They say a picture is worth a thousand words. In real estate a picture can be worth thousands of dollars when it comes to selling your home and attracting the right buyer.
Why is it that so many bad photos end up on real estate listings?
You want to stand out in a crowd, get your home noticed and give a great first impression online. This is not always the case and it is quite common to see bad or really bad real estate photos. Recently, I saw a photo of the front of a local house and wondered what an arch was doing in the corner. I finally realized that the person taking the photo hadn’t gotten out of their car to take a front photo of the house and they likely used their cell phone. This is not an isolated incident, bad real estate photos can easily be seen on Facebook and websites like www.badmlsphotos.com. Although you might chuckle at the time, bad photos when showcasing your property are no laughing matter.
Stand out from the crowd
Standing out from the crowd is a must in selling. As the owner of PropertyGuys in the Muskoka and Orillia area, I have invested hundreds of hours (and many dollars) in my quest to perfecting amazing photos. When it comes to highlighting the features to potential buyers, I knew how important this investment would be in order to make my client’s properties stand out from a sea of others online.
Attracting buyers starts with putting your best foot forward online. Great real estate photography starts with these five simple rules.
1. Prepare your home in advance
If you have been following my series of articles you know this means focus on cleaning, decluttering, depersonalizing and enhancing curb appeal.
2. Hire a professional
This starts with owning professional equipment, including a DSLR camera, wide angle lens and tripod. It will be easy to see right away if the person you hire knows what they’re doing and you deserve the best, regardless of the value of your house or how much you invest to sell it.
3. Proper training
Equipment is important, but you have to know how to take a good picture. Your photographer doesn’t need to own the best of everything, but having an understanding of basic photography rules, angles, and a great eye for capturing the best shot is much more important than top of the line equipment. A photographer using a $5,000 camera but taking a horrible picture, only gets you a high quality horrible picture.
4. Realistic photos
I myself shoot homes with a process called high dynamic resolution (HDR) and use a wide angle lens to capture a home at its best. However, there is a fine line between showcasing a home and being unrealistic. Nothing will disappoint a potential buyer more than showing up and the house looks completely different than the photos. Imagine going on a date with someone you met on the internet and you show up only to find out they have photo edited their picture or used a picture from 10 years ago. Disappointing.
5. Proof your photos
It is okay to not get the perfect photo every time, but it is always better to realize mistakes before they go live. Make sure the photos of your property don’t showcase the family pet in the background, embarrassing items left out or an unintentional mirror selfie in the master bathroom picture.
With most of today’s buyers starting their home searches online, it is more important than ever to make a great first (virtual) impression.
Jason Schlegel ~ www.PropertyGuys.com
