A few weeks ago, I was on my way to a listing to get some MLS photos done for a property. But this property was a little different than the others I had on my schedule for the day.
This one had been on the market for a few weeks already. And it wasn’t getting any attention.
I was surprised to learn this - the house was almost new and in a desirable, new subdivision. It was zoned to good schools, and the neighborhood was sunny and conveniently located. Surely there was something going on I didn’t know about on the inside, I thought.
I stepped inside.
I was greeted with sunny rooms, the smell of new paint, updated appliances, recessed lighting galore. “What?” I wondered. “How could this house not be moving off the market already?” I did my initial walkthrough as I always do, getting a feel for the floor plan and deciding what to highlight as I flip on the lights (there were no blinds to adjust - I did a happy dance. Blinds are a real estate photog’s worst enemy.)
I took the photos, made a mental note of the nice floor plan and left. It was a week later that I learned that the rest of the story, which I will tell you now:
The previous photos were shot on a cell phone. Walls were distorted, the lighting was poor. The house sat on the market and got stale. It had noticeably few showings. None, in fact. The price dropped by somewhere between 10-15% and sat a few more days.
The new photos were made and the house went under contract within 72 hours. Why? Because the photos attracted buyers.
The quality of the professional photos, on the other hand, showed off the features of the house in a flattering way. In a market where there is plenty of choice and plenty of interest in buying, you have to SHOW the buyer that your listing is worth looking at. Cell phone photos prevented this house from getting eyes on it for a showing.
And that’s the moral of the story, folks. Photos are a house’s first impression to buyers, and first impressions count.
Do you need a listing redone? Or better yet, are you proactive, and wanting photos for a new listing? Contact me and I’ll make it happen for you.
SPECIAL REPORT:
How To Get Ready For Your House's Photo Shoot
Learn 9 tips to insure your house is looking as good as possible and is ready for your photo shoot.