Check out this super cool video project for a luxury Townhome development in Historic Downtown Plano, Lexington Park at Rice Field, I was fortunate enough to work with Lance on. All real estate professionals should partner with a professional real estate photographer!
Interview with a Real Estate Photographer Part I
Interview with a Real Estate Photographer Part II
Interview with a Real Estate Photographer Part III
In 2011 I had the pleasure and good fortune to connect on twitter with Lance Selgo owner of Unique Exposure Photography, Dallas/Ft.Worth's premiere real estate photography company. I got to know Lance first online then in person when I asked him to shoot a house for me, that began our professional relationship. I cannot speak highly enough of Lance (here's Lance's AR Profile Page) and the quality of his work and the importance his photos have in the marketing of a home for sale. As Lance has said; "even great staging looks bad with poor photos" and he's right! 
I won't even share listings that I've worked on that have not had professional quality photos taken, it is THAT important not only for my clients but my BRAND and while I don't sell real estate, I am in the business of turning house hunters into home buyers!
Anyone who is in the business of real estate should know the importance of excellent photography for MLS photos. MLS photos are often the first showing online and the quality and composition matter!
One of the best things I've done as a professional home stager is to work with Unique Exposure Photography as a referral partner for my business. All real estate professionals should have a professional photographer on their marketing team!
I sat down and asked Lance some questions (in blue) which will hopefully let you get to know not only him but things that may help you and your clients understand the need for professional photography when selling a home and perhaps what to look for when finding a professional real estate photographer to incorporate into your marketing.
Do you ever move or remove things for MLS photos? If so, what? And if not, why not?
The only things that usually get removed are light items like sofa pillows and maybe a dining chair or two. The only reason I move them is because from the angle I’m shooting, they usually obstruct the view. I may shoot from behind a sofa and the pillow is so big that it covers a quarter of the bottom of the photo. It’s not necessary to have the pillow in that particular angle so I may remove it for a better shot. The same holds true when shooting kitchens when a dining table is nearby. The backs of the dining chairs creep up into the frame and when you can’t see the table itself, it doesn’t make sense to show the back of a chair.
I’ve had some instances where treadmills are in the middle of master bathrooms and I don’t remove those. I can’t put myself in danger of hurting myself or worse yet, damaging the property while attempting to remove heavy equipment. I would hate to shatter a bathroom mirror or rip the carpet when the home is about to go on the market!
Can’t anyone take professional quality photos if they have the right equipment? Why would a client want to pay a professional to take photos for the MLS when there are so many cheap digital options out there from i-phones to digital cameras?
As mentioned earlier there are many basics to taking excellent real estate photos that apply regardless of what equipment the photographer has in hand. If these basics aren’t followed, it is difficult to achieve an acceptable photograph.
With the majority of buyers starting their home search online, photos play an extremely important role in gaining the attention of buyers.
Hiring a professional ensures the agent will reach the most buyers as possible, and most importantly, THE buyer for the property. In my opinion not using a professional is a disservice to your client as the client is paying a commission to the agent to market the property appropriately.
Additionally, hiring a professional allows agents to focus their time on their clients and business. Taking photos properly is time consuming, time that is better spent on other aspects of the real estate transaction.
Who are your clients?
My primary client is the local real estate agent. I work with agents independently, so I don’t have a contract with any specific offices or real estate companies. My clients usually find me online or through referral.
A few times a year I will be contacted by an educated home seller who has realized their agent hasn’t marketed their property correctly by taking photos with a point-and-shoot camera. I am always willing to help those homeowners, but obviously from a business standpoint my main client is the agent who will give me repeat business.
See the examples in this blog of a property I recently shot where the homeowner contacted me directly after seeing the photos their agent was using to market the home.
What would make your job better or easier to perform if you had a magic wand?
I really don’t have any complaints about my job. I am grateful to work with outstanding clients who value what I do for them and are great at educating their sellers on the importance of preparing their home before photography.
If I had a magic wand, I would first create a holding room on site where everyone who is present would be placed while I photograph the home. Including but not limited to, the agent, homeowner(s), kids and pets. Shooting at wide angles makes it easy to catch people in photos, and it’s hard to shuffle them around to keep them out of reflections.
I would also have the A/C set to 68 degrees. You wouldn’t think it would be much work to carry a tripod and small camera around a property. However it’s physical work and when a home is set to the upper 70s in the Texas summer, it’s a very uncomfortable working condition.
Lastly, I would create a giant bubble that would encapsulate the home. The inner side of the bubble will be a perfect blue sky. I would be able to place the “sun” wherever I needed on the bubble so I could point it directly at the home for perfect exterior photos, and the bubble would be air conditioned and wind-free!
What would be your Top 3 Tips to clients to prepare their home for the MLS photos you’ll be taking?
1) Hire a professional home stager for a consultation.
2) Hire a professional home stager for a consultation.
3) Hire a professional home stager for a consultation.
I know that answer doesn’t completely fit the question and doesn’t offer any quick DIY tips for home sellers or agents when preparing a home.
When a professional stager completes a consultation on a property, they will tell the seller everything I would know to suggest, with the added benefit of providing information that I am unable to provide. They do an analysis of the market to determine who the potential buyer may be, and they have the skills necessary to see the property in the eyes of the buyer when they first walk in. It allows them to make recommendations for furniture placement and decor arrangement - pieces of the preparation process that are beyond the level of service I can provide.
Selling a home is not a game. It’s one of the most expensive financial transactions that people make in their lives. It should be treated as such, and the preparation should be planned out well in advance of photos being taken. Hire a professional stager and after the home is prepared correctly, then hire a professional photographer.
Disclaimer: I didn't pay him to say this, but honestly it's nice to hear!
Any last thoughts?
As a real estate photographer, we have numerous clients in order to keep a busy schedule. Our work is our life, just like any other day job. We do it to make money to secure our future and provide for our families. We also enjoy seeing real estate agents succeed, knowing we played a role in helping them market their properties.
Planning ahead and making sure everything is in order will help to keep a strong relationship between you and your photographer. If a shoot needs to be cancelled/rescheduled, give your photographer as much notice as possible. It’s not easy for a small real estate photography business to fill an empty spot with only a day’s notice, and as nice and accommodating your photographer may be, a cancellation is still lost wages and time.
Lastly, if you value your photographer, don’t be afraid to reach out to them and thank them for their work. A simple Facebook post by an agent thanking their team, including their photographer, is all it takes to bring a smile to my face and reminds me that I am appreciated in this busy real estate industry.
Thank YOU Lance, you are part of my TEAM too!
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Home Star Staging is your real estate resource home staging company located in Plano, TX and has been serving the North Texas Real Estate Market since 2006.
- Pre-list home staging property consultations
- Post list "trouble shooting" property consultations - no matter how long a home has been on the market there are always ways to improve the chance of sale
- Owner occupied property staging (utilizing owner supplied furniture & accessories or including some of our own inventory)
- Vacant & investment property staging (Full and partial rental furniture packages, accessories and staging services)
- Is your office interested in hosting a home staging class or presentation? Just ask!
- Contact Karen at 496-964-0516 or Karen@homestarstaging.com Interested in starting your own Home Staging Business in Texas, OK or North West LA? I can help! Click the link below in the Staging & Redesign Box!
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