View the Agent vs. Real Estate Photo Pro Gallery
I am often surprised by how bad many Real Estate photos are on the MLS and sites like Realtor.com… what surprises me the most is why the homeowners, the majority of whom are selling their largest asset, allow their Listing Agent to use such ordinary photos to present their home to the marketplace.
Do the homeowners look at the listing of their own home? Are the Homeowners so blindly trusting in the Realtors expertise that they let the Agent use whatever images they want? Or do Homeowners (and Real Estate Agents) not instinctively know what makes a Real Estate Photo good or bad? I am not sure…
Occasionally I get access to an Agents’ photos of a home that I get to shoot. These pictures help to illustrate the difference between an Agents attempt at photographing a home and my work . I have put 14 comparitive examples together — see them at my Agents Images compared to Professional Photos by South Bend Realty Photo gallery.
While the images speak for themselves (I think), here are some thoughts on 3 of the examples from the comparison gallery, pointing out why the photos are bad, or great for a Real Estate listing:
Example 1: what are the key selling features that need to be emphasised?
This is a bad photo for Real Estate because this is an incredible Lake Home! Where is the Lake in this Agent Photo?
This is a spectacular Living Room with a great view of Eagle Lake -- a buyer interested in this home would buy the house for the view and proximity to the Lake, so the Lake needs to be seen!
Example 2: interiors need to be light & bright, no one wants to see or buy a dark & dingy home.
This shot makes the Kitchen look dark, dingy, dirty, old & small... do you want to cook a meal here?
This is a nice Kitchen -- large with great walk-ways around it, and it is appealing... there is lots of great light here, and the cabinets and counters are in great shape & are clean + you know where the dining room is in relation to the Kitchen, you can understand the flow of these two rooms together
Example 3: Bathrooms (and Kitchens) are the money-rooms of the house, we need to see it…
This photo may be confused with some modern art... you have to stare a while and work-out what you are actually looking at! That is certainly NOT the goal of good Real Estate photography...
The use of a Wide-Angle lens allows a buyer to see much more of a small room -- yet this bathroom doesn't seem small when photographed professionally
Homeowners, insist that your most valuable asset is presented to the market with Great Photos that will help, rather than hinder, the sale of your home. Spend the money yourself if your Agent isn’t willing too… a small investment to help sell your biggest investment is money well-spent!
Real Estate Agents, my business is to help your business. Using Professional Real Estate photography will not only attract more buyers to your listings, it will also give your business a much more professional image that will win you more listings.
