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10 PHOTO MISTAKES

By
Real Estate Agent

They say seeing is believing, and on today's Real Estate Buzz, we're going to talk about how not to take the photos for your listing.

  1. Seeing reflections of the photographer or other people in the photos.
  2. Too much clutter.
    • Clean the house.
    • Get the living room picked up, get the clutter out of there.
    • Get the clothes off the bed.
    • Get the items off the counters.
    • In other words, clean the house.
  3.  Living clutter. 
    • Remove all living clutter.
      • That would be pets and relatives.Your dad. Maybe your mom's in the photo. Or the kids. Get them out of there.
  4. Dark photos.
    • Take photos with some natural light, get those curtains open, turn on all your lights, get it bright in the house.
    • Otherwise, it's a dark, dingy house no one wants to come see.
  5. Blurry photos.
    • Have a steady hand, or use a tripod (that's what they're good for).
  6. Not enough photos.
    • One or two photos? Come on.
      • You need to showcase the whole house. Put a bunch up there. Furthermore, put a bunch of great ones up there!
  7. Include bathroom photos
    • However, make sure you put the toilet lid down.
  8. A lack of appropriate staging.
    • If you have too little, it's going to be boring.
    • If you have too much, it's going to look overwhelming and cluttered.
  9. Messed up photos.
    • Use a high resolution camera.
    • Do not take them at a weird angle.
    • Just take a good, high quality photo.
    • No smartphones.
  10. Too much photo editing.
    • Don't do it. Or at least, don't overdo it.
    • Don't add in color to the trees, and don't put people in the photos that didn't exist.

 

 

Let's make it so that when people get to your home, they actually see the stuff in the photos.You want it to look right.

 

 

 

Show All Comments Sort:
Constantine Isslamow
RE/MAX HALLMARK Eastern Realty - Peterborough, ON
"Training and Accountability"

Buyers tell us that pictures are the most important feature in the listing yet day after day, we see listings with poor and or very little pictures taken. I just to understand.

Apr 14, 2015 12:13 AM
Gary L. Waters Broker Associate, Bucci Realty
Bucci Realty, Inc. - Melbourne, FL
Eighteen Years Experience in Brevard County

Great points.  Some really do not take the photos part of the listing as serious as they should....photos set the tone and expectations.

Apr 14, 2015 12:36 AM
John Dotson
Preferred Properties of Highlands, Inc. - Highlands, NC - Highlands, NC
The experience to get you to the other side!

Perfect tips for anyone taking picture of anything for sale - especially a house.

As the old saying goes, "You only get one chance to make a first impression."  A useful thought for everything we do in life.

Apr 14, 2015 12:49 AM
Patrick Willard
Rio Rancho, NM

Nothing is more irratating than dragging all my gear to their house and find they haven't cleaned it for the photos.

Apr 14, 2015 01:17 AM
Patricia Kennedy
RLAH@properties - Washington, DC
Home in the Capital

I think that for most of us, the best advice is to have professional photos taken.  There are almost no agents I know who take decent photos of their listings.  It's so important to have the right equipment -with a really good wide angle lens. 

Apr 14, 2015 01:57 AM
Ed Silva, 203-206-0754
Mapleridge Realty, CT 203-206-0754 - Waterbury, CT
Associate Real Estate Broker

Usually the toughest issue with photos is getting seller to clean up their house and declutter.  Once those are done, just having a good steady hand or a good professional photographer gets the rest done

Apr 14, 2015 02:13 AM
Gene Riemenschneider
Home Point Real Estate - Brentwood, CA
Turning Houses into Homes

you only get one chance to make a first impression.  It takes so little to clean the house for photos.  Do it.

Apr 14, 2015 02:56 AM
Lyn Sims
Schaumburg, IL
Real Estate Broker Retired

I agree with your tips. There was one vid last week from a FSBO in Florida where she was in all the photos, basically photo bombing each one. I posted it as what NOT to do when selling your home.

Apr 14, 2015 03:09 AM
Kimo Jarrett
Cyber Properties - Huntington Beach, CA
Pro Lifestyle Solutions

Great post and tips. Unfortunately, so many agents IMO fail miserably in this arena.

