How do your listing photos compare?

Are you taking your own photos for your client's listing? How do they compare? Are you getting a wide perspective? Are your photos sometimes dark? Sometimes do you get so much light that it ruins your shot?

Real estate photography is tricky business. The lighting issues can be a nightmare, but a professional knows how to work with and around these issues. This skill is not learned overnight and it requires much practice. No one says you can't learn to be a photographer while being a real estate agent, but wouldn't you rather focus on what got you to this dilemma in the first place? A professional can not only save you time, but the right photographer is going to know what shots will help sell the home. Back to the saving you time part. While the photographer is doing their magic getting you the money shots, you can be doing what you do best. When you hire me as your photographer, I go beyond just taking the photos. I will save you additional time by numbering the photos in a professional tour-like order for easy uploading. No more sorting through, picking out the good ones, then figuring out what order to place them. It's all done for you.

The Wow factor

This article is a follow-up to my previous article:
Marketing a home for sale in this market can't be taken lightly

The "Wow" factor can be achieved in a variety of ways, many times without spending a dime or spending very little.

Without spending a dime you can do this by:
• Removing clutter from around a covered up fireplace. Fireplaces can often be turned into a beautiful focal point in a space.
• Pull back or remove heavy window treatments to reveal a beautiful view. Heavy window treatments can also darken up a room too much, which is never a good thing when you are trying to sell Arizona sunshine.
• Direct light towards a grand architectural feature. Spot lighting is a wonderful way to direct attention to focal points.
• Remove rugs to show gorgeous flooring. Rugs are practical, but they are also cover-ups. If you have expensive, beautiful flooring, show it off.

With a small investment you can to this by:
• Emphasizing high ceilings through the use of paint. You can add an accent paint color to one tall wall or even to the ceiling.
• Adding beams to a ceiling will also bring the "wow" factor in by drawing attention upwards.
• The use of paint on a dated or style-challenged fireplace might be your ticket to "wow".
• Making sure every "space"  in the home looks usable. Do this through the use of furniture and decor to create defined spaces. Keep in mind these new purchases can be taken to your new home.
• Green up your exterior with foliage. Spruce up existing landscape and/or use potted plants and flowers to brighten up a patio or walkway.

These suggestions are all very general and can be applied to most homes. Not all homes are created equal so there may be other options for you. Give me a call, I'd love to help you. 602-809-7710, Michelle

Marketing a home for sale in this market can't be taken lightly

Marketing a home for sale has changed considerably in the last 10 years due to the internet, mobile devices, and home cable shows. In today’s market it is crucial that your listings standout. Injecting the “wow” factor is not just a good idea, but a must if you’re serious about selling your listings. The “wow” factor can be achieved in many different ways. Often with little or no cost to the homeowner. What we are talking about is “staging.” 

MLF Photography & Design can provide necessary recommendations to make the home aesthetically pleasing to the majority of potential buyers, allowing them to create their own vision from the homes potential.

Once the staging is in place the next marketing step is to take the home to the public through the listing. To do this we want to present the home in its entirety to potential buyers. The photos you receive from MLF Photography & Design will not only show the features of the home, but it will also convey the layout of the home allowing buyers to envision themselves living there. All the photos will be numbered in a “suggested presentation” order for easy uploading to the MLS system. This will act as a virtual tour and ultimately save you time.

Michelle Fox, 602-809-7710

Homeowners: Don't rush your agent into listing your home prematurely

If you do, you will be setting them up for less than great results. Who does that affect? YOU.  Let the professional do their job the best way they know how. That is why you hired them, right?

Getting the best results when selling a home requires more than a listing on an MLS site. There is plenty of preparation required. You must be ready to put forth the effort. Don't be surprised if your agent tells you to get out the moving boxes. 

The first step in selling a home is getting the home ready for viewings, and photographs. To do this you'll need to:
• De-personalize - Remove ALL personal items from sight, even those you use daily.
• De-clutter - Remove ALL piles and collections.
• Clean - Floor to ceiling, shiny and sparkly, inside and outside.
• Repair -Fix any items that are in disrepair. Broken items are red-flags. They lead buyers into thinking the home wasn’t taken care of.and, 
• Neutralize your home - That dark or bright colored wall that worked for you for the last 10 years now needs to be neutralized. I like to use the phrase "light & bright". Make sure ALL window coverings are open, and light bulbs in fixtures work. Nothing is more annoying than a light that doesn’t work. Plus, this is a red-flag. It too can make a buyer think the home was not taken care of.

Once all this is done, the photos can be taken and the listing posted. But you're not done yet. The house needs to look like this "every" day until you have an offer, or until the sale is final, depending on your agent. Your agent will most likely give you a checklist to use each morning to help you make sure the home is ready for viewing at any given moment. 

