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Jen's Number One Pet Peeve When it Comes to Marketing a Home for Sale

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with Kirby Fine Homes

For those of you that read my blog, you know that I am a big advocate of good photography. Now, I am no professional, but I have trained myself to realize and see the benefit photography can make when selling a home.

So when I was had some extra time on my hands two weeks ago, I shot this video. Unfortunately, it is not finished, at least from what I had planned. A few days after filming, we took our kids to Chuck E Cheese when the grandparents were in town. Little did we realize it was spring break, so every kid in Minnesota was there for some fun...and so was every germ known to exist under the sun. For over a week I have been battling not only my own bronchitis, but taking care a family that won't get well.

Here is my entry for the Active Rain Video contest 2008. While I hate to post it unfinished, it would be just as worse to let all my effort go to waste. Enjoy!

 

Show All Comments
Jennifer Kirby
Kirby Fine Homes - Minneapolis, MN
The Luxury Agent
Karen - I never thought you all would say I have good camera presence. I thought after seeing some of the funny entries that mine would be boring, but thanks for letting me know you liked it!
Apr 05, 2008 01:25 PM
Susie Larsen
Susie Larsen Photography - Pocatello, ID
East Idaho Real Estate Photographer

Jen, #1. Yay! I couldn't agree more!

#2. Hope your family and self all get better soon! We had the yucks about 4 weeks ago, and I thought I would die  wanted to die. My son and I did nothing buy lay around for a week, and none of the kids went to school or lessons that week. It was the worst; there are some wicked viri going around these days...best wishes.

-Susie

Apr 05, 2008 06:05 PM
Terrie Leighton
Ferrari-Lund Real Estate - Reno, NV
Reno Real Estate Agent ~ Selling Homes in Reno
Jennifer- Thank you for sharing. Your video was great. I also enjoyed reading he comment made by Karen Ann Stone about taking pics of her listing appointments, printing them out and presenting them to the seller during the listing presentation! Great ideas. Thank you both for sharing some great marketing info.
Apr 07, 2008 06:50 AM
Sara Bonert
Zillow - Atlanta, GA
Real Estate Internet Marketing
I think a lot of sellers would be surprised to hear you say that asking about photography is more important than price.  I think the fresh perspective and coming across as such an expert about the subject really differentiates you!
Apr 07, 2008 05:00 PM
Jennifer Kirby
Kirby Fine Homes - Minneapolis, MN
The Luxury Agent

Susie - thanks...we just got hit with round number two yesterday with the kids having high fevers...now we are doing the lay around the house thing too.

Terrie- I have done the photo of the listing thing too. One listing I did a power point presentation with photos of the home and neighborhood sprinkled throughout. The sellers stopped me mid presentation when they realized the photos were of their home and squealed in delight.

Apr 08, 2008 01:34 AM
Jennifer Kirby
Kirby Fine Homes - Minneapolis, MN
The Luxury Agent
Sara - I hadn't thought of it that way, differentiating myself by saying something different. Thanks for a great idea!
Apr 08, 2008 01:35 AM
Pam Faulkner
Faulkner House Interior Redesign - Herndon, VA
Room Transformations Fairfax & Loudoun Counties VA

Jennifer,

What a great way to get your point across-and diplomatically too I might add.  Interesting to hear this from a Realtor's view.  I have posted about this in a recent blog (http://activerain.com/blogsview/446427/Staged-Homes-Photo-Ready) as have many others and I will be making a list compiled from input from AR members about their favorite worst shots.  I'll add your tilted house which is one of my all time favs.  The toilet seat one has been a favorite with lots of people too. 

Great video-you look like a natural!

 

 

Apr 08, 2008 04:29 AM
Diana Walsh
Interior Concepts - Baltimore, MD

Jennifer,

I loved your video and felt it made some excellent points. I looked at a listing, a few days ago, where the exterior shot was taken from the bottom of a hill and three quarters of the shot was grass with a squat little house pirched on top. It was, definitely, not the best way to get a first look at the home. Some of the responses regarding starting out with exterior photographs before your first meeting are usefull. As a stager it is a great way to get someone to look at their home more objectively and to begin to help them understand the impact of "curb appeal".

Thanks for your video.

Diana Walsh, Interior Concepts, Cockeysville, MD.

Apr 13, 2008 10:34 AM
Nicky Dou
Collier & Associates - Fayetteville, AR
The BEST REAL ESTATE AGENT in Northwest Arkansas

I see so many homes listed in my area with 1 or 2 photos and not even good ones - or worse - none at all! I just dont understand what these agents are thinking or why the sellers even list with them. I dont send out non-photo listings to my clients - it just hurts them not to do this.

Aug 20, 2008 02:14 AM
Terkel Sørensen
Real Estate Places - Temecula, CA
Realtor, 951.805.0773 , Bank owned and Short Sales

Hi Jen,

I think you have some good insights about photography. but...
Your video presentation is lacking, I don't think it took by 1 min for my forehead to connect with my solid desk here (not recommended).

