Ah yes, I am at it again.

You all heard the notion that a picture is worth a thousand words... Really, when it comes to real estate, the more the merrier.
So, considering that I take lots of pictures, why am I bringing this up? Well, fall is coming around here (this may be different in other places, Hume did make a little sense, but I digress), and with fall comes the CAR convention...

When I thought about that, I started looking at my notes to see what really valuable information I took with me from the convention last year, and the fact that listings with 21 or more images sell faster and for more money (Ok, don't ask me how they figure that out, I just write it down), should make anyone pay attention.

Alas, GOOD pictures... Not shaky images shot with a cell phone (Hint, if your agent is taking pictures with a cell phone - ahem - think very hard about that), and yes, I have seen those and worse.

Question from the front row: what is a good seller to do? First off, make sure your agent owns a digital camera, second, it would be great if he/she knows how to use it. Obviously, not all of us has the time to take pictures, so some people will be more than happy to hire a pro to "shoot" you home, and that is a more than adequate solution. Hey, maybe even get a copy of it all, just to have for memories.

Taking pictures is not hard work, sometimes making them look good is though, so ask for samples of past work, also ask for samples of flyer's and other marketing materials, and don't just say accept that black and white is an art form - it is an art form, but not in a flyer box!

Are there more real estate marketing must do's out there? Especially in this slow market - you betcha. But I will have to report on that another day - maybe from the convention...

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