The goal is to sell fast. Why? If you sell fast you have a better chance of selling for top dollar.

The thing is, if you do all the things listed above to the best of your ability, then you are increasing your odds of selling the home fast. That means more money in your pocket and less time making your home look like a model home that no one lives in. Win Win. 

Michelle L. Fox, 602-809-7710 #mlfpandd

The Difference "Staging" Makes

MLF Photography & Design offers "staging consultations." Here are a few reasons why they do:

1) It is absolutely necessary if you are trying to sell a home quickly and for the most possible money. Your product must stand out from the rest.
2) Some agents are not comfortable or knowledgeable about the staging process.
3) Sometimes an agent has a personal relationship with the seller and does not want to jeopardize the relationship by delivering "hard to hear" recommendations.
4) Occasionally an agent is overwhelmed by a home's condition, and feel they need assistance putting together a game plan.

To address the above issues MLF Photography & Design will walk through the entire home, inside and out. This can be done with or without the agent and homeowner. Notes will be taken and recommendations will be put together in a final report. The report will list recommendations room by room. This will act as a worksheet for the agent and home owner.

Here are a few before and afters of a home done for an agent who had a "round about way" personal relationship with the homeowner. These "before" photos were taken with a sub-par (IMO) cell phone camera. I wish it had shown a wider angle. The home had a lot of clutter and disorganization happening. As you can see the homeowner got it looking great for final photos.

This "before" photo was taken after the window treatments had been tweaked and the arrangement of the seating area had been configured as you see it in the after photo.

This room was cluttered and crowded. Furniture was removed and de-personalization and de-cluttering was done. Leaving this space looking more open and spacious.

The kitchen still had clutter despite homeowners efforts.

This picture is a very good example of the type of clutter that was throughout the home. When you are "living" in a home this may be acceptable, but when you are selling a home it needs to look like "anybody's" home, not "yours". You can see the difference in the before and after.

One thing no one can guarantee - and that is that the homeowner will comply with all the recommendations. This home looked satisfactory, but a few recommendations were made that were not taken. The staging consultation works as a tool to help the home owner realize that it's not just the agent saying so, but that there are others who believe that a little (or a lot of) work is necessary to prepare the home for the market. It's also a tool for the agent to separate themselves from this aspect of the listing process, which is often one of the hardest for the homeowner, outside of the move itself. 

If you have any questions about the "staging consultation" process, please give me a call I would be happy to answer any questions. 602-809-7710, Michelle.

The more eyes that see your listing in a short duration of time often leads to a faster and better sale.

When planning out your MLS listings keep in mind that you are putting together a mini commercial. Your photos need to show all that there is to see, and your description needs to tell all that there is to tell about what cannot be seen.

The listing is most often your first impression. Don't leave anything out. If you do you could be giving a potential buyer a reason to move to the next listing. Wow them into wanting to see the house.

I'd love to discuss your current marketing strategy with you. We can do this by phone or over coffee. In this market, a good marketing strategy is the difference between selling quickly or NOT. Give me a call now!
602-809-7710, Michelle.

Also read: The Whole Package, Making photography affordable for "all" real estate listings

The Whole Package

MLF Photography is best known for its photography, but there is so much more to it. We want to provide you complete real estate marketing assistance. Keep reading!

Staging Consultations

Before you can photograph the home for the listing, or show the home to potential buyers, you must prepare it. Preparation means start packing! De-clutter, de-personalize, clean, fix and neutralize the home so that any potential buyer that walks in can see the home as “their” home, not the home of the current owners. If you don’t know where to begin or have concerns about delivering the “bad news”, you can hire me. I will come in as an impartial third party. I’ll go through the entire house. Then I will provide you and/or the home owner a report. The report will include my recommendations in detail.

“So your client is ready to list their home?”      (click to read article)                 

Listing Photography

If you want to sell homes you need to provide potential buyers an “accurate & complete” set of photos to view. These photos will show the potential buyers what they need to see to determine if the home is right for them. In addition to the set of photos, I will number the photos in a tour-like presentation. This way you don’t have to do it yourself, freeing you up to do what you do best.  

“Making photography affordable for “all” real estate listings”       (click to read article)

Graphic Layout and Design

I also have 15 years experience as a graphic and layout designer. So if you’d like to have custom flyers, ads, mailers or more created, I can do that for you as well.

“Custom Marketing Materials”     (click to read article)

Call me, Michelle - 602-809-7710.

Making photography affordable for “all” real estate listings

When it came to a career in photography I chose to specialize in the real estate market because I saw not only a need for affordable, quality photography, but I also realized that agents need a photographer who understands that it takes more than a few good photos to sell a house.

