First Impressions

When I got into the real estate profession, most agents were taking their own photos for the properties they were representing. A few special properties (by special, I mean a special high price) warranted hiring a professional photographer to get the photos just right. My, how things have changed, but it took time.

I still recall spending a small fortune for a digital SLR camera. I researched it to death, finally deciding on a great Canon and purchasing an additional wide angle lens. For one listing, I must have taken hundreds of photgraphs to get the 15 I could use in the MLS. The camera was great, but the operator (your very own bainbridgeagent) is no artist. I’m still proud of the long-exposure night photo I took to capture something different (perhaps I AM an artist), but the best shot I probably got was this:

Not bad, I think, and the house sold for full price. It was a different time, though (2005) and the ante has been upped since then. 

For my business model, professional photographs have become standard. Here is a shot of a property with interesting interior spaces that were difficult to capture but a professional did an amazing job:

 

Sometimes I will hire a specific photographer who I think has the right eye for the particular house I am working on. Below is an example.

A recent article in The Seattle Times has a good synopsis of the importance of good photography in the consumer real estate market.

There are several web sites devoted to bad real estate photos. No surprise there, with plenty of fodder on the web. Most people in the market to make a purchase (and plenty of real estate junkies) spend a good amount of time on the web looking at real estate. A decent set of photographs is the difference between moving someone off their couch surfing on their laptop to the inside of a house to see it close up and personal.

If you want a good laugh but are also prepared to be grossed out, click on some of the links below for some amusing examples of bad real estate photography. What kind of first impression are these agents trying to make? Are they marketing to people with low self-esteem? 

http://www.uglyhousephotos.com/

http://veryvintagevegas.com/2008/01/01/vote-for-your-favorite-worst-mls-photo-of-the-day/

http://activerain.com/blogsview/1254518/bad-real-estate-photography-part-ii-

Challenge to readers of this blog: find a bad MLS photo and post the link. Let’s be nice and set one rule: no photos from within the local market area - I don’t like hurting people’s feelings (or getting sued for slander.) Sites like Zillow, Realtor.com and Trulia are great sources for looking nationwide for the perfect bad photo. Happy hunting. 

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