7 Homes, 7 Pictures. Which One Was Taken By A Professional Photographer?
Recently, I was amazed to find that only one of seven active listings had used a professional photographer when preparing a home for sale.
Ugly Listing Pictures
Question: Can you spot the pro below?
Which Home Was Captured By A Professional Photographer?
There are seven homes shown at the right, each numbered with a colorful billiard ball which was obviously not part of the real estate marketing campaigns from which I obtained the pictures.
Before you identify the one that was staged and photographed professionally, you should know that these homes are not all worth the same amount of money. In fact, they range greatly in price, from the high $180Ks to nearly $350K.
OK, so take a close look. Before looking at the next paragraph, study the seven pictures on the right and see if you can identify the one taken by the professional photographer.
Professional Images Do Matter
Did you select image #1? That's the one!
So why does this matter?
Well, if you are selling a home and want to get top dollar, you need to attract as many buyers as possible to come see it offline. Why wouldn't you make every effort possible to look like a great deal? Some of these homes do not look very nice, but I can tell you they are. They are in a great neighborhood and are typically in high demand, yet some of these pictures just don't make online visitors want to see them.
Wouldn't you think the seller of picture #4 had time to move the truck before the picture was taken? I'm just amazed that a seller who has agreed to pay more than $10,000 to sell that home did not demand a better effort from the marketing team.
When it comes time to sell your home, DO NOT allow this to happen to you. Your home is an asset that must be marketed to the greatest extent that is possible if you would like multiple buyers bidding on your home. Professionally staged photographs are one of the first steps in the process.
The Concept Of Digital Staging When Selling A Home
When we say a home must be "staged," we merely refer to the preparation process a homeowner should follow before putting a home for sale in Tallahassee. The goal when staging a home is to make the property appealing to the highest number of prospective buyers, thereby selling the home faster and for more money.
Digital staging is how we promote the home on the internet, through the use of images and immersive 3-D (virtual reality). This allows buyers to imagine themselves in your home and creates an interest for them to see it in person.
The quality of the effort that your real estate agent and marketing team will determine the impact on the prospective buyers that should be drawn to your home. And this is where professional photography matters.
We use a professional who has an eye for the shot and the knowledge and experience that allows her to capture each image in a manner most favorable for the homeowner.
Ensure You Have Professional Photographs Taken Of Your Home
Now that you understand the importance of professional photography, you should simply demand this from your listing agent when you are in the process of interviewing agents for the job of selling your home.
Ask your agent to show you examples of their other listings for which they used a pro to take the pictures, and then be sure to listen to their advice on how to prepare your house for the photography session.
Make sure your listing agreement allows you to cancel without a fee too, because if you do not like the effort of your real estate agent, you don't want to be stuck with poor pictures for the duration of your listing contract.
Remember, poor pictures won't necessarily mean the home won't sell, they will just attract fewer buyers. You want MORE buyers, as MORE buyers will create a competitive environment that should help drive your sales price higher.
Wanna Know Why Most Real Estate Marketing Plans Don't Work?
Because most real estate agents don't work a plan!
With roughly half the listings in the Tallahassee MLS failing to sell during their initial listing period, you have to wonder if real estate agents are lazy or if they are ignorant.
Who would you rather hire, somebody too lazy to market your home EVERY DAY, or somebody who does not realize that daily marketing is essential?
If neither of those options appeals to you, let us know by making contact with us below. We'll take it from there!
Open House 24/7
In the old days, before there was an internet, the biggest task a seller had was preparing for an open house and getting everything "just right." But today, you need to be prepared for open house visitor twenty four hours a day, seven days per week.
But not like we used to do it.
We have found the effectiveness of open houses has fallen greatly, as most people would rather visit your home digitally (in the comfort of their own home) than they would in the old manner that took so much time.
The good news for you is that you really only have to properly prepare your home once (for the photographer), and after that, you just have to maintain it nicely.
The images taken of your home will be the foundation for your marketing team to drive traffic to your home.
We Would Like To Discuss Real Estate Marketing With You
If you are planning to sell your home within the next few years, we would love to invite you to sit down and learn what you can start doing now so that you maximize the potential of your home when you sell.
It's not about spending money to make money, it's about the small, inexpensive things you can do to get the best BOTTOM LINE when selling. Whether you are in a hurry and need to sell now, or you have all the time in the world, we can best prepare you for a successful home sale. Here's what you do. Just give us a call at (850) 366-8917 or drop us a note and we'll be in touch right away to set up a time to just talk.
Want to know how we're doing? See what our recent clients are saying below!
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