While I typically am not a “ranter” when it comes to writing on my blog, I really feel the urge to make an exception to write about a big pet peeve of mine...agents who market homes with NO photos or HORRIBLE photos. Why you may ask?
First let me start off by saying there are many good and professional agents in Jonesboro that offer great marketing of their listings. I have a lot of respect for many and enjoy working with them. But on the other hand, fewer things drive me crazier than seeing lousy photos for real estate listings and marketing material. The one thing that may be worse is a lack of photos. Okay, I admit I may be a little OCD about this subject, but agents are hired and PAID by sellers to market their properties. So I just don’t get it! There's no excuse with all the technology available today. Below are three real life examples of why it's so bad for a seller.
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| Taken From Inside Car - See the Mirror? |
Example #1: This one comes from a current client, and it’s a story I hear a LOT. “Hey, this looks like it MAY be a nice home, can you get me more photos?” I also receive emails from my site from potential buyers requesting more photos for other agents listings. ANNOYING!!! Now I understand if the seller doesn't realize how much photos in real estate mean to marketing a home. It’s not their job to know this, but an agent? An agent knows, and simply put, are just too lazy to take multiple photos and upload into the MLS. I've actually seen photos of home exteriors in the MLS that appear to have been taken from the inside of the agents car. You can see the side mirror and some of the interior of the car. Are you kidding me? Are they too lazy to at least step out of the car to snap a photo? Do they not realize the harm they are doing to their client??? Do they even care???
Example #2: I've had clients request to not be sent any listings that have no interior photos. They explain that they don’t even pause in their home search when inside pictures are unavailable. They want to exercise the process of elimination and only include homes that peak their interest to view in person. Many are transferring from another state and are limited to the number of homes they will be able to view physically. Some only have the luxury of a one weekend visit to look at homes.
Example #3: I often receive phone calls from sellers wanting to list their home because theirs have expired. Expired means their home did not sell during the listing term with their previous agent. Since we are able to view expired listings in the MLS, I always check it out before going to see the home in person. Usually I am shocked while walking through the home, because the photos in the MLS from the previous listing did not do the home justice at all. After uploading the new professional photos online, the sellers are amazed at the increase of showings and are impressed when the home sells. I'm not bragging, it's just simple marketing...good photos sell homes! I have actually heard agents say, "I'm not in the photography business, I'm in the real estate business". Really? It's a proven fact that photos sell homes in today's "see it now" internet world.
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| Non-professional Photography vs Professional Photography |
There are sometimes compelling reasons that agents do not provide photos: maybe the home is just so completely unattractive that a photo would harm the chances of selling. Maybe the yard and interior are disasters. However, that's exactly the thought that buyers would have as well, so no photo could likely do as much harm as actually having a photo.
Still Think Photos Don't Matter?
According to the National Association of Realtors Profile of Home Buyers, 88% of home buyers searched online to find their home. In today's fast-paced society, buyers want instant results. They expect to browse the web and find properties matching their search criteria complete with photos. If the photography is lacking and doesn't catch their eye, they will likely skip right over the listing. According to Realtor.com, listings with multiple pictures are viewed 299% more than those with none or just one photo. Again, 299% more!!!
Watch, just watch, the average person searching for homes. You'll see the vast majority of them blow by any listing without a photo. They won't even consider it. Now watch their frustration mount as they click "view all photos" and they see one or two pop up. I don't think frustrating potential buyers is a good idea.
The Jonesboro market is very competitive and if a property doesn't have photos, buyers will just move on to ones that do. How does an agent justify submitting a listing with 1, 2, 3 or no photos? We are able to upload 15 photos into our MLS for each listing.
When we enter a listing into the MLS, that listing is then syndicated out through a IDX system to multiple other websites, such as, Realtor.com, Trulia, Homes.com, real estate company sites and to every agent's website in town who has one. It's the photos in the MLS that will show on all these sites. So it's very important for each property to have good quality and multiple photos in the MLS.
I see photos in the MLS all the time that simply make me cringe. For example, some agents upload photos that are too small in file size. When you click on the thumbnail of the photo to enlarge the photo is blurred out. Nice!!! That's really a great way to market your client's biggest investment. And what's more amazing, all the photos of that listing will be that way. It embarrasses me not only for the agent and seller, but for the entire industry of real estate professionals.
Still Think Photos Don't Matter?
According to the National Association of Realtors Profile of Home Buyers, 88% of home buyers searched online to find their home. In today's fast-paced society, buyers want instant results. They expect to browse the web and find properties matching their search criteria complete with photos. If the photography is lacking and doesn't catch their eye, they will likely skip right over the listing. According to Realtor.com, listings with multiple pictures are viewed 299% more than those with none or just one photo. Again, 299% more!!!
Watch, just watch, the average person searching for homes. You'll see the vast majority of them blow by any listing without a photo. They won't even consider it. Now watch their frustration mount as they click "view all photos" and they see one or two pop up. I don't think frustrating potential buyers is a good idea.
The Jonesboro market is very competitive and if a property doesn't have photos, buyers will just move on to ones that do. How does an agent justify submitting a listing with 1, 2, 3 or no photos? We are able to upload 15 photos into our MLS for each listing.
When we enter a listing into the MLS, that listing is then syndicated out through a IDX system to multiple other websites, such as, Realtor.com, Trulia, Homes.com, real estate company sites and to every agent's website in town who has one. It's the photos in the MLS that will show on all these sites. So it's very important for each property to have good quality and multiple photos in the MLS.
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| Uploading the wrong file size |
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| Generic New Construction Pic |
Since I sell a lot of new construction homes, this one always gets me. The only photo in the MLS for a home under construction is a generic pic with framing for a house with the words "New Construction". Now that's perfectly fine if an elevation photo from the plan is unavailable. The problem is you'll see this same pic six months later when the house has been completed and is still for sale. Example: Recently a beautiful new home closed and the MLS still shows the same photo that was taken last July with sheathing only on the home. This particular home was absolutely stunning with the most beautiful details throughout, and honestly should have been under contract long before it was. Sadly, the agent didn't update photos during the construction process showing all the beautiful details that was being put into the home.
So my advice...
Home sellers: ask demand to see the actual listing of your home in the MLS. Before it even gets to that point though, grill your prospective agent on how they plan to market your home. Check out their online marketing yourself to see how they market their listings. They will market yours in the same manner.
Real estate agents: For pete's sake, take photos. If you can’t/won’t, pay someone else to do it. This is fundamental home marketing. Do your job. The quality of images is extremely important as well. It not only reflects how well you market your listing for your seller, but the image it portrays of yourself to the public. To the agents who do...great job! :)
Okay, I'm through ranting now...
Okay, I'm through ranting now...
