I arrived at a recent appointment to be greeted by an anxious seller. We’ll call her Nancy. Her plan? Nancy was going to diligently follow me around to make sure my photographs avoid anything unsightly, and I understand where she is coming from. Her and her husband have a new baby and they are selling their first home. It’s their largest investment to date and she’s going to make sure everything is done right. Nancy’s question for me… What can be done to make the photos look REALLY amazing?
I’ve worked with Photoshop for over 19 years. I can put a giraffe in your living room and make it believable. I have a wide-angle lens and can visually double almost any room size. Here’s the problem with too much Photoshop, going too wide on a wide-angle lens, too much processing color “pop,” or hiding the homes worst attributes:
- Most of the time the potential buyer will visit the home and will feel a let down when the place looks nothing like the photos.
- It breaks trust. Homes are a significant purchase and faulty photos leave a potential buyer wondering what else isn’t being disclosed.
- It is really frustrating for a buyer’s agent when they find “the perfect listing” only it isn’t because it’s not represented correctly, and the promising trip to see it is a total waste of time and gas.
I explained these things to Nancy, and her reply was spot ON, “You mean it is like online dating?” Exactly! Let me take amazing photos that make your home genuinely shine – similar to how a professional wedding photographer makes bridal pics authentically spectacular.
For humor, I’ve re-purposed some “online dating tips” about photos:
- What matters more than anything when it comes to your online dating profile? One word: Photos. Photos can drastically increase your chances of getting more communication and dates. Or not. This is also true for real estate. It’s a beauty contest. Do the work needed to make your home shine and hire a professional photographer. I will go head to head with a smartphone any day. 🙂
- Stay recent and stay real. Be honest. Absolutely have real estate photos taken by a professional photographer but make sure they don’t go too wide with their lens or add too much color saturation.
- Avoid pictures of yourself with too many props. In real estate terms this means remove clutter, personal items, pet items, and pets.
As you can see, professional photos deserve careful consideration and the balance of show and tell is a bit like online dating. A good photographer can influence potential buyers and your home sale experience in positive ways. Should you give your photographer tips and feedback? Absolutely, and yes please! However, then let us do what we do best. Your real estate agent has us on the team for good reason.