Most agents know that there are companies that provide high-end, big production photography services that look like a million dollars. I call them the "Big Bucks" companies. In a good percentage of the time your marketing budget is not going to afford you the necessary “set” of photos you need to effectively market the home from a company like this. The reason I stress “set” is because for the kind of money they charge, you can only get a handful of these great photos and still stay in your budget. But the truth is that a “handful” of good photos will not be enough to hook a potential buyer.

What I offer is not “Big Bucks” photography.

I acknowledge that in a good percentage of the time you don’t have the kind of budget, or need, for that type of service. So what I offer is a trained eye with knowledge of the real estate market that ends with quality, affordable photography. You will receive an “accurate and complete set” of photographs that will present a tour of your client’s home. This will give any potential buyer the amount of visual they’ll need to determine if the home could be the one for them. Call me 602-809-7710, Michelle

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

Pricing for MLF Photography & Design

Photos or no photos?

Photos of course!

 You’ve got a client who wants to sell their home. Now what? The goal is to sell the home fast and for the most money, right? How do you get this house noticed more than any other house that’s similar to it? First, you give the client your staging advice: de-clutter, de-personalize, and make it aesthetically friendly to the majority of who will see it. Then, you get a great set of photographs that show the house in its entirety. Next, you do your homework so that you can price it right. Lastly, you create your listing with the great set of photos I give you, and an informative description. Don’t expect to do all these things in a couple days. Realistically, you’re looking at approximately a week, or longer if the home needs extensive “polishing”.

With that all said…NEVER post a listing without photos! Or sub-par photos for that matter. This is a common mistake I see made daily by agents. Here’s one reason why you shouldn’t do it...Some buyers only pay attention to “new listings”. And if your “new listing” doesn’t have images for them to view, they are going to move on. And when you do finally add photos, your listing won’t be new and that buyer will assume they’ve already looked at it. So they won’t bother to click on it. The point is, don’t rush to put out incomplete product packaging. Your marketing strategy is just as important as the product itself. If your marketing isn’t well thought out and complete, you risk cutting down the number of potential buyers that see your product.

I can help you with both the staging consultation and the photographs. Call me and I will help you make your listing stand out. 602-809-7710, Michelle.

Pricing for MLF Photography & Design

What do your listing photos say about your level of professionalism as a real estate agent?

Not only is the listing, AND the photos in it, your most important tool when trying to sell a home, but it also demonstrates the kind of professional you are. If you’re interested in gaining new clients, you need to put your best foot forward. Not news, right? But have you thought about this? “The real estate listing” your potential client’s first and possibly only chance of meeting you, AND the first and possibly last chance you have of selling the home to a potential buyer. Ah yes, that is how important your listing photos are. These are two types of individuals you're trying to reach. 

When you are mapping out your marketing budgets you need to include funds for the one way you can reach the most potential clients and buyers – the real estate listings. When people start thinking about buying a home they don’t necessarily call an agent right away. No, they hit the internet and start browsing listings. If your listing is appealing enough, there is a chance they will call you. Ta daa! I can’t stress enough what a great marketing tool your listings “can” be. But you have to utilize them in the most optimal way or they could actually be working against you. 

I will work with you, as your partner, to help optimize the appeal of the homes in your listings. To do this, I will provide you photos that “accurately and completely” represent your homes. I’m also a skilled graphic and layout designer, so I can help you out with that when and if needed. Show potential buyers that you’re serious about what you do - sell homes.

Call me, 602-809-7710 Michelle

To see albums of my work, check out: https://www.facebook.com/mlfrep/photos_albums
Remember: There’s a house for every buyer, and a buyer for every house…
Pricing for MLF Photography & Design

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

But if you don’t optimize the visual marketing in your listings, that perfect buyer may never see their perfect home.

Some might think that it would be a challenge to sell a home that is run down, dated or in a not so ideal location. But you'd be working against yourself if you didn’t consider the diversity of buyer’s wants and needs. Sure a home in one of these conditions is not going to sell for the same price as a home that is move-in ready, but it will sell. That is, if it is priced accordingly. There is no reason why a home in one of these conditions shouldn’t get the same amount of attention from you. If you sell it, and quickly, you’re still going to make money, and that’s why you do it, right? So give me a call so that we can show potential buyers a home they can make their own! 602-809-7710 Michelle

*Note: these statements are made with the assumption that the house is in a clean and safe state. And only refers to the offerings of the home.

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

Pricing for MLF Photography & Design

Real Estate Photography: 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 real estate listings are crucial. Don't blow your "listing's" first impression!

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