 

Apr 14, 2015 03:22 AM
Richard Arnold
Keller Williams Realty East Valley - Tempe, AZ
Realtor - Tempe, Chandler, Mesa, Gilbert, Phoenix

The technology changes in out times, I would not rule out any type of camera, even...sign...phone camera.  Even phone cameras can have 10 megapixels which is more than sufficient for good photos.  What phone cameras seriously lack is adequate dark sensitivity - sometimes this can be corrected in post-editing.  

The biggest factors are proper preparation of the house, and proper selection of photo subjects, lighting, and angles.  Pros can take brilliant photos with any type of camera because they know how to prepare and correct abberations later.  

Don't just walk through a house and snap photos like your at a frat party.

Apr 14, 2015 03:32 AM
Myrl Jeffcoat
Sacramento, CA
Greater Sacramento Realtor - Retired

Great tips!  I still remember the MLS photos of a kitchen in one house that had a sink full of dishes, plus an abundance of clutter on the counters.  What was that listing agent thinking?

Apr 14, 2015 03:53 AM
Georgie Hunter R(S) 58089
Hawai'i Life Real Estate Brokers - Haiku, HI
Maui Real Estate sales and lifestyle info

I do use an iPhone for photos and my clients find them very satisfactory. It helps if you have a good eye for it.

Apr 14, 2015 05:49 AM
Sharon Tara
Sharon Tara Transformations - Portsmouth, NH
Retired New Hampshire Home Stager

Great video!  If only more agents took this simple advice.  It's pretty obvious, most of it.  And yet, every one of those mistakes is repeated daily!

Apr 14, 2015 05:55 AM
Dave Hymes
RE/MAX Gold - Placerville, CA

Dark photos is my personal least favorite. And please, remove all the cute magnets, children's drawing, calenders etc. from the refrigerator.

Apr 14, 2015 07:13 AM
Theresa Akin
CORPUS CHRISTI REALTY GROUP - Corpus Christi, TX

I have had the pro photos and I do better. Couple vacant listings, I went in and checked to make sure the baths were in order. Toilet seat down/ out of the photo if possible. Cleaning supplies off counters. Couple occupied listings i did a walk through. Seats up, towels deposited in the hamper or laundry basket. Clothes up off the floor. Beds made or blankets pulled up over. Litter boxes totally out of the photo. Magnets and refrigerator art gone. Only one decorative item on top of the refrigerator or none at all. Clear the counter tops. Take a Swiffer to the floor or a damp mop. great video!

Apr 14, 2015 09:17 AM
Sharon Parisi
United Real Estate Dallas - Dallas, TX
Dallas Homes

These are all important tips.  I tell people to remove everything from all horizontal surfaces.  Richie has a good point.  I have had two listings sell before photos were ready to post!

Apr 14, 2015 01:09 PM
Christine Donovan
Donovan Blatt Realty - Costa Mesa, CA
Broker/Attorney 714-319-9751 DRE01267479 - Costa M

Jobe - A great, simple list. I have a pet peeve with toilet seats being up.

Apr 14, 2015 02:41 PM
Kat Palmiotti
eXp Commercial, Referral Divison - Kalispell, MT
Helping your Montana dreams take root

Yes, very good list of things to keep in mind when taking photos!

Apr 14, 2015 08:33 PM
Winston Heverly
Coldwell Banker Access Realty - South Macon, GA
GRI, ABR, SFR, CDPE, CIAS, PA

Hi, I can't believe I missed this post, great read on todays hot topic. Thanks for sharing.

Apr 16, 2015 12:32 PM
Nancy T
Los Angeles, CA

Great tips!  I especially love #8, but it's as important to use a PROFESSIONAL home stager as it is to use a professional photographer.  Most home stagers take/provide photos in their staging packages and are trained to consider all aspects of great real estate photos.  Still some will use professional photogs.  The fact is 90% of all buyers search for homes online before going to look in person.  It's crazy not to show the best possible pictures to draw in the most buyers possible. 

Apr 24, 2015 03:20 AM