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I guess you could build a data set of the number of pictures, number of angles, time of day, quality, artistry and correlate that to the selling price as % of list and number of days on market to show the difference.
As a photography enthusiast, I feel the property pictures in 99.9% of listings are c-r-a-p. Yes snapping pictures with a point-and-shoot camera is free, does the job of letting buyers roughly see the place, and the pictures will never replace a onsite visit anyway, but I really think better photos can make properties more appealing to buyers and will definitely generate more enquiries.
In this listing, I feel the pictures do not do the beautiful place justice. It's obvious these pictures were taken by an amateur. And there are so many pictures of practically the same shot! For what?! A more serious photographer amateur can easily take pictures that make the place look like the national park.
If I were to take pictures to show case this property, this is what I will do:
--document more fully the place, interior and exterior
--shots with better angles and perspectives
--some close-ups
--bringing more elements into one picture
--since the inside is so woody, include subjects that are not wood to mix things up
--include shots that showcase activities around the pond
--shots at dawn or dusk that gives the place a sense of serenity
--wild life that could be on the property
--vegetation
--maybe even some underwater fish shots
--organize the presentation better
Do you think pictures like these will help generate interest on the house? And are real estate agents/companies willing to pay for such service?
I am really surprised that in an era of over packaging, the real estate business is still not trying to make the best first impression.
Almost all agents use professional photographers for photos/video of their listings.
I guess you could build a data set of the number of pictures, number of angles, time of day, quality, artistry and correlate that to the selling price as % of list and number of days on market to show the difference.
Starter home.
I paid $350 for photos, drone, matterport, Floorplan.
Didn't have to for the sale. But, it's in my professional portfolio of closed sales that I can run past potential listing clients.
7 offers in 2 days. All over list price. All but one were acceptable.
The photos hardly made a difference. I could have shot and sold just as easily.
But, again, my portfolio....
I thought the pictures in the link in the OP were fine. Yes, too many duplicates, but so what? The seller must have approved them. (It just seemed a VERY odd choice to use for yet another "bad pictures" thread.)
I'm in a hot market and just sold my one and only rental property (a house I'd lived in for 9 years, then rented for 8 years -- the tenants, who'd been there for 4 years, bought their own house so I decided it was a good time to sell). I wanted my listing up FAST because there was very little inventory at its price point and I wanted a fast closing, so after I rented a storage unit for the tenants to move some of their stuff to (I helped!), I took lots of pictures of the mostly-decluttered rental property with my phone. My agent lightened a few of them up a bit, but otherwise they were totally fine. Showed the house Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday of one week, had 6 offers by Thursday morning including 2 over asking (one quite a bit), chose the best offer that same day (also had a back-up but didn't need it), closed literally 3 weeks later.
So no, professional photographs are not needed for every real estate listing. My little iPhone 6 worked great.
Maybe, but there is something about the absolute clarity you get with a professional job that really makes a difference. In a hot market people may not want to bother, but I expect a realtor worth his salt wants to have great "sold" pictures in his portfolio.
Many of the problems people have with pictures could be solved with a floorplan, which is also standard in overseas places I've bought and sold. This helps SO much. No trying to figure out where the bathrooms are. To my mind, it's even better than a walkthrough video, because again, someone just walking through the house with his phone is not going to be helpful when half the pictures are of the floor and the other half are a closeup of a wall (I've actually seen that).
As a photography enthusiast, I feel the property pictures in 99.9% of listings are c-r-a-p. Yes snapping pictures with a point-and-shoot camera is free, does the job of letting buyers roughly see the place, and the pictures will never replace a onsite visit anyway, but I really think better photos can make properties more appealing to buyers and will definitely generate more enquiries.
In this listing, I feel the pictures do not do the beautiful place justice. It's obvious these pictures were taken by an amateur. And there are so many pictures of practically the same shot! For what?! A more serious photographer amateur can easily take pictures that make the place look like the national park.
If I were to take pictures to show case this property, this is what I will do:
--document more fully the place, interior and exterior
--shots with better angles and perspectives
--some close-ups
--bringing more elements into one picture
--since the inside is so woody, include subjects that are not wood to mix things up
--include shots that showcase activities around the pond
--shots at dawn or dusk that gives the place a sense of serenity
--wild life that could be on the property
--vegetation
--maybe even some underwater fish shots
--organize the presentation better
Do you think pictures like these will help generate interest on the house? And are real estate agents/companies willing to pay for such service?
I am really surprised that in an era of over packaging, the real estate business is still not trying to make the best first impression.
I am nauseated when I see the overdone HDR processing on dingy homes to make them look brighter. I have been using Adobe since PhotoDeluxe 3.0 (not even PhotoShop!)
It makes all the pictures look like a bas relief and is very hard on the eyes / brain to process. I immediately get the impression they're trying to hide something, and pass over that listing.
If any investing is to be done, it needs to be done by the entity with the biggest budget. (i.e. not making Realtors themselves pay for ads when they are managed by a bigger brand who shares in profits or fees)
A few ears ago I bought an oceanfront property that was initially listed about 30% below market. I went into bidding fully expecting there be a bidding war. I told my agent to go in at asking, but gave her authority to top it up to 150% of asking.
As it turned out, my initial bid matching the asking price came back ACCEPTED! I literally flipped off the chair when the news arrived. The property became the crown jewel of my collection I'm sure.
I had always attributed my success in that deal to luck and quick action. But now that I think back, listing photos not showing the most valuable asset of that property -- a stretch of CA's sand beach -- was probably a bigger reason, since it moderated competition.
Why did they not do that? Maybe seller was too old to hike 150' down the hill to the beach and agent could not do it in heels. I don't know. But if I ever want to sell the property, which I have no intention to because I'm gonna be buried there, you bet I will be taking the most stunning beach photos to reveal its true value.
But I really like the selling agent. She is such nice person; we became friends and she represented me to bid on another property later.
If the location and house are desirable then paying for 'professional' pictures is a waste of money.
Most agents can take great photographs with their cell phone and a wide angle adapter.
If the property is less desirable for some reason, professional photos may help generate interest but often just mislead the potential buyer.
I can't imagine that most listing agents would pay much for 'professional' photographs unless they just want to throw away $.
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