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You can never over sell a house with photography

By
Real Estate Agent with RE/MAX Crosstown Realty Inc

There are some seasoned ad copy writers in my business who can wax poetic with the best. Few can more elegantly expound the virtues of gleaming hardwood floors, or pontify so profusely the transcendency of a spaciously sprawling spread with  endless anecdotes, sticky and dripping with participle phrasing with as much weight as the windy word-smith known as the Realtor. (phew)

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The problem with words from a stranger, notably one working in commissioned sales is, they are typically met with a healthy dose of skepticism, and in the case of pitching the particulars of a home for sale, often the subsequent visual reality fails to live up, leaving the reader and their imagination feeling short changed.


Pictures on the other hand are rarely doubted because what we see is typically what we get. Visual perception is genuine where as words can be manufactured. If a picture is worth a thousand words then in the world of Real Estate sales, great pictures can be worth thousands of dollars to the seller.

Barrie real estate for sale

I was one of, if not the first Realtor in my office to own a digital camera. In 2000 I laid out a thousand dollars on a 2.2 mega pixel Canon digital Elf at a time when most Realtors were still spending long afternoons pacing the floors waiting for the call from the photo-mat to tell them "your prints are ready".

Barrie homesBarrie property







Remove the clutter, use a wide lens if possible, and get yourself a tripod










































In small or odd shaped rooms, try setting up your shot just outside the room and include a small portion of the door frame 



































For a couple years following my avant-garde  embrace of modern photography my Real Estate Board would not take my digital images for the online data base. Instead  I had to print out lack luster paper copies which they would then scan back to digital images to be uploaded into the system. It took them a few years to figure out the redundancies in this practice but then each of us has our own capacities for embracing change.

Today, Fisher Price makes a digital camera for kids with higher resolution than my first grand digital camera though I must say even though the specs on that camera seem paltry by todays standards, It took some fine photos, many of which I still proudly show. You can link to a few by clicking the thumbnail images in the right margin of this page.

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There is no more persuasive means of attracting potential buyers through your door than by providing them access to generous amounts of quality photography. High resolution wide angle images that capture not just the bricks and morter but create a feel and put the viewer into the picture are your best tool for sellng in a moderatly paced market. 

 

Posted by

 Mike Montague

  

Barrie Power of Sale Listings

Barrie home values

 

 

Comments (13)

Cindy Justice
Synergy Realty Pros - White Pine, TN
Synergy Realty Pros

Beautiful photography.  Some have a great gift and this is an example.

Jan 21, 2011 03:44 AM
Stacey Smith
Keller Williams Realty - Aliso Viejo, CA
Your Orange County Beach Cities Realtor

Mike those are great pictures! I remember when a good friend of mine would be waiting days to get her pictures back for her listings.. That was before I was a realtor, actually Ibelieve I was like 12 at that time... But Camera's have definately improved and we get the instant gratification of being able to put the pictures up on the MLS instantly! What kind of Camera did you use to take those gorgeous pictures?

Jan 21, 2011 03:46 AM
Gary & Melynda Wolter, Since 2001, 480-269-1164
ProSmart Realty - Mesa, AZ
Reliable, Premier Personal Service since 2001

It sure helps when the home is staged properly. You have a beautiful house portrayed here! Good luck with a quick sale :)

Melynda

Jan 21, 2011 03:49 AM
Fritz Barnes
BizProMedia - Aberdeen, NC

I have often wondered "what were they thinking" when looking at real estate listings with poor, few, or no photos. Of course staging comes in here too, but your example photos are gorgeous and your point is well made.

Jan 21, 2011 03:51 AM
Troy Funk
Allison James Estates & Homes, Sarasota 941-957-3737 - Sarasota, FL
Broker / Associate

You have unbelievable talent.  Photos are very impressive.  You drive home the point that photos are more appealing than words.  Thanks for sharing.

Jan 21, 2011 03:51 AM
Norma Toering Broker for Palos Verdes and Beach Cities
Charlemagne International Properties - Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
Palos Verdes Luxury Homes in L.A.

I love photos that reflect the "true" beauty of a property--and yours do.  I'm not a fan of those garish and cartoonish enhancement that pop with unnatural color and an overall distortion to the living space.  I actually think they are worse than flowery prose...

Jan 21, 2011 03:55 AM
Norma Toering Broker for Palos Verdes and Beach Cities
Charlemagne International Properties - Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
Palos Verdes Luxury Homes in L.A.

I'm ready to upgrade my real estate camera (before an upcoming vacation).  If I want to take photos like yours, what do I need, besides practice?  :)

Jan 21, 2011 03:58 AM
Mike Montague
RE/MAX Crosstown Realty Inc - Barrie, ON
"Who Moves You?"

A camera with a wide angle lens makes allot of difference, especially when trying to capture smaller rooms. Good lighting is important of course. Make a point to shoot your pictures in the morning and with the sun shining for best results inside and out.

Jan 21, 2011 04:11 AM
Steve Scheer
Realty Oasis - Metro Brokers - Highlands Ranch, CO
Highlands Ranch Real Estate - Denver Real Estate

Great photos & great advice - I actually have my wide angle lens in for repair right now, hoping they can fix it or else it will be time for another.

Jan 21, 2011 10:58 AM
Janice Ankrett
Burlington, ON
Staging Professional

Beautiful photos Mike. You are sooo right. Pictures do so much more than words. I have to keep the photography in mind when I work.

Jan 21, 2011 11:54 AM
Brian Madigan
RE/MAX West Realty Inc., Brokerage (Toronto) - Toronto, ON
LL.B., Broker

Mike,

 

These are great pictures and you're quite right about how important they are. While you can always say "backing onto a ravine" if it's really a large drainage ditch the photos will tell the story.

Brian

Jan 22, 2011 12:11 AM
Robert Slick
Beach and River Homes - Georgetown, SC
NRBA, RDCPro, Trident/CCAR MLS
Was checking out your flicker pics, very very nice. Almost makes me want to visit Canada. We get a lot of Canadians vacationing here in South Carolina.
Jan 22, 2011 04:29 PM
Jason Dykstra
As Built Services - London, ON

 

Mike,

The pictures portrayed in this informative captivating blog are exquisite. The symetry and lighting captivate lines and colours that must be truly seen to understand thier beuaty as they amaze the eye...............  Wow yeah i would rather just take a good picture than try to descibe it haha!

Jan 25, 2011 01:46 AM