Photos - The Most Under Rated Marketing Tool

Everyone has heard that a picture is worth a thousand words, and this is certainly no truer than in real estate. These days most buyers start their search for a new home online, and research shows that they love rich data; they want as many pictures and as much detail as a realtor is willing to provide.

Smart homeowners pay attention to how their home will be presented to the buying public. I’ll look at photos today; I’ll look at listing descriptions and details in a later post.

These days digital cameras make it easy to photograph a home and post the pictures online. If your real estate agent isn’t providing this basic service,  you have to question their ability to successfully market your home. I would even go so far as to say that basic digital photography is no longer sufficient. Real estate pictures really need to be taken with a digital camera using a wide angle lens. You will be amazed at the difference it makes to the look of a room.

This is a good point to recap before I continue.

• First, you’ll want your agent to take lots of photos,
• Second, if you’re lucky they’ll use a wide angle lens, and
• Third, you’ll want anywhere from 10 to 30 photos posted online.

That’s a good beginning!

There are two other factors to consider if you want photos that will truly attract buyers - the condition of your home when the photos are taken and using photo enhancement software to optimize the look of the photos.

It always surprises me that many real estate agents take pictures of their clients’ homes when it’s quite obvious the homes are not ready to show. Don’t allow this to happen. The pictures are generally the first glimpse a buyer will have of your home. That first impression is critical; make sure it’s a good impression if you want to increase the likelihood that a buyer will want to view your home. That’s why I always encourage my clients to stage their home prior to any pictures being taken.

And finally, not all pictures, in their raw state, do your home justice. It’s amazing what a little tweaking with photo enhancement software can accomplish. All of a sudden the room is lighter and brighter, the colors are warmer and the off center focal point is right where it should be. Don’t get me wrong! I’m not talking about misrepresenting your home. It’s more a matter that the camera didn’t get it right in the first place. A little knowhow can correct the error and present your home at its finest.

 So there you have it – a quick summary of what you should expect in terms of top of the line marketing photographs. Contact me if you want to be sure this important step is completed to your best advantage. Click here to view my entire marketing plan

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