4) From “too many photos of a given space” to “just the right amount of photos for a given space”

So we are over the hump in this series of articles. We are now on problem #4 “Too many photos of a given space.” Keep in mind, this topic could be looked at as subjective. This opinion comes from my perspective as a consumer who has looked at hundreds of listings in search of a house that has what I’m looking for. So here we go.

Ok, listen. If you have an average size home to list, you do not “need” sixty, yes 6-0, photos of that home. I’ve thought a lot about this and I really can’t see that “ever” being necessary. Unfortunately, I have seen this many times. And in those times, I have found myself after five photos, or more, of the same space saying, “enough of the kitchen already, I get it,” or “enough of the pool, it’s nice, let’s move on.” There is no need to take a photo from every angle of a space/room. All you’re going to do is confuse or bore the potential buyer. Believe it or not, this is one time where a little goes a long way.

 
With that said, the final photos you use need to accurately and completely represent the home. You’ll want to show good spatial perspective and overlap to help identify the floor plan layout as well. And that is what I will provide you. With your goal being to sell a home, my goal is to give you photos of every space, giving the buyer a feel for the home and how it will work, or play, best for them. Enlist me to your team and I will help you sell that house! 602-809-7710 Michelle

Click the following link for reason #5 to "How and why I got into real estate photography": 5) Unrealistic representation due to photo manipulation

3) From “a less than adequate collection of photos” to “a complete collection of photos”

I feel like a Negative Nelly pointing out the negative issues of real estate listing photos. But if I’m going to help anyone, I believe it is necessary. This leads us to issue #3 “Less than adequate collection of photos.”  

If you were online looking at a new car, and you didn’t see a picture of the inside of the car or the storage space of the trunk, what would you think? Think about that for a moment. If they are not showing you some aspect of the car what are they saying OR not saying? Are they hiding something they don’t think you’ll like? Are they assuming they know every person out there who’s looking at this car? Or did they simply forget to include those photos? The same questions can apply to the house you are selling. The point is, you don’t know what each buyer is looking for. It’s true, what they are looking for may not be in this house, but that’s not going to change just because you DIDN’T show them some aspect of the house. Give the house a chance. When the house was built originally it obviously appealed to someone. It’s not like you’re trying to sell a dead plant. No matter what you think of the house, if it’s clean and in safe condition there is a buyer for the home.  

With that said your best bet for finding the right buyer, is to “accurately” and “completely” show the home. I can help you do that. I don’t limit the number of photos I take or give you. You will receive photos of every space and they will be in a tour-like order. Check out some on my sample listing photos, https://www.facebook.com/mlfrep/photos_albums, and give me a call. 602-809-7710 Michelle

 

*Remember, buyers are a diverse bunch. What may appeal to one might not for another and vice versa.

Click the following link for reason #4 to "How and why I got into real estate photography": 4) From “too many photos of a given space” to “just the right amount of photos for a given space”

2) From “Bad Perspective” to “Good Perspective”

Let’s talk about probably the most obvious real estate listing photo mishap. That would be issue #2 “Bad Perspective,” from my “How and why I got into real estate photography” posting.

In simpler terms, we are talking about a narrow versus wide shot of a space. It is the difference between seeing a photo of the seller’s furniture versus seeing the room or space the furniture is in. And believe me, it does matter. Your buyers don’t want to see the furniture. They’re not on that webpage looking to buy furniture. They want to see the space and the floor plan of the home so that they can have a better understanding of the flow and functionality. Giving the buyer proper spatial perspective of what the home offers, or doesn’t offer, is going to save you, the potential buyer and the other real estate agent time. Not showing them something in the listing isn’t going to make it go away, and who’s to say that there isn’t someone out there looking for what you’re “not” showing? If the house doesn’t fit, it just doesn’t fit.

By showing photos of each room’s space, the buyers will be able to picture themselves and their furniture in the home. This gives them the opportunity to imagine how they’d use each space. That’s the first step. Then when they see the home in person, they should be “sold.”* That is, if your photos represented the home accurately. And that’s what I can do for you. I will provide you all the photos you need to accurately represent the space of the home. Now check out the sample photos below. 

