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What's the Word Wednesday? Photos

By
Real Estate Sales Representative with RE/MAX Preferred RS152252A

If a picture paints a thousand words, then why does this listing only have one photo on the MLS?

In today's real estate world, our MLS allows up to 25 photos.  Quantity does not trump quality, however, and there's actually a pretty funny Facebook page devoted to bad MLS photos.  As an agent for over 30 years, I've seen it all.  Grammie still in bed in the main bedroom.  A stripper pole in the dining room.  Blurry photos, sideways photos, upside down photos.

Photo by Allef Vinicius on Unsplash

One of my mom's favorite expressions was "you can't take a photo of a lemon and expect it to look like a peach".  This was usually said after I mentioned there was a photo of me that I didn't like.  You also can't take a photo of a really unattractive room and photoshop it to the point of non-reality. 

Another example of a bad photo would be when a wide angle lens makes the room look exponentially larger than it actually is.  A wide-angle lens is supposed to encompass the entire room in a photo, not make the room look larger.  While it's not done on purpose, it should be a consideration when hiring a photographer.  Or when hiring an agent, ask them if they hire a professional or do they use their cell phone.

A good photo, or a group of good photos, taken by a professional photographer, after a home has been staged by a professional, makes a huge difference in the outcome of the number of showings a home receives.

Any buyer will tell you that if a home has no photos online, they scroll right on by.  If the home has terrible photos, the listing agent is actually not doing the seller any favors.  Also, some folks may not be aware, but a lot of buyers search homes by the number of photos.  That means homes with more photos show up first in their search on sites like Zillow and Realtor.com.

So, if a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, does that mean a bad photo of a good home is okay?  In my opinion, no, it's not.  

If you are looking to sell your home, call me to discuss the services I provide.  Here's a link to show you how I will love your listing.  http://bit.ly/2EqCGnT 

Photo by Allef Vinicius on Unsplash

 

 

Posted by

Susan C. Mangigian

re/max preferred
117 Campus Blvd, Suite 155, Newtown Square, PA 19073

610-719-1700 main office, 610-299-6237 cell 

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Comments(4)

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Sham Reddy CRS
Howard Hanna RE Services, Dayton, OH - Dayton, OH
CRS

If I need some entertainment I go to "Really bad MLS photos" page on Facebook and I get a handful 

Jan 10, 2018 04:18 AM
Susan Mangigian

Some of them of real doozies!

Jan 10, 2018 10:50 AM
Lise Howe
RLAH RE LLC - Washington, DC
Assoc. Broker in DC, MD, VA and attorney in DC

I will have to check out the really bad MLS photos page on Facebook - hadn't thought about buyers sorting by the number of photos - now that is scary!

Jan 10, 2018 04:56 AM
Susan Mangigian

It's not scary but it's something to think about.  I hope all is well with you.

Jan 10, 2018 10:51 AM
JL Boney, III
Coldwell Banker - Columbia, SC
Columbia, SC Real Estate

If you are of the mindset that you should always put your best foot forward, bad pictures certainly work against you.

Jan 10, 2018 10:46 AM
Susan Mangigian

Well, hopefully most agents want to put their best foot forward!

Jan 10, 2018 10:52 AM
Sheila Anderson
Referral Group Incorporated - East Brunswick, NJ
The Real Estate Whisperer Who Listens 732-715-1133

Good afternoon Susan. I absolutely love your expressions and agree with your thinking overall.

Jan 10, 2018 01:00 PM
Susan Mangigian

Thank you Sheila!

Jan 11, 2018 03:36 PM