Attitudes towards listing photographs

I have been looking for some property in a certain southern market and have been amazed that the majority of the listings have a single photo of the front of the home.  None of the inside, none of the yard, none of the street in front.  Completely loses any long distance buyers as quick as they can click to the next more detailed listing.

Tim,

I have to agree with you on this one. Totally. I do a virtual tour for all of my listings regardless of sales price because it sets my listings apart from the majority of the others. It's a fact; homes with lots of quality photos on-line sell faster and for more money.  Of course, it needs to be priced right, as well...

Wow that is a wide angle.

It seems that most agents (and most agents are new agents) see photos as a chore, rather than an art form.

And the seasoned agents see photos as a selling tool.

The next 2 years should sort a few more of them out...

Something to think about with photographs is having them make an impression, but also giving the consumer or agents a good idea of what the home is like.  I have seen many properties with 20+ photos....way too many and I dont need 3 pictures of each bathroom for gods sake.  I have seen properties with 1 or 2 photos....not nearly enough.  I prefer roughly 8-12 pictures of the main rooms of the home, the front and back yards (if possible).  This gives me and clients a good idea and its not information overload and it keeps their attention (in these days of attention deficit!!)

Tim-

It's great to hear from someone who has been in both the "buyer's" eyes and the "photographer's" eyes.  As a professional Stager, it still amazes me how many listings have terrible photos.  I know that statistically 75% - 85% of buyers are now using the internet as their form of shopping for real estate, and consequently the online photos are their very first impression.  And from my point of view, the differences between Staged vs. un-staged properties become obvious within a very short amount of time. Buyers, such as yourself quickly discriminate which homes they are interested in previewing based on the perspective they get when looking at a 3” x 3” photo on their computer. Thanks for pointing out how important that marketing is.  I have even had real estate photographers cont`act me personally and thank me for helping them do their job better!   I have worked with many agents, some newer and some more experienced.  The ones who truly "get it" are those who recognize the value of having as many excellent photos as possible.   Great post.

Mary DeBella

www.nwstaging.com

Tim, I have to agree with you. Photos in the MLS are the first impression a potential buyer gets when selecting home to view. Thanks for the reminder.

Hmmm -- what can be done to change people's attitudes and helping them see the value of professional photography . . .

I think that showing before and after photos are the most dynamic proof of what a professional photographer can do.  It's impossible to show the direct benefits of professional photos, but like staging -- but a comparison and showing it to realtors may help.  Word of mouth is what has exploded our business -- you need a few realtors really advertising spectacularly with your photos and demonstrating what services a true professional realtor can provide.

Tim -- You can take my photos and touch them up ANYTIME!  What a dramatic difference!  We all need to focus on what we do best -- great realtors need to have great photos . . . looks like you can really deliver!

Hi Tim,

WOW - Your BEFORE and AFTER shots of the winter scene are quite a contrast. I love the beams coming off the sun as it shines through the tree...really beautiful! Great Photoshop work!

I've been Staging for the past 4 years - 2 in Seattle and now 2 years down here in Eugene OR. I have to agree with you about the  photos. I'm continually amazed at some of the pictures I see on the local MLS. I think the worst was of a kitchen that was completely cluttered with an overflowing garbage can in front of the stove. WHAT ARE THEY THINKING? ...and the realtor was someone who's been in the business for many years. SIGH!

I've never considered myself much of a photographer, but once I started this new career, it became imperative that I start learning. I worked on a redesign project recently and would like to think that both the staging and the new pictures contributed to getting this home more viewings and hopefully, a sale soon.

I was fortunate to have a sunny day when I first arrived to perform the Staging redesign so I snapped a number of shots right after getting there. The new shot - at a different angle than this smaller one directly below - gives a much more appealing first impression of the home.

The bathroom had some great features, but the realtor's original photo only captured a portion of them. Standing on a stool in the corner got me some broader shots of the room. Obviously, I don't have a wide angle anything like yours, but even a slightly wider angle camera than what the realtor was using, combined with taking the shot from a different perspective, made a noticeable difference.

Pictures can tell such an amazing story, but we don't always think past the obvious shots to capture unique features of the home. Once the living room was redesigned, I found an angle that really shows off the amazing beams in this rustic country property.

Hope you have successfully broken into the real estate market in Lebanon and realtors see the value of your work. You might also link up with some stagers in the area. It's always more rewarding to take shots of rooms that also look great!

Well Tim, I think Janis helped proove your point very well LOL! Photos are the "first impression" so to speak these days. They are equally, if not more important than that spiffy, clean front door! Love the topic!

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