A picture says a thousand words...or costs you thousands of dollars!

‘A picture says a thousand words’…or it could cost you thousands of dollars.  Just take a look at any of the leading real estate websites like Realtor.com or Zillow.  Can you believe how many listed homes these days have photos that are less than fantastic? 

A real estate agent has one chance to make a first impression on the internet. I still can’t believe how many don’t maximize this exposure opportunity for their clients. Taking short cuts to save time or money only hurts the home seller…and the housing market as a whole in the long run.

We understand some homes won’t ever have curb appeal or the wow factor…but some of photos we see are just embarrassing. For the amount of time and money it takes to successfully list and sell a home we think that more agents should swing for the fences when taking listing photos.

Some think that photos are the most important step in the listing process. The first photo on the listing that pops up on the MLS or one of the various home search sites sets the tone for the consumer’s opinion of the property.  The most important job of the first photo is to get the consumer’s attention and keep their interest long enough that they will to scroll through next few pictures. 

If the first photo is poorly shot a potential homebuyer may be lost before they ever even got to the gourmet kitchen.

We have been working to maximize our photo production and presentation on our listings for over 2 years, constantly tweaking vendors, photo order and number of photos. Here is our 3 Step Guideline to what we like to do on our listings:

1. Condition Assessment – we will meet with the listing client to walk the house and make a detailed list of anything that needs correcting, fixing, patching, painting etc. We also make an inventory of furniture that may be needed for the photo and video shoot.
2. Staging– we bring in our independent stager to decorate and design a furniture layout to maximize the potential of the home for the photo shoot.  This includes bringing in many pieces of artwork, draperies and furniture that we have on hand.  This is crucial if the home is vacant.
3. Professional Photography and Videographer – we have a professional third party photographer visit the home and take over 25 photos and shoot a fully live ‘walk through’ video that gives the viewer the feeling of a personal showing.

Here are some before and after photos as examples of how important this process is to the home sale.

These two pictures are from the same basement. The first was taken by the original listing agent who had the home on the market for roughly one year. Once we were hired we implemented our 3 Step Guideline and ended up with the second picture. Now which basement would you want your kids playing in?

Competitor Photo

Murray Home Team photo

These next two photos are of a listing we sold this spring. The owner hired an agent to market a vacant home in Annapolis. The first photo was taken from MRIS from the old listing. Note – there is no furniture, no artwork and no enhanced lighting. Just a quick shot of an empty room with a window. The second photo was taken by our professional photographer after the owner decided to hire a new agent since the first agent failed to sell the home.  With the help of our stager we were able to take a minimal amount of faux furniture, a headboard and an end table and produce a much higher quality image. Which do you like better?

Competitor Photo

Murray Home Team photo

The last example…and believe me I have a dozen more we could show you…is from a home in Severna Park that we sold this spring without it
ever going on the market. The sellers had previously put it on the market several times over the years with one of our competitors  without it ever selling.  The first photo was taken by the previous listing agent.  Its dark, it makes the
room appear small and closed in and its taken on an odd angle.  Again, the second photo was done by our professional photographer, taken from an outward facing angle that shows more of the floor plan, with full lighting and professional staging.  You make the call which looks better.

Competitors Photo

Murray Home Team photo

Are great photos always going to sell a house?  Of course not – but they are the first impression most home seekers get of your listed home so you better make sure it looks its best.  If you would like the contact information for our professional stagers and property photographers or would like to talk about how we can professionally market your home please contact mike@themurrayhometeam.com.