In my area the main photo has to be the exterior of the listing...a "street view".  We have a lot of condo developments on the beach and the main photo has to be of the building.  A lot of the agents hire professional photographers to take the photos.  The more photos the better.

A professional photographer is a must in my opinion.  Even so, I always attend the photo shoots and review the results in the photographers camera before we leave the property to make sure they get the best angles and views of the property and interior.  It amazes me to this day to see bad photos and cell phone shots in our MLS!  I have to wonder why the property owners are not aware of how their home photos compare to others on the internet.

Thank you for your post. Photos are an absolute must. To do good, buyer-grabbing photos, a home must have the appealing quality first. Homeowners should take care to prepare the home for sale way before the photographer shows up!

In my opinion, any agent that is not posting quality photographs of their listings on the MLS is doing their clients a HUGE disservice.  

I'm not great with a camera, but I have seen enough bad photos to know when I need to retake a pic.  Lighting is a big problem.  I see so many dark photos.  Yuck.  But sometimes I have trouble with light from windows  being too bright.  You have to keep working til you get it right!

Photos are definitely the most important marketing tools we have in our toolbox!

Excellent post, however, there are many agents who are guilty of taking or placing poorly detailed photographs in their listings and I often wonder how or why the Broker allows this to occur?

There is a saying "One Picture is worth a Thousand words."  Good pictures are far more important than anything you could write.

Home buying is all visual. Most - 90% - can't visualize "potential". In other words you can't show a lousy photo and expect a buyer to know differently. So I agree!

Interesting blog.  I agree that the street view is very important. I caution all to remember that virtually all of us look better in photos than in person...and I suggest that we all remember that when looking at homes on line.

Good post & interesting that they've verified pretty much what we already know. Just more plusses for good photography of your listings.

Not only was your blog post informative, Keving, but it was also very well layed out and eye appealing. Thank you for sharing your message.

Very important points, first impression is all important and photographs are usually first.  Thanks for all your helpful suggestions and interesting statistics!

If you can't take good photos, dont put them on MLS or anywhere else. Hire someone that can.  The sellers will be extremely unhappy.   You dont help yourself and the brokerage gets a bad name as well.   Pictures are so important to the sellers and to selling the house.