Importance of High Quality Pictures on Your Bottom Line
It is impossible to undervalue the importance of high quality images when marketing a home for sale. For many people, a home is their largest asset, and when the time comes to sell, one thing that everybody has on their mind is money. It will do a seller and their property an incredible disservice to lead off with a series of dark, blurry, fuzzy pictures. First impressions are everything in real estate.
Take for example, the concept of curb appeal. If a prospective client driving around does not like what they see on the outside, they won’t even bother getting out of the car. The same concept holds true with images. The difference is that it’s no longer being seen by only the folks who drive up in front of your property, it is broadcast to thousands of people across the nation. It is your homes first impression. Poor pictures could be sending prospective buyers running before they even see the second picture, and worst of all, it could be costing you a lot of money.
With the help of Barry Bevis and badmlsphotos.com, we take a look at how some agents market properties with pictures. Then we’ll provide some examples of great pictures that will change the whole dynamic of a listing.
These strategies hold true on a home worth $100,000 to a multi-million dollar estate. The reality is that poor pictures can hurt the value of your home and delay the process of finding a buyer.
Let’s be honest, if your agent can’t handle the menial task of taking pictures, then why on earth would you trust them to handle the sale of what is likely one’s largest asset? At this point I’ll be playing the part of Simon Cowell, bringing some bold honesty into the mix.
Can’t tell if I just got poked in the eye or just woke up. Absolutely terrible first impression.
I can understand this photo under the following circumstances. A dog ran between their legs, buckling the back of the photographers knee, sending them into a free fall only a skydiver would understand. On the way down to the ground, their body clenched tight, bracing for impact. During the clench, their fingers mashed the “shoot” button a few times and POOF, we have this photo.
That’s where the understanding ends. The striking part is that someone made a conscious decision to upload this photo to the MLS and represent somebody’s home for sale. If this is some sort of artistic take on the home, I have not a clue as to what this agent was going for.
I’ve seen this before…it’s on Ghost Hunters right? In the end the chair lifts up and slides across the floor by itself, right…? It doesn’t? Oh, well it certainly looks like it would. Not only does the darkness give the home a cavernous feel, it makes it seem a little creepy too. Creepy is definitely not a word you want to exude when selling a house. On a side note, the reality is that the home probably does not look as dark in person, but the poor camerawork would have scared me away before I would have ever agreed to step foot inside.
Now let’s take a look at some winners…
The windows are open, natural light is pouring in, and the home is not busy or cluttered. The lights are all on and provides a warm and inviting atmosphere. This is a house I would like to see.
Again, plenty of natural light, lights are still turned on, and a light and airy feel permeates the room.
The right perspective can give a home an entirely different feeling. This backyard photo gives a new meaning to entertaining space.
So that’s where we’ll stop with this one. The point is that there is a huge difference between homes that are photographed well versus those that are not. The Kink Team hires professional photographers to take our pictures, and we work with some of the best folks in the industry. In fact, the “good” photos above are all from our current listings alone. Browse around our listings here if you would like to see more examples.
The Kink Team is recognized as one of the top producing real estate teams in North America and is highly awarded within the industry. Let us go to work for you. Contact us today!