. Trust me Mr. or Ms. you are not the fairest of them all. If you can't take the shot without being in it...then don't take it. I beg you.
When I take photos of a listing the running joke is, if anyone is in the shot, including the family dog...they stay with the house. Many wives ask me to leave the husband in the shot, by the way. I'm sure they're kidding...
But is there a time when it's good to break the "no people" rule? An article on Inman today spoke to that question and suggested staging a couple shots with people in them to maybe show how an office has room for 2 people to work comfortably. Or, if there's a skylight over the workstation in the kitchen, might it be interesting to show someone preparing a meal in that spot? Hmmm... I don't know. I don't think I'm jumping on that bandwagon. Maybe it's just that old habits die hard.
The only time I think it might be fun to add a human to a listing photo is with those swimming pool shots. Find a model or two and have them lounging by the pool. Kinda like "picture yourself here...this is what you'd look like lounging by this pool!" But then would anyone even notice the pool?
Hmmm...Maybe that's why Johnny was in that family room shot. A "picture yourself here" moment. Nah...we already know we look like in couch potato mode and it's really not a selling point.
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