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The Power of Photographs.

By
Real Estate Agent with BEX Realty LLC SL3189446

TO ALL ACTIVERAINERS AND REALTORS

MY CONCERN TODAY IS WITH ALL THE SYNDICATION THAT IS AVAILABLE TO US AND THE HUGE USUAGE OF THE INTERNET WHY ARE SO MANY REAL ESTATE AGENTS CONTINUALLY LETTING THEIR CLIENTS DOWN BY NOT SUPPLYING MORE THAN 1 PHOTO WITH THEIR LISTINGS.
THE FIRST JOB WITH A NEW BUYER OR RENTER ONCE YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR IS TO EMAIL THEM SOME CHOICES FOR THEIR CONSIDERATION AND THEY ALWAYS WANT TO SEE PICTURES. SO WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU FIND A LISTING WITH NONE OR JUST ONE PHOTO YOU SKIP OVER IT AND SELECT ANOTHER LISTING. THE OLD ADDAGE "A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS" COULD NOT BE MORE APPLICABLE IN RELATION TO REAL ESTATE.
SO I HAVE A PLEA, PLEASE PLEASE TAKE PLENTY OF PHOTOS BECAUSE YOUR VIEWINGS WILL INCREASE AND YOUR LISTING WILL BE SOLD OR RENTED MUCH MUCH QUICKER.
PAUL WHITEHOUSE (REALTOR)
POWER REALTY LLC
MELBOURNE, FL.

 

Comments(10)

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Allison Ables
Allison Ables Real Estate - Gainesville, FL
Gainesville Realtor

I constantly have buyers ask me for photos on listings that aren't mine and I don't have a great answer for them other than the "other guy" isn't doing his job. Pictures Pictures Pictures!!

Oct 20, 2009 10:03 AM
Loreena and Michael Yeo
3:16 team REALTY ~ Locally-owned Prosper TX Real Estate Co. - Prosper, TX
Real Estate Agents

Paul, great advice. I think a good set of photographs will put a home on the buyer's list to view (to say the least).

PS: Is there a reason to write all this in big caps? It seems like you're talking loudly when you do that. Just a thought. Please don't take offense.

Oct 20, 2009 10:05 AM
Sam Cooper
Howard Hanna Real Estate - Pickerington, OH
Sam Cooper Howard Hanna Real Estate

Showings will be better if................ you take very good photos. However, bad photos are worse than a great price.

Oct 20, 2009 10:11 AM
Sam Cooper
Howard Hanna Real Estate - Pickerington, OH
Sam Cooper Howard Hanna Real Estate

To clarify: A great price with one photo will get you better results than a home listed higher with a lot of poor quality photos.

Oct 20, 2009 10:16 AM
Elizabeth Bolton
RE/MAX Destiny Real Estate Cambridge, MA - Cambridge, MA
Cambridge MA Realtor

Hi Paul ~ No question about it - since multiple pictures have become the norm buyers' expectations have increased.  I do try to caution buyers not to leap to conclusions or exclude a property just because there aren't a bunch of pictures - that would be dumb.  And I really think quality trumps quantity.

Liz

Oct 20, 2009 10:23 AM
Paul Whitehouse
BEX Realty LLC - Melbourne, FL
Realtor, SFR

Sam
Even bad photos will tell you whether the property is worth viewing and one great photo will not usually get me to email the listing to a client. All prices are negotiable.

Oct 20, 2009 10:25 AM
Ted Tyndall
Davidson Realty Inc. - Saint Augustine, FL
I will help You find the Home YOU want to Buy

Paul, good article. I have a client trying to sell a home in Kennebunkport, Maine. After sending him pictures and a slide show of a house he answered back and asked if I would relocate to Maine. He said he hated to look at listings in his area because they either didn't have pictures or they were too bad to look at. He even made the comment the agents in his area should be tied to a pole downtown and have rocks thrown at them.

This is in no way intended to diminish the ability of the agents there but it shows how customers expect a certain quality of product from a professional no matter what the price is.

He and his wife flew into town and took my wife and I to dinner and pre-viewed neighborhoods. He corresponds about every 2 to three weeks and keeps me abreast of his house that is on the market.

I haven't done anything special but give him good service with quality pictures. If he finds a house he likes with lousy pictures I go take pictures for him. Hopefully this will result in a sale or a referral or both. If it doesn't I have a good feeling that I did a good job.

Oct 20, 2009 02:23 PM
Sam Cooper
Howard Hanna Real Estate - Pickerington, OH
Sam Cooper Howard Hanna Real Estate

Hey Paul, You mean to tell me that if in a 200K neighborhood you have a home with one photo that says " Granite, Stainless, Remodeled, New Everything, etc. in the remarks  ( is a brand new listing and listed 5K to 10K under the competition ) you wouldnt hurry and email that to your client????? Wow, this is probably why i sell so many homes. All prices are negotiable, yes. However, who wants the 1995 brass when they can buy the 2009 nickel for less when an investor knows how to price a home?  Best Wishes, By the way, I take hundreds and hundreds of photos when I list a home ( even smaller homes ). So, I agree, photos are a must ( If one can take photos well ). I just wanted to get the point out that multiple photos done wrong will hender showings.

Oct 21, 2009 09:55 AM
Eva Armstrong
Environmental Visions - Tallahassee, FL
Environmental Visions

Paul ( and Sam), in Tallahassee, Florida, people wonder what's wrong with the house if only one photo is used....  and my broker has a rule.. 20 or else.. and believe me, sometimes I have to get REALLY creative!  with 90%+ doing their first look online, one photo - even 3 no longer is enough to give buyers an idea of what the house has to offer...And Sam, I always tell buyers that Realtors aren't trained in photography or directions... that way if I take them to a house I have previewed but they ruled out based on the photos, they will understand when they walk in and are pleaseantly surprised - which happens a lot!

Oct 25, 2009 12:31 PM
Amy Hunter
Hearth & Home Videos - Sudbury, MA

"Even bad photos will tell you whether the property is worth viewing"

Acutally, Paul, the opposite is true.  Viewers use photos and tours to eliminate houses to visit.  If a photos of a house makes the rooms look dark, small or over cluttered  people will take that house off their list.  While I agree strongly that there should be several photos online of any house (at least kitchen and family room), just one outside photo is better than really bad interior shots.

I've seen so many truly bad photos on listings that I can't believe the sellers didn't either fire their agent (as doing more harm than good) or insist on having the agent hire a pro. 

Dec 05, 2009 11:12 PM