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Does Your Listing Have Photos?

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with MyMidtownMojo.com |770.713.1505 | Intown Atlanta GA Condo Living 272617

Congratulations! Your home is officially....

Now....my goal and job, is to get as many people as I can through your front door to see your home in person. But, there is another critical part of marketing your home.....know what that is?

It's the photos! 

When your listing is entered into the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) within 15 minutes, give or take 10, your listing will be seen virtually around the world! Technology....absolutely fabulous, right?  I buyer in Seattle, Washington, looking to relocate to Atlanta, can be on any number of websites, and ..BAM! There is your listing. 

And it has......THIS!

And THAT is the only photo on your listing for not ONE, not TWO, not THREE but FOUR days! Imagine your home is being marketed.....sort of? How is that Seattle buyer going to know if your home is "the one" when they can see nothing!!!!

FOUR DAYS of critical marketing time, that is sort of lost! Sure, a Buyer might remember to come back and look at this.... Or they may find "the one" on the next listing. And with homes going Under Contract in many parts of the Atlanta area in 24-48 HOURS, you are not going to be one of those. 

Even as an AGENT, I rely on the photos to determine if a particular home may meet my Buyers wants and needs. And I try to preview much of the homes and condos that I show. So, now, do I spend even more extra time going to see this home/condo, since I really don't know what it looks like? 

One of my key marketing strategies I review with all my Sellers is that, "You don't get 50% marketing with me!" Your listing goes live, and the photos are immediately entered after that. Like, the photos should be on the listing before that 15 mintues mentioned above ever even passes. Now, it can take us longer as we do all the descriptions  to each photo. And if there are 25-40 photos, that can take some extra time. And you want us to spend that extra time to get that description right. Again, that's what that buyer in Seattle will be looking at, and reading! 

Once you have completed preparing your home/condo for sale by decluttering, or if vacant, staging the home, we then have the photography done. Depending on scheduling, we hire a photographer or we do it ourselves. (Hey, I'm a marketing professional...I'm good at what I do!) When I have those photos available, your listing is entered into the MLS. And not a moment before. Maybe another real estate professional says you need to be on the MLS immediately....I'll agree to disagree strongly with that! 

So when you are talking with any real estate professional, you should ask/know how they do critical parts of their business (managing your listing) that will have a direct impact on your sale! 

For More Information about marketing your Atlanta home or Condo, please contact us! We'd be happy to discuss our Marketing Plans and how we will do the best for you! 

Jeff Dowler, CRS
eXp Realty of California, Inc. - Carlsbad, CA
The Southern California Relocation Dude

Well done, Thom. Photos are such a key part of an effective listing, indeed all marketing, and buyers and agents rely on them. It's pretty appalling how poor some listing photos are, and sellers deserve the best. I always tell my sellers that the MLS listing IS the first Open House, open to all, and the photos need to show off the house as best as possible.

Have a great weekend.

Jeff

Oct 13, 2017 07:47 AM
Thom Abbott

EXACTLY Jeff Dowler ....The First OPEN HOUSE! Great point!

Oct 13, 2017 08:06 AM
William Feela
WHISPERING PINES REALTY - North Branch, MN
Realtor, Whispering Pines Realty 651-674-5999 No.

My MLS requires at least one photo within 3 days of the lising. 

Oct 13, 2017 08:13 AM
Jane Peters
Home Jane Realty - Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles real estate concierge services

I wrote about this recently. This is one of my pet peeves. It is the worst kind of service to your clients. If there are no pictures the property is most likely not going to be shown to a client and will get passed by. There really is no reasonable excuse for photos not to be taken before a home is listed.

Oct 13, 2017 02:09 PM