Real Estate Photography – First Impressions Count!
You signed the listing agreement and the agent says they will be back next week for photographs. So you spend the weekend (but you’d rather be hiking) and most of your evenings cleaning, packing, tidying and staging. The Realtor comes and goes and you look for your home online…
Suddenly you hear a loud “WTF?!” (Oops, that was actually you!)
This is the #1 picture the Realtor is using to draw buyers into your home and to help fetch the best possible price?
I found this picture on the MLS today, so some unlucky seller is living this reality. Dare I say it: “Pay peanuts, get monkeys!”
With just a wee bit of editing (2 minutes using a free program), even this disaster of a photograph can look better than it does currently.
Seller… If this is what you expect from your Realtor, and you are willing settle for it too, then I can see why you want a discounted listing fee. However, you deserve better and a “full priced” agent might offer you a higher level of service which will translate into a higher purchase price and quicker sale. A quicker sale means fewer strangers traipsing through your home and a higher contact means you can afford the Realtor and walk away with more money after closing. Plus your neighbors will thank you for selling at a higher price – it will help them feel good about their investment, be able to refinance easier and be able price theirs to sell accordingly in this market.
Yep, I get it can be a leap of faith. So try mitigating your fears by asking to see samples of your Realtors work when you interview them. Heck yes, you should be interviewing them!!! Have them produce listing fliers, referral client contact details and pull up their current or sold listings on the MLS to get a feel for how your home is going to be represented.
A blurry finger over a house in shadow is NOT the curb appeal picture you should be stuck with.