My new client is working like the dickens to prepare her father's house for sale. I mentioned all the things I manage as listing agent. I said that buyers can be enticed or turned off the first few seconds of viewing a house, a picture...and that is why I hire a professional photographer and a home stager.
When she asked how much I pay a photographer, she and her sister were so surprised. My client even offered her services as a photographer because she is pretty good at it. Much as I admired her work, I gently explained that a professional real estate photographer does a lot more than just take pictures. At least mine, does.
My company has a special deal with Tour Factory --- and I have used their services many times. In a nutshell, they offer
- Virtual tours, mobile tours, etc
- Syndication
- Full motion video
- Panoramas
- Social media
- Rider signs
- Voice narration for tours
- Property profile and websites including special domain
- Flyers, etc.
Which brings me to another thought: with all the professional photographers we have, and for what they charge even for just photographs, why won't agents use them more often? I have seen so many bad, BAD photos of homes. It is inexcusable to not even try. So many use their camera phone (vertical shots instead of horizontal, too), and don't bother editing for light or clarity. Some have entered photos the wrong way on the MLS. No wonder Ellen DeGeneres finds a trove of bad photos that she features on her show as examples of bad photography, bad listing text, bad advertising by Realtors. Those folks make the rest of us look bad!
