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The importance of listing photos...

I’ve harked on about it before, but it seems there are still plenty of agents who haven’t grasped the importance of property photos in a listing. Over at Real Estate Connect, it’s been a subject of debate at one of the panel sessions. Lorna Borenstein, president of Move Inc, said that their research had shown that consumers doubt the credibility of the agent when there aren’t multiple photos on a listing. And she’s right, a lack of photos is likely to make you think either that the property has something to hide or that the agent simply can’t be bothered. Neither of those are good things for your potential buyer/tenant to be thinking.

John Helm, CEO of apartment listing site MyNewPlace.com, said that their research had shown listings without photos only get around 25% of the click-thrus that listings with photos get. In today’s market, surely you want to give your listings the best chance for a click-thru? Make sure you always carry a (charged) digital camera with you! And then when choosing the main listing photo, choose the picture that best represents the property. If the best part about a property is its fantastic garden, then don’t make the main listing photo one of the kitchen. Simple stuff, but all too often forgotten.

Remember…

No photos - implies the agent can’t be bothered or that the property is a bit crappy.
One photo - may whet the appetite, but if comparing with other listings with plenty more photos then the one photo listing will probably get overlooked.
Lots of lovely photos - leads to lots of lovely enquiries! People can see every room, imagine where they’ll put the TV and will have already mentally moved in before you’ve even picked up the phone.

Yes, this is a real listing photo. No, you don’t need fake people to sell a house. In fact, you don’t want real people in your property photos either.

Posted by Poppy Dinsey ~ London, UK on 07/25/2008 06:17 AM

Comments (23)

listings, photography

Post is included in group: Realtors®
Post is included in group: Club Chaos

23 Comments on The importance of listing photos...

JUL

2008

I have been doing this for eight years and agree. Whether I was the listing agent or buyers agent the number of photos always make a difference. BTW- I had taken a pic at a listing and didn't realize the pic I used had a dog sleeping in front of the fireplace. It got a lot of attention.

Hey Poppy D, I'm with you and Mel on his one. I max out the photographs when possible, or select a minimum of the best four if my space is limited. (BTW, I'd like to see the dog photograph if you still have it. Cool!)

Poppy-I have a professional photographer take all of the photos for my listings and they look AWESOME. Great pics sure do make a difference. The other day I was looking at a new listing priced around $800,000 and one of the pics was a washer/dry....now that would make me want to spend that kind of money, LOL.

Staged with mannequins!! I haven't seen that around here yet..... Verrrrrry interesting .... But it does seem a little odd!

Poppy,

Thanks for the post. Our MLS will fine you if you don't provide a photo for the listing within seven days, excluding vacant land. This will ensure that the seller gets at least one photo.

PD,

Great photo`s always tend to lead to more inquiries.

After all "A picture is worth a 1000 words"...

Melody - I'm with Carolyn..I want to see the sleeping dog :-)

Carolyn - I don't doubt that you max out on the eye candy ;-)

Laura - I have seen some truly awesome listing pics where agents have put the time into setting them up or have hired a professional, they really stand out. As you say, a washer dryer wouldn't tempt me into parting with best part of a million bucks!

Cheryl - Imagine walking into that room if you didn't know they were there...freaky!

William - Now that is interesting, I wonder if that will catch on to other MLSs?

The house was sold in 2002. I am looking for the archive.

That's my girl! I do hope you find it! :-)

That is a real listing photo?

Scott - A picture certainly does tell 1000 words, I'd much rather see lots of pics that lots of 'agent speak' descriptive text.

Melody - Hope you find it ;-)

Jeannette - Unfortunately, it is! It featured on 'Bad MLS photo of the day' a while back and I had to save it!

We are in N.E. Ohio and one of our MLS services had made it so you can not enter a listing unless you have a photo. I think that is the way it should be everywhere. Our main MLS service only allows 6 photos. To overcome this we build a website for each of our listings which allows us to post 20, 30 or however many pictures we want. It is cheap and our clients love it.

I never understood why agents do not put in photos? In the Miami MLS you get up to 16 for free.Yes! free, are some agents really that lazy?

Hi Poppy, Excellent advice. I watched my daughter and her fiance last year try to find a house on the MLS listings. They live 2 1/2 hours apart and they would sit each evening for 5 months viewing the listings on the same sites, clicking through in seconds. No, No, No, Okay this one we can put on our "MUST SEE LIST".

I am a Home Stager by profession but it still was fascinating to watch how a couple buys their first house. In a few seconds they decide to view a property that will cost around $ 379,000. Incredible is the only word I can think of to describe the power of listing photos. Do Realtors realize yet how much business they are losing by not having perfect listing photos. They may have an expensive camera but that does not mean they understand how to get the "MONEY SHOT" that is required to get a potential buyer to put their listing on the buyers must see list. Work out a deal with a photographer to take all your photos and bring the cost per house down. But not just any photographer. Look at their work on the MLS listings to make sure they will get the money shots for your listings. I have seen professionally taken photos that have tissue boxes left on the kitchen table along with a set of keys, yesterdays paper etc. Not acceptable at all.

It will be money in your bank account at the end of the year. I have seen it happen.

Here is an example of a listing photo that should not have been in the MLS system and then the photo that was eventually used after Staging. In the first photo, you really don't see what you are buying in the kitchen which is the heart of any home. All you see are the Seller's personal belongings. In the second photo you can actually see the kitchen, what you are getting for your money. You can see whether your family could possible live in this house.

The house was listed for 3 months previously. It had several offers and finally firmed up after the Staging took place.

Poppy -- That was a real listing photo???? Wow! That is quite possibly the funniest one I have seen....ever.

WOW!!! Michelle, that is sooooo COOL! I love the before and after peek. (I need to get rid of my clutter!) BTW, what color did you select for the walls? I have to paint my apartment and I've been putting it off for weeks now. I like what you did with the place. AWESOME!

Hey Poppy,

Bad photos absolutely drive me nuts! I showed a $500k house the other day to clients of mine and to be honest we almost didn't go see it because of the photos! Once inside the home, we realized how nice it was and how much the photos are doing it an injustice!

Love the fake people in the photo!

Hi C Tann-Starr, thank you for the positive comments on my work and the photos that market the property.

The colour you want is Oyster White by ICI Paints (Colour Your World) 30YY 64/149

Good luck with your place.

www.advantagestaging.ca

Hey Michelle, thank you so much for the info! Enjoy your day. Regards, C.

Ay Poppy, photos are great. I just had someone email me asking if I had photos of the exterior o an apartment that I'm renting. I had already posted several nice interior pics, but I guess this guy wanted to see the exterior as well.

I told him to stop being lazy and go look at the outside :-), I also told him this is a studio apartment for rent and not a mansion requiring virtual tours of the interior and exterior. btw, I was kidding with him. but the point is, yes, the more expensive the property the more important the photos.

as far as the No Real Pople in the pics, I guess it depends who the people are. I'm sure no one would mind if you were in the pic ;-)

Steve & Kim - You're right, that should definitely be a universal requirement.

Darin - Yep, some people really are that lazy lol!

Michelle - The power of staging is quite something, LOVE what you did with that room...thanks for sharing!

Clint - I know! I'd love to shake the hand of the agent who thought that was a good idea!

Dan - It must be so horrible for the seller when they know the photos don't do their home justice, they need to demand more from their agents.

Peter - I agree that it becomes more important the more expensive the property is. As for no real people...I think that applies no matter who it is. How creepy would it be to know someone came to view you house because they thought you looked hot in a background shot?! LOL

Oooo... I did not think of that. How creepy, indeed... eeewwww! Too funny! (LOL)

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