Your Listing Photo...Your First Opportunity

While I am on the subject, a quality photo is also important. Professional pictures are always recommended, however many times to expensive to utilize for average listings. However, it will not take a professional photographer to realize a complementing angle for the exterior of the home. My favorite example is the shot with the focal point being the garage. Sure a garage is nice, but where is the house?? The other side would have complemented the home and show a peek at the garage. Interior photos are a must with today’s Internet shopper. If you are not going to include a few shots of the inside, again you are missing your mark! Buyers who may be considering relocating are going to be making a list of what they want to see when they come to town. Do you know what will top their list? The homes that they have already got a look at of the inside…via the INTERNET (or ad) PHOTOS...will be what they want to see.

Including SOME interior shots is a must, however know when to stop. A kitchen photo is a must and perhaps another room that you can capture the size or desirable architectural feature. However a picture of a room with a bed does nothing but make the room appear small. It looks like the bed is the only thing that fits. Master bathroom pictures can be good…as long as you can get the shot that will capture the size and features. Pictures can do harm just as easily as they can do good. A great example is the picture with a room with a bright painted wall…agents should be aware that such colors are very taste specific. Although the room may be this color, advertising it will only cause buyers to scratch it off their list. Showing other pictures that will interest buyers, then once the buyer is inside the agent can explain in person that paint is very easy to correct. It is easy for a buyer to dismiss a listing based upon a bad photo…or no photo at all.

The Client who hires a Listing Agent to market their home will usually be unaware of the actual techniques the agent will use. They may see the "end result" such as the final listing loaded into the computer, but it would be upsetting for the client to know that although their home is appearing in the most popular MLS system…it began as only "half done" and potentially lost half of the interested buyers. Agents owe a complete job to the client and getting the listing in front of other agents, and Internet savvy buyers is the best tool.  Your listing photo is your first opportunity, don't miss it.