Photography Is Key in Selling Bend Real Estate
Posted on October 16th, 2008 by dylan
With most home buyers searching for homes online before they buy, real estate photography is now more important than ever. We’ve all seen the listings online with dark, fuzzy photos. Or how about the photos of just the bed or toilet! These do nothing but hurt your chances of selling your home.
As a photographer and real estate broker, I’ve decided to make a list of photography tricks and tips for sellers and agents.
- Think about the picture before you take it. What are you trying to show in the photo? Do you want to move or remove anything before you take it?
- Turn on all of the lights. Make sure all lights, lamps, and accent lights are on.
- Use a tripod. For those with unsteady hands, or in bad lighting conditions, use a tripod to steady your camera.
- Get a camera with a wide angle lens. If you can afford it, a digital SLR is best. But there are a few great point and shoot cameras with built in wide angle lenses. Wide angle lenses let you show off a homes floor plan and more of bedrooms and bathrooms. But be careful when taking photos with a wide angle lense. Barrell distortion can occur. To prevent barrell distortion while shooting real estate, make sure your camera is level and that all verticle walls are indeed verticle.
- Lighting. This is the tricky part. Some interiors are not lit well and need some artificial light. External flashes work great if you have an SLR. If you’re using a Point and Shoot, be creative. Play with your settings on your camera. Open doors and windows to allow more light.
- Exterior of the home. The “front of the home” shot is the most important. Buyers search online and see only 1 photo in their results, (the “front of home” shot). Make this shot unique. Try taking the photo from an elevated spot (from the back of a house or from the deck of a neighboring house). Make this image crisp and high in contrast to grab the attention of buyers using your post processing software (such as adobe photoshop)
- Take twice as many photos as you think you need. Put them all on the computer and then pick the best images.
Bend Real Estate - Photo By Dylan Darling
For more information on real estate photography, check out http://photographyforrealestate.net/. It’s a great site with a lot of helpful information.
Great photos showcasing a home are so vital, but it’s shocking how some people don’t seem to get that! Sometimes when looking on the MLS I’ll see pictures that are fuzzy, dark, cropped oddly, or just look completely unprofessional and unflattering. I wish everybody would use these tips…
I totally agree but I would expand it to all areas. Good photographs make for more exposure. I would add that you also need to price your homes correctly as well.
Pricing your homes right is key. Sellers need to price their homes right and use the best visuals that they can.
A picture can say more than 1000 words so don’t underestimate the power of images and always be or hire a pro when it comes to photography of a real estate.
Right price combined with excellent visuals surely captures a buyer’s interest more. If what they saw is good, chances are high that they’d be interested to know more about the property.
Great photo you have in here, Dylan. Btw, your photos shake when I move my mouse over the bottom and right borders. Cool
How did you do that?
Totally agree, althoug in this tough market, it’s tough to devote resources to proper photography. We usually try to find a local amateur photographer to take our photos. They are eager for any sort of paid work, and their enthusiasm for the job is great.
Really great post. I admit I usually hire a pro for my photography but you have inspired me to attempt to take more of my own. It does seem to have an element of art to it but with these guidelines it seems doable.
Taking a little extra time on good photos will put you above most of the competition out there. Too bad most people don’t realize their power.
Yeah i totally agree also. Pictures are very important.
Your advice is great, photos do really make the difference. It never ceases to amaze me though how many agents take pictures of toilets… with the seats up and filth a glowing. Those that take pictures with all the toothbrushes/makeup/medication/dirty clothes all around on countertops. I love the ones where they don’t even get out of the car to take an exterior and their rear view mirrors show in the photo….got to love em. They need to read your blog!!
Great tips, well taken photos are also a reflection of your work as an agent. Today, sellers expect to see their home presented professionally, including the quality of their pictures.
i agree on your topic. photos show everything .easy to understand . better than articles only talking how good it is. buyers cant imagine and dont have a clear picture with proof:)
i agree with you good photographs always attract the buyer and he take interest in the particular property because photographs make the good image in buyer mind but the photographs should be the real.
Great Info! I wish more agents followed these tips! My pet peeve is when agents try to be too “arty” and you really can’t get much information from them at all.
These tips are tried & true!! My pet peeve: don’t take a pic with people in it!! Yes, I have actually seen it! If your sellers are too lazy to get off the couch for one pic, how motivated are they going to be when it comes to selling the home?!
I agree that good photos are crucial. I will never forget a photo I saw of a home that takes the cake. It was a picture of the kitchen counter replete with trash, crumbs, an empty plastic milk jug. And this was the MAIN photo mind you!!! For my listings- anything $200,000. and over - I hire a professional and do the “twilight” shots. For an example see ” Cedar Park Home FOR SALE” on my website BettySellsAusti.com
As the saying goes “picture speaks a thousand times than words” good quality images are a key to success in the Real Estate industry. The property photos you take are the first introduction of your new listing to the world. This is the visual element that captures the imagination of buyers and sends them running to contact you for a first look.
Regards,
Shane,
Panama real estate.
Good insights on taking photos. Sometimes 2x photos is not enough. I may take 60-70 photos for a listing and use a third of them. Canon’s image stabilization feature is good — no blurs. Another thought is to learn to use different ISO settings for photos.
Thanks. I can always learn more about taking photos. I have also kept the website info for photography that you offered. Some of our mls listings only have ONE picture on them, even though we can put up to 25 online. Hopefully, more people will see your blog.
That is a great list of hints when you’re taking photos of a property. There’s nothing that makes me scratch me head in wonder more than seeing dark, dreary photos on a site. The first thing everyone should do is turn on all the lights!
Mostly home buyers collect information from internet to save their time and money. This online photography is a new technique in real estate online business to attract the potential customers.
Thanks for the tips and tricks in photography. This are really sure to help sell a place especially when these are seen in brochures or on the internet.
First impressions have to be the key to selling the house. Initially photographs will be the only way that potential buyers will see the house. Get it right and youll sell the house.
You hit the nail on the head in regards to great photography. So many Realtors are lazy when it comes to good photography. Consumers will not even read a Real Estate write up without good pictures to capture them 1st!
so true. i know so many people who are actually hiring professional architecture photographers to shoot their for sale homes. it really helps your home sell faster. then again if you cant afford something like that these are some great tips to do it on your own.
Thanks for great tips. Yes, the effect picture is important to real estate selling and the light is important to the effect picture.
Great pictures can give great impressions to buyers. This is one way to attract potential buyers. These tips can greatly help those who cannot afford professional photographers.