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"A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words" but What Words?

By
Home Stager with Rooms Reborn Certified Homestager

As I am sitting at my desk perusing MLS property photo's, I am surprised at some of the pictures that I am seeing.  Let this serve as a gentle reminder that oftentimes your listing photos are a client's first impression of a home.  I know most of you know better but it is best not to reveal pictures of toilets, dirty dishes, unmade beds, trash cans, etc.

      

In a world where more and more potential clients are using the Internet to preview properties before they contact a real estate agent, the value of your photos cannot be overemphasized.  This is your opportunity to make a great first impression.

To help, I always provide a follow-up visit with my home staging clients.  At this time, we make sure the "punch list" is completed and we fine tune furniture and accessory placement.  More importantly is the time we spend assisting the Realtor with their listing photos.  We remove any items that may be distracting in the photos but are okay for touring.  These may include but are not limited to paper towels, dish towels, and small electronics like phones and clocks.  Fabulous photos are one more way to make sure  your listing shines.

With this reminder, it is my hope that the "words" in "A picture is worth a thousand words" will become "Sold Mine."

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Rauf
CMG Home Loans - Toms River, NJ

I have seen some pretty bad ones, it makes you wonder if they really want to sell the house???

This looks like blog #1 for you? Welcome to the rain!

Mar 07, 2012 03:41 AM
Team Honeycutt
Allen Tate - Concord, NC

You are so right. The listing pictures need to be at the home's best. As an agent, I am sometimes imfluenced by the pictures when considering suggesting a property to a buyer.

Betty

Mar 07, 2012 03:43 AM
Susan Neal
RE/MAX Gold, Fair Oaks - Fair Oaks, CA
Fair Oaks CA & Sacramento Area Real Estate Broker

Hi Cheryl - Welcome aboard the Rain!  And you are so right.  I have seen some really awful photos, but the ones that make me wonder are those where everything looks great but there is a toilet seat up and a wet towel on the floor.  That would have taken 2 seconds to fix for the photo, but it leaves a bad impression of the whole house.

Mar 07, 2012 03:49 AM
Adrian Willanger
206 909-7536 AdrianWillanger-broker.com - Seattle, WA
Profit from my two decades of experience

Cheryl,  this is a tragedy, actually it's pretty funny, I always love the ones with the toilet seats up. This is a very good reminder that getting ready for photos takes a bit of time to get a home ready so it shows off all the great features. 

Mar 07, 2012 03:55 AM
Diana Purcell
HomeSmart - Mesa, AZ
Delivering Dreams One Home at a Time

This is a great blog and you have touched on something that is so important  and such a pet peeve of mine! Good post, thank you!

Mar 07, 2012 04:28 AM
Cheryl Holy
Rooms Reborn Certified Homestager - Waco, TX
Home staging & Redesign

Thank you everyone for the feedback and welcoming me to the rain! 

Mar 07, 2012 05:31 AM
Eric Michael
Remerica Integrity, Realtors®, Northville, MI - Livonia, MI
Metro Detroit Real Estate Professional 734.564.1519

Cheryl, it's amazing the pictures that "professional" real estate agents will post in an attempt to sella house. I had one client tell me that they didn't need me to come over and take pictures, they'd do it themselves. Let's just say that I could have drawn the pictures myself, with crayons, and they'd have been better.

PS. Welcome to AR!

Mar 09, 2012 04:42 AM