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There have been a few threads lately regarding listing photos, especially by sellers who can't sell their homes partly because of horrid photos.
Do you professionals ever get requests for professional photos for property listings? Or would you honor a request by a seller to preview and approve the photos before they're published?
I've seen some awful listing photos, so I'm thinking of requesting this next time I sell.
Step 1 is to find a competent listing agent who knows how to market a property properly. You should see some of their previous work to know if they can do that.
When I list, I am picking the proper photos and description as I have the experience. The sellers don't have experience to know what appeals to the masses, only their own personality.
I always send the final listing to my clients and tell them to look it over and if they want to make changes, let me know how and why. I point out that each character space is used, so if they want something added, they need to tell me what to take away. If they want another photo added, they need to tell me which one to remove as I always use the allowed 40 images.
I had a listing a few months ago. The sellers kept asking why I wouldn't put pictures of their 8X8 and 8X9 kids' bedrooms. First, I like neutrality, so putting kids stuff in the public MLS is not 1st choice. But the rooms were so small which made the pictures horrible, they couldn't figure out what awesome photos to remove to replace with the horrible tiny bedrooms. They tried to change the description many times to add things, but couldn't ever figure out how to remove other important things.
In the end, the agent you pick should be capable, and if they aren't and you feel you need to babysit, you picked the wrong one!
Step 1 is to find a competent listing agent who knows how to market a property properly. You should see some of their previous work to know if they can do that.
When I list, I am picking the proper photos and description as I have the experience. The sellers don't have experience to know what appeals to the masses, only their own personality.
I always send the final listing to my clients and tell them to look it over and if they want to make changes, let me know how and why. I point out that each character space is used, so if they want something added, they need to tell me what to take away. If they want another photo added, they need to tell me which one to remove as I always use the allowed 40 images.
I had a listing a few months ago. The sellers kept asking why I wouldn't put pictures of their 8X8 and 8X9 kids' bedrooms. First, I like neutrality, so putting kids stuff in the public MLS is not 1st choice. But the rooms were so small which made the pictures horrible, they couldn't figure out what awesome photos to remove to replace with the horrible tiny bedrooms. They tried to change the description many times to add things, but couldn't ever figure out how to remove other important things.
In the end, the agent you pick should be capable, and if they aren't and you feel you need to babysit, you picked the wrong one!
Ok, so I've been around the block, have sold a few houses, and I have definite ideas about what I want to see for photos in a house I'm buying. I would want to see the same things in a house I'm listing.
Of course, I would have looked at the listings of someone I'm thinking of hiring. Still, I want to know that that person and I are on the same page. I not only think I know better, I should just get my own license and do it myself.
I am sorry to even say this, but there are too many real estate people who are in it because they don't have anything else to do.
I am sorry to even say this, but there are too many real estate people who are in it because they don't have anything else to do.
And if you pick an agent like this that you've described, what is that saying about you? If you've been around the block a time or two, you should know how to interview an agent.
The main thing is that a "good" agent sells many houses a YEAR, whereas most sellers sell only a handful of houses their entire lives. Who has more experience with that one?
It should be easy to view a listing agent's photo portfolio, as well as the listing portfolio, and to choose wisely.
I would consider a professional photographer for listings if I thought I couldn't get it good enough to sell. That is why I am engaged to list: To SELL the house.
But, I would require a "work for hire" arrangement giving me complete and unfettered use of the photos beyond the selling of the house, and that is where the professional photographers balk.
If I cannot use a listing to promote my business after the sale, because I don't own the content I uploaded, I give up a lot.
If a third party syndicator site uses photographs that I don't have license to, and the photographer blames me, I may have a big bill, or a big hassle.
People get off track and think of the photos as an art gallery. They serve to promote features of the house from a marketing standpoint. They serve thusly for one reason: To bring people in.
And, from that standpoint, crappy "professional" photos are legion on our MLS.
Every day, you see the "pros" providing photos that indicate that the microwave over the range is 48" wide or more, and 8" high. "Ooooooohhh!" Not.
Of course, I forward listings to clients so they can see, review, comment. But, that listing is tied directly to my license and my livelihood, and I have had people make seriously unethical, misleading requests that might put me at risk. I have veto power at that point.
The smart ones get educated. The "clever" ones? They sometimes just end up with another agent.
I looked for an open thread about lousy photos to post this. I am financing a home in this community and was curious and started looking at potential comps.
Talk about penny foolish - you would think even if they weren't professionally taken.......It's not just one, but the deeper you get into the pix, it's "are you kidding me?" At 1/10th the price, I would still get rid of the blue rug toilet seat cover. Even though the architecture isn't my cup of tea, some of these rooms would show better empty.
I looked for an open thread about lousy photos to post this. I am financing a home in this community and was curious and started looking at potential comps.
Talk about penny foolish - you would think even if they weren't professionally taken.......It's not just one, but the deeper you get into the pix, it's "are you kidding me?" At 1/10th the price, I would still get rid of the blue rug toilet seat cover. Even though the architecture isn't my cup of tea, some of these rooms would show better empty.
I looked for an open thread about lousy photos to post this. I am financing a home in this community and was curious and started looking at potential comps.
Talk about penny foolish - you would think even if they weren't professionally taken.......It's not just one, but the deeper you get into the pix, it's "are you kidding me?" At 1/10th the price, I would still get rid of the blue rug toilet seat cover. Even though the architecture isn't my cup of tea, some of these rooms would show better empty.
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