Now, this is not meant as a mean comment, just realize that most of the people watching video online these days grew up with MTV. Although MTV has since abandoned the music videos, the less than a second cuts have stayed in modern culture and is blamed for a lot of things - among others - poor attention span.

As much as I like your content, try to present it a little more - oh - and please remove the nice wood beam from the top of your head... :-)

Here are some things I would consider doing:
Move around.
Use effects to show examples.
Remember that you tripod does have a tilt and pan head on it (well, I hope it does), setup a poor frame, then pan over to you telling them why it is bad.
When you watch your favorte news/HGTV/insert favorite show - take notes on how they switch angles and locations continuosly.

Next up, note that most of the things that goes on in a TV studio is not very difficult to accomplish, and it will make your show - far more interesting and hold much more attention from yoru potential clients.

Cheers.

Sep 23, 2008 03:42 PM
Jennifer Kirby
Kirby Fine Homes - Minneapolis, MN
The Luxury Agent
Terkel, You make valid points, but when you are doing everything yourself, and don't have a cameraman for such luxuries, you have to make do with what you have. If you read the post, you would realize that the video is as I shot it...no time for editing or lavish show stopper still frames because I was sick...this was for a video contest so there was a deadline. I am not HGTV and I don't want to be.
Sep 24, 2008 01:02 AM
Terkel Sørensen
Real Estate Places - Temecula, CA
Realtor, 951.805.0773 , Bank owned and Short Sales

I totally hear you Jennifer. And I understand your situation (Hey, I have a 14 month old, my projecs get cur short frequently)...

I think my point is this, when we venture into these new media outlets, we have to be careful with what we do.
Don't take this as a statement that everything video should look like HGTV, none of us have a budget for that. On the other hand, once this is posted, it is now part of that public domain where anyone can see it - if one of yoru clients google your name, does this video come up? And if it does, regardless of message, how would they respond to the complete presentation?

There is so much talk these days about the quality of the images we put online, but I think a lot of people are missing the boat on the video side.

This was not meant as a negative against you, just as some pointers to what might make it a little different and hold the audience more captive.

Sep 24, 2008 04:41 AM
Andrew Mayon
Triad Real Estate Photography - Greensboro, NC

Hi Jen:

Great video, except I must say, as a professional photographer I don't believe my prices are "expensive."  In fact, my prices represent less than 2.5% of a typical REALTOR commission (60/40) on a $600K home, and less than 1.5% on a $1M home.  Certainly that is a small investment to market to 85% of your potential buyers (the internet).

As a seller, in this uber-competitive marketplace, I want and need my home to stand out above the rest, so dramatic images of my home, even with the help of a professional home stager (seller expense) will go a long way to helping my home get sold faster, and at a better price.

Here is another GREAT "pitch point" when asking for a listing.  If you align yourself with a great RE Photographer and ask for a listing, you can add this line to your arsenal of wonderful reasons to list with you:

"As a benefit of listing your home with me, I bring in my professional photographer at MY expense to shoot your home.  Then I'll use those dramatic and enticing photos in all my marketing materials, particularly on the internet, where 85% of homebuyers begin their research."

By the way, if the client dumps you, since you bought the photos, you can sell them back to the seller.  It is only a time-cost of money issue then.

A personal pet peeve of mine, are these "virtual tours" where REALTORS are zooming in and out of photographs, or panning them left or right, up and down.  95% of the ones done by REALTORS are lousy because 1) they move the photos way too fast, forcing the viewer to "chase" the photos, 2) they zoom in on the most unimportant part of a room (a corner, toilet, etc.), 3) the 360 degree tours are dizzying and load up s l o w l y in many cases..  Potential buyers want to see the photos, it is what helps them to decide if they want a viewing of the house or not.  If you are going to do a tour, just fade in and out...don't move the pictures!  Allow the viewers eyes to be able to focus on the image and take it all in.

I'll step off my soapbox now...Thanks for bringing "image is everything" to the forefront again.

Mar 12, 2009 01:01 AM
Anonymous
Michael Yearout
Jen: you are right on about pro photography, but I do agree with Andrew (above), it's not THAT expensive. Many thanks for helping us pro photographers out there! Michael www.mkyphotography.com
Mar 12, 2009 01:42 PM
#28
Terkel Sørensen
Real Estate Places - Temecula, CA
Realtor, 951.805.0773 , Bank owned and Short Sales
Hey Jen, I hope you are feeling better - we just had our round with 2 colds - mom, dad and the little one - talk about not getting anything done... So, I have given this more thought and these two pro-photographers interjecting brings me to another thought. You are obviously marketing yourself as a luxury home specialist, I don't know what kind of equipment you carry for photography - but if you are selling a big expensive villa on one of all those lakes you got out there. Would the better impression be you (or me for that matter), with a little nifty point and shoot telling them how good I am - Or would the appointment book with a card and some possible dates for the professional photographer to come out and shoot the home - make the bigger impression? And for the sake of Michael and Andrew - it all started with a matchbox and some electricians tape... These days it involves what I think is a nice piece of glass, pared with a passion for architechture and photography - oh, and selling houses... Cheers, Terkel
Mar 12, 2009 02:55 PM
Karen Rice Keller Williams Real Est
Keller Williams Real Estate - Hawley, PA
Northeast PA & Lake Wallenpaupack Home Sales

Hey, how's about you pros agree to be paid upon closing like we are?

