We've all heard 'a picture is worth a thousand words' but it seems not everyone takes it to heart. I am amazed at what sometimes makes it into the MLS and onto the Internet as a property photo. When your home goes up for sale, it becomes a product; and as every marketer knows, the first thing you want to do with your product is to show it in its most appealing light!
But through the years I've seen some very bad photos marketing what probably were some pretty good houses. I remember one picture shot from the agent's car with a moving truck between the camera and the house. Oh! And then there was the house that had a picture with yellow 'Crime Scene' tape around the front porch! How about the photo's of door frames or dark closets? Seriously, what were those agents thinking about?
Of course most poor photos are not this bad. They're usually shot from the wrong angle or at the wrong time of day, or maybe simply with the wrong equipment. Take these as examples:
At GreatNest, we take our job as a marketer very seriously. We use professional equipment not phones or tablets. Our pictures are rich, well staged, inviting and appealing. Sometimes I look at them and think they are works of art!
You can view some of our latest tours right now if you'd like.
The extra investment in photography and virtual tours pays off. Again and again, when we ask potential buyers what it was about the listing that motivated the call, they say, 'The picture! It looks like a great house!'
We frequently receive two types of photo related feedback. They are actually two sides of the same coin. Upon viewing our photos or tours our sellers often tell us, 'my house never looked so nice,' to which we smile and ask them if they're sure they want to move. Conversely, sometimes we receive a backhanded compliment from prospective buyers when they protest that, 'the house was not nearly as nice as your photo's.' Of course to that we also smile, think to ourselves, job well done, thank them for visiting our listing, and ask if they might have any interest.
Remember, when you put your house up for sale, you are marketing it. In real estate, marketing begins with great photography. Don't trust the job to someone snapping a picture on their Smartphone or from their car parked at the street. Hire a broker who can make your home a star. That's what we do at GreatNest!