In the first photo what do we really see? The furniture, right? We have no sense of the space because we can't see the whole room and its surroundings. This photo does not help the buyer get a feel for the home. Therefore, in my opinion, this photo is useless in the selling of this house. In contrast, let’s look at the next photo. Not only can we see the entire space but we can also see some of the surroundings. What this will do is provide useful overlap. Let me explain. When you include tid bits of the surrounding spaces in your photos, it helps the viewer to identify the location of other rooms in relation to one another. This is what helps them see the flow and floor plan of the house. And this is the first step to the buyer imagining themselves in the home. Call me so I can help you achieve this, 602-809-7710 Michelle.
 
*Note: these statements are made with the assumption that the house is priced right or can be negotiated to an agreeable figure, and that it is in a good location in the buyer’s mind. And only refers to the offerings of the home.

Click the following link for reason #3 to "How and why I got into real estate photography": 3) From “a less than adequate collection of photos” to “a complete collection of photos”

1) From Poor Presentation to Good Presentation

Today I’d like to address the issue of “poor presentation” in real estate photos. Back in my post titled “How and why I got into real estate photography” I mentioned five main negative issues I see regularly in real estate photos. Let me refresh your memory: 1) Poor presentation, 2) Bad perspective, 3) Less than adequate collection of photos, 4) Too many photos of a given space, and 5) Unrealistic representation due to photo manipulation.

The issue of “poor presentation” is a biggie. When you, as a real estate agent, post photos to your new listing, you MUST MUST MUST pay attention to the order in which you place your photos. No one wants to see a photo of the kitchen, then the powder room, then the kitchen, then the back yard, then the kitchen again. You don’t want to leave the potential buyer bewildered. How in the world are they suppose to get a feel for the home if they are bouncing all over the place? Quite simply, they won’t. Lost opportunity. You want to give the potential buyer a “tour” of the home. When I provide you photos for a listing, I pay close attention to the order. You want to give the buyer a feel for the floor plan or flow of the home. This allows them to get a feel of how they would function in the home.

When I deliver the photos to you, they will be in a tour-like order making it simple for you to post to the listing. You won’t have to think, I’ll do that part for you. Check out samples on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mlfrep/photos_albums.

602-809-7710 Michelle

Click the following link for reason #2 to "How and why I got into real estate photography": 2) From “Bad Perspective” to “Good Perspective”

Question: Best strategy for hooking the right buyer for your listing?

Here’s my answer in the simplest terms I could come up with, “represent the home accurately and completely.” This statement is supported by my findings as a consumer, which I talked about in my article, “How and why I got into real estate photography.” Of course, you are going to go over the need to have the home clean and ready to show with the seller(s). You’ll also have a “For Sale” sign in the yard. But what will really do the talking is your real estate listing. It IS your listing’s first impression. You want photos that show the house accurately and in its entirety. Your real estate listing is your first and possibly last chance to attract a buyer. Don’t blow it by not capitalizing on your biggest opportunity. Give me a call, let me help. 602-809-7710 Michelle

In my next five articles I will go over the five most common real estate photo errors in depth. Explaining the problems, the solutions, and how I can help.

 
To learn more about how I can help you, follow this link: Why should you hire me?

There’s a house for every buyer, and a buyer for every house…

Pricing for MLF Photography & Design

NO EXCEPTION

You’ve heard the phrase, “A picture speaks a thousand words.” The photos in your real estate listings are no exception. You don’t want photos that look haphazardly taken. Make it clear to the home owner that you want to sell their home, and quickly for the most money. To do this, they need to know that the appearance of the home is a big factor. The first steps of de-cluttering and de-personalizing will most likely mean they will need to start packing. They may look at this as an inconvenience, but you’ll need to make them understand that this could mean the difference between selling in a couple weeks versus in a couple months, and getting asking price versus $50k less, or more.