Mar 12, 2009 02:58 PM
Terkel Sørensen
Real Estate Places - Temecula, CA
Realtor, 951.805.0773 , Bank owned and Short Sales
Karen, All I can tell you is this - work with your team enough, and that may not be the biggest obstacle... I had this set up before, but I will tell you the number one way to get a no is to try to be cheap with the people who make you look good.
Mar 12, 2009 03:10 PM
Karen Rice Keller Williams Real Est
Keller Williams Real Estate - Hawley, PA
Northeast PA & Lake Wallenpaupack Home Sales

My team is me. And I'm not being cheap - that's a CHEAP SHOT.

You know that AGENTS don't get paid until the HOUSE SELLS.  If you're so confident in the power of your pictures, then I suggest you put your money where your mouth is.

Fact is, great pictures are but ONE part of the deal that sells a house.  The number one important factor is THE RIGHT PRICE.  If a home is overpriced, pictures taken by Ansel Adams won't sell it.

I'm an amateaur photographer and I take all of my own pictures. EVERYONE tells me how beautiful my pictures are.

And I'm so sick and tired of every Tom Dick and Harry sticking their hands in my pocket saying "It's not that expensive, one closing is worth it," blah blah blah.

Well, if it's SO worth it, YOU take the risk!  I'd be happy to pay you when the deal closes! 

This is one of the only jobs I know of where you have to spend, spend, spend, spend and HOPE that MAYBE that buyer you've been using gallons of gas and hundreds of hours and reams of paper and lots of ink is actually going to buy something instead of running you around (after all it's not the BUYERS gas is it.)

Photographers get paid up front.  And you get paid whether the freaking house sells or not - but *I* am out all that money.  Why don't you try living purely by closed deals and see how easily you agree to "it's cheap, you can afford it."

Mar 12, 2009 03:26 PM
Karen Rice Keller Williams Real Est
Keller Williams Real Estate - Hawley, PA
Northeast PA & Lake Wallenpaupack Home Sales

Plus you as a photographer wouldn't need to put out NEARLY as much expense as an agent does - heck with digital photography, your out-of-pocket-costs will be NOTHING but your TIME and the little bit of gas you use to go there and then head back to your studio.

Meanwhile, all a real estate agent faces between closings is costs: gas, supplies, dues, fees, advert costs, web hosting, virtual tour programs, now Active Rain for new bloggers costs $30 a month...and if you sign up for Growth Leader you could wind up paying $200 to $400 a month for "leads."  But don't worry, one good sale will pay for that for the year! You betcha!!  Oh and there's your cell phone bill, your internet service, your fees for Top Producer (cause you CAN'T be a competent agent without paying that $80 a month you know, no way...one good deal will pay for it!)

All these fees and bills are due whether we close or not.  And that's why it's so easy for folks feeding off Realtors to say "One good deal and it will pay for itself."  Well now it seems like I'll need 7 good deals just to break even with all this STUFF that's gonna TURN me into a TOP Producer.  What the heck, let's add more STUFF and if you're lucky, you'll make enough money to have some extra after you pay off all the parasites.

Mar 12, 2009 03:46 PM
Terkel Sørensen
Real Estate Places - Temecula, CA
Realtor, 951.805.0773 , Bank owned and Short Sales
Hi Karen, Just and FYI - I am a Realtor - not a dick or a harry... And I am not saying that anyone should not take payment at closing. What I am saying, is that I have worked that angle before with different contractors that I use in my business. I am myself an amateur photographer, and would not pay to have anyone shoot my homes (except for special occasions), I will however - pay for services I do need. It was not meant as a cheap shot against you. But understand this, I will not take a listing under 7%, for one thing, I don't need to - for another thing, if I go under that, I can't afford the marketing I put into that listing - regardless of it selling or not. This is a business, all I am saying is that the way you treat your contractors often is directly related to what service they will give you. Generally, I pay up front, but I am fairly certain that I can have most of the people I use spot me on a listing if I need it. Why - because, when they need to get paid - by some client of mine who forgot to pay for some service - I write the check the same day myself. Kind Regards, Terkel
Mar 12, 2009 03:57 PM
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