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Many people underestimate the power of good listing photos. Like you demonstrated, one doesn't need a fancy DSLR to get high quality pictures of a home. These days, most smartphones and P+S digital cameras plenty powerful enough. Pictures make or break a listing.
I think a lot of people just don't want to put the minuscule amount of effort in, which is kind of ironic considering the value of what they're selling.
P.S.- Good pics or not that house is seriously ugly. It looks like it was styled by my Grandma.
What really bothers me is when the cat litter box and cat food bowls are in the photos. I'm highly allergic so it's an automatic rule out. Just this week I saw two different homes with a dogs butt in the photos!
For me, I want to see pictures that suggest to me that I'm not going to need to spend my first week in the house cleaning just to bring it up to speed. Full garbage cans, dirty laundry, dirty dishes, clutter, toys everywhere, religious symbols, too many, family photos and tasteless art on the walls, dirty windows, piled up junk. Even though it might all be corrected before I move in, if I saw the mess in the pictures then I'm not very confident.
Moving isn't easy for the buyer or seller. Lot's of work involved. As the buyers, we're going to be huffing furniture and boxes in on move-in day, and at the end of the day, we want to be able to set up our beds, take nice clean showers and go to sleep without feeling like we are bathing or sleeping in a filthy room.
In the morning, I want to be able to prepare breakfast without having to clean up the appliances and counters first.
Bad or lack of photos really bother me and do a disservice to the seller. I own a real estate company and I'm the resident photographer. It is not that hard to get a decent photo. It is all about the lighting and angles. Most people will get their fist look online and you want to create the urge to take the next step to go see the house.
Clean up the clutter, rearrange furniture if needed, close the loo lid and turn on some lights.
I have seen listings for million dollar homes and the photos are terrible and worse there is only a handful of them??
I do have a nice DSLR and don't use photoshop but I have been accused of taking too good of a photo if that is possible. Why would anyone want to show the negatives of a listing?
In the examples the person posted we could see that good lighting goes a long way and makes us imagine ourselves sitting down there in that living room. The first photo was gloomy.
Just a comment about the photos above: even the pics with good lighting would have been useless to me. Who needs to see the seller's furniture? Just show us where the doors and windows are, and what the trim work and maybe floors look like. The furniture is not staying with the house, and an 'intersection of two walls' is not a distinguishing feature.
Just a comment about the photos above: even the pics with good lighting would have been useless to me. Who needs to see the seller's furniture? Just show us where the doors and windows are, and what the trim work and maybe floors look like. The furniture is not staying with the house, and an 'intersection of two walls' is not a distinguishing feature.
I often wonder about the corner shots. Why are realtors taking photos of corners of bedrooms? Show the bedroom from the doorway so potential buyers can see where the windows are, how big the room is (if furniture is in the room, this is easy to see), etc.
I've seen pictures as well upside down and carelessly posted. No excuse this day and age for poor photos unless the realtor is using an instamatic camera.
A lot of the pictures don't show enough of the house itself and too much of the seller's "stuff". Like a picture that focuses on a bed in a room but gives no view of the windows, flooring, or a broad enough perspective to give a feeling for the room itself. Or street views of the house with a parked car there in the middle. I even saw one of a closet, complete with uncovered dirty clothes hamper proudly displayed right there in the center! Oh yeah, just can't wait to go out and see that!
What really bothers me is when the cat litter box and cat food bowls are in the photos. I'm highly allergic so it's an automatic rule out. Just this week I saw two different homes with a dogs butt in the photos!
I would think you would LIKE to see the pet bowls. It is full graphic disclosure for clients who then will not want to see the house.
I thought I had a perfect photo of a family room a few years ago, and I saw the dog's butt when I uploaded it to my computer. LOL It WAS a great photo, otherwise.
I had a listing with a 10 person hot tub. It was on MLS for two weeks, and I was going through the photos. Looked at the one I had selected for the hot tub, and opened it full sized. Dead bird floating in one of the shadows.
Delete! Selected a less gory image to replace it. And went down and tossed the bird into the woods.
Sometimes photos are easy. Sometimes photos are tough.
I've seen it all - ugly, soggy winter pictures (couldn't you at least find a sunny day)
Are you able to make the sun shine on command?
If you were selling your home, would you be patient enough to wait for a sunny day during a dreary winter?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mandalorian
P.S.- Good pics or not that house is seriously ugly. It looks like it was styled by my Grandma.
Maybe it was.
And you're not buying the decor.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JWEvergreen
For me, I want to see pictures that suggest to me that I'm not going to need to spend my first week in the house cleaning just to bring it up to speed. Full garbage cans, dirty laundry, dirty dishes, clutter, toys everywhere, religious symbols, too many, family photos and tasteless art on the walls, dirty windows, piled up junk.
How do family photos and religious symbols contribute toward having to clean a house?
Such irrational expectations.
I buy a house expecting to be spending a week -- at the very least! -- cleaning it. Buyers are such spoiled brats these days.
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