When I walked into the office yesterday, another agent turned her computer screen around and asked me what I thought of the listing pictures. What I saw were pictures with rooms barely recognizable.
My reaction was that they were awful. I had to get right on top of the screen to figure out what was what. She said that was no way to present a property and represent a client.
With over 92% of home buyers searching the internet for their next home, it is EXTREMELY important to have the best pictures possible. Agents frequently have clients reject a property because they didn’t like the way it looked. It’s possible that a visit to that property in person, bypassing the negative thoughts due to the low quality pictures, might actually be a house the buyers could see themselves in.... but the pictures were a turnoff.
Taking good great pictures is a point that makes the rounds among agents and bloggers over and over, yet we still see poor pictures, just as I did yesterday.
Most agents are very skilled at taking good pictures or they hire a photographer. I always have sellers take a look at my pictures and how their property will be presented BEFORE listing. I encourage them to tell me if there is something they don’t like, or if I perhaps missed something that should be highlighted.
Here are some practices I use that have been successful. I have been told my pictures are well done and one funny story – one client told me her house presentation looked so good online, she was rethinking moving. (BTW that house sold very quickly. I am sure the overall presentation had something to do with a lot of showings and securing a buyer quickly).
Tips For GREAT Pictures That SELL
1) Use a good camera. Save the phone camera for Facebook or other social sites or quick snapshots. This is serious business. You're not selling a sofa.
2) Make a list of all the rooms and areas you will be shooting, including exterior.
3) Capture selling features buyers prefer: stone countertops, upscale appliances, hardwood floors, tray ceilings, crown molding etc.
4) Include street views as appropriate.
5) Include neighborhood features like parks, beaches, town shopping, train station if they’re close and enhance marketing.
6) Have the owners prepare the house for the photo shoot:
- NO Clutter
- Counters cleared with only a very few essentials
-
NO magnets or pictures on refrigerators - Personal photos removed
- Add flowers or decorative throw pillows to make a blah room pop in pictures
- Beds neat and cornered - like the hotel room pictures.
- Clean and gleam the flooring
- Clean the carpeting. NO stains. Pay special attention to carpeted stairs.
- Paint or touch up scratches, dings, etc.
- Clean windows as some photos may be taken through windows to capture views
- Manicure the garden beds and yard
- Clean light fixtures and make sure all bulbs are lit.
- Keep the pets out of the photos
7.) Take the pictures under ideal conditions if possible
-- Shoot early morning or late afternoon when there is better equalization of light. This will help with avoiding ‘blown out’ windows.
-- Open all the drapes and blinds
-- Turn on all the lights and avoid using the flash.
-- Shoot from doorways or from the far corners of rooms to get the most expansive view. Be careful with wide angle views as they can look distorted OR make the room look so large when the buyer sees it in person, there is disappointment.
-- Shoot all the way around the room using a variety of vantage points.
-- My favorite -- Bring along a step stool. Take pictures at all different levels. Up high and down low. Mix it up for a better presentation.
-- Avoid excessive shadows on the house. Change up the time of day for picture taking if this happens.
8.) Always keep your pictures seasonal. There should be NO SNOW pictures on the MLS in May, but they still exist. Redo the pictures seasonally.
9.) Try to get that blue sky in your house front pic. Makes all the difference as opposed to seeing a cloudy, gray sky.
10.) Try shooting a twilight photo at dusk. This is a perfect way to show off landscape lighting as well as down lights from the house eaves. How else will buyers know those lights even exist?
11.) If the main picture is a little dull looking, try using a great feature-packed interior picture to lead off and get the buyer to click through
12.) Post as many pictures as the MLS allows and if the property supports it. You probably wouldn’t post 
25 pictures of a dilapidated property.
I usually take a few hundred pictures. My MLS allows 25 but other sites I market on will allow more. While hundreds of snapshots might sound like a lot, it can take many to achieve the RIGHT one.
After the first shoot, I frequently return to the house because I have a shot I love, but maybe the lighting is off or I didn’t notice there was a dog bowl on the floor, or toilet seat up, or trash can that stands out more than it should.
Effort pays off with pictures. Home sellers deserve to have their homes presented in the best way possible. Remember, GREAT pictures will bring buyers into the home and get that property SOLD!
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