Take relevant pictures. Many times we will see listing photos that do not tell us as much about the property as they do about the furnishing. A close up of a din- ing room table may be pretty, but that is going to leave when the Sellers move out. The same is true when a picture of a bedroom only includes a view of the bed. If you are having trouble taking pictures that do not focus on the room’s furniture, try backing up or moving to a different spot in the room. If you are including the furniture for a specific purpose, to show the bedroom can fit a king size bed for example, use the photo name (description) and a caption to convey that to potential Buyers.
Use a variety of photos. The property may have beautiful views, but if
there are 20 pictures of the backyard and only one or two of the interior, you may be missing the mark. We have all seen distressed properties in poor condition. Excluding ample photos of any part of the home may cause Buyers to ask, “What’s wrong with it? What aren’t they showing me?” A good mix of subject matter will quell those thoughts and give Buyers a better overall view of the property.
Include your Sellers in the process. Ask them about their favorite fea- tures of the home. Their input may prompt you to take a particular photo or add a cap- tion about how the space can be used. You can also use the opportunity to suggest the house be tidy for the photos. This may help set expectations for the condition the home should be in for showings. It’s no secret that clutter can detract from the home during a showing. The same is true for clutter in pictures.
Remember the competition. There are around 27,000 active Residential listings in MLS. Half of them have more than 14 photos. Twenty percent of them have more than 24 photos. Nothing helps Buyers dismiss a listing and move on to the next quicker than a listing with only a few photos. The more photos there are, the longer they will spend looking at the listing, and if they are not looking at your listing, they are looking at someone else’s. More Buyers will see the listing photos than will ever visit the house for a showing, so this is the time and place to showcase the property.
Click away. Film is no longer an issue with digital cameras, so take bunches of
photos. Take multiple shots of each room and use different angles. Later, when you are at your computer, you can decide the ones best to be used in your listing.
So remember, tap into your Sellers as a resource, use a variety of photos, make sure they are of good subject matter, and use lots and lots of them.
WAVE - the ARMLS magazine October / November 2011
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