Time is money. If you need someone to deliver that kind of tough love along with some crucial advice, give me a call. I’ll kindly deliver. 602-809-7710 Michelle

Why should you hire me?

Am I the best photographer in the world? No I’m not, but I am trained, and experienced. Will I work for peanuts? No, but my rates are justifiable. Will I provide you the kind of service that you wouldn’t get from someone else? Most likely. 

What I will provide you is an opportunity to optimize the visual marketing of your real estate listings. This is done through the photos I take and the presentation of the photos I give you. This isn’t a 30 minute quick shoot. These photos will act as a tour of the home. Telling more than anything you could ever write in a description. Not only will you use these photos on all of your real estate listings, but they can be used on other types of marketing as well.

I received a degree in Visual Communications in 1999. Initially I applied that degree to my career as a graphic and layout designer. With that said, I can offer my design skills as well. I can design any print marketing you need...flyers, post cards, ads, you name it. Then work with the printer source to get it printed. I have extensive experience as a designer in the print world. So the sky is the limit.

 
I also can offer your clients a staging and de-cluttering consultation when needed. No one likes to be the bad guy, but for a fee, I’ll “kindly” handle the situation. 602-809-7710 Michelle

In case you haven't seen this article yet... How and why I got into real estate photography.

Let’s talk about the “fact” that a real estate listing IS the first impression for a home that is for sale.

This explanation acknowledges the fact that the real estate listing goes up even before the “for sale” sign in most cases.

Most individuals looking to buy a home have a job, sometimes more than one. Some have families. Some have heavy social lives. Some lack mobility. Some live out of the area. In this day and age people are busy and always looking for some way to save time and energy. That’s why the real estate listing IS the first impression for a house for sale.  

We are in the digital age. Most of us carry mini computers in our pockets or purses – our smart phones. We are connected at any and all times. What’s the easiest way to find a home? Drive around? Look in the newspaper? Of course not, we get online and we “search” and we find. The digital world we live in has enabled us to speed shop. We look something up, make a decision in seconds and move on.

 

Don’t give a buyer a reason to move on. Call me 602-809-7710 Michelle

BAD first impression = Lost Opportunity

Pricing for MLF Photography & Design

How and why I got into real estate photography

I first want to state that I am not here to offend any real estate agent taking their own photos or using someone who is not necessarily a trained eye. I don’t think any real estate agent would intentionally do something that would impede the sale of a client’s home. What I’d like to do is educate on better visual marketing, and what that means.

The reason I decided to get into real estate photography is simple…I saw a real need. As a consumer in the real estate market I am continually disappointed and frustrated with the photos in real estate listings. And I’d have to say that a good 80% or more of the listings I’ve looked at have one of the following issues: 1) Poor presentation, 2) Bad perspective, 3) Less than adequate collection of photos, 4) Too many photos of a given space, and 5) Unrealistic representation due to photo manipulation.

And some real estate agents are going to respond to me by saying that with a lower commission listing it’s just not worth the investment to hire a photographer. I’ve heard that line, and I just don’t understand it. Though I’m not an agent, I know the quicker you sell the house, the higher the sale price; therefore the higher the commission. So why in the world would you risk a bad first impression? And the truth is, I’ve seen these photo issues on homes priced at $150K up to $900K. Even if all the specs for the home match what a person or family is looking for, a bad first impression due to one of the first three issues listed above could and do cause buyers to overlook or look past your listing as an option. Therefore, they will never even call their real estate agent, or have the agent take them to the home for a viewing. What do we call that? We call that “a lost opportunity.” I’m here to help you capitalize on that opportunity. Call me, 602-809-7710, Michelle Fox.

Now I bet you are wondering Why should you hire me?

See the first follow up article: 1) From Poor Presentation to Good Presentation

Don't blow your first impression!

 

If you're a real estate agent and are trying to sell houses in the Phoenix, Arizona metro, give me a call at 602-809-7710. The photos in your MLS listings are crucial. Don't blow your "listing's" first impression!