Fantastically Awful MLS Photos
Type a phrase like “bad real estate photos” or “terrible real estate photography” into Google, and you are sure to be created by page after page of horrendous real estate photography. Entire sites are dedicated to this kind of thing. I don’t know about you, but I’ve done it before… just for a chuckle. What is really sad, however, is just how common these types of photos really are.
Earlier tonight, I decided to do a quick search on my local MLS to seek out some bad photos. I decided that I wanted to see just how fast I could locate awful photos that were poor enough to qualify for one of the sites I am talking about. I also wanted to make sure my search wasn’t “rigged…” meaning I wasn’t searching “bad” neighborhoods or low priced homes, etc. I really just typed in some local areas and entered a range around the median price range.
I was actually very surprised. Within literally seconds, I found enough cringe-worthy photos for an entire blog. Take a look at some of what I found…
What saddens me is that folks are trusting these agents to market their homes to the fullest potential, and get them sold in a tough market. These folks are relying on their agents for marketing expertise, and this is what they are being provided.
Don’t these agents realize just how critical a home’s photos are? Statistically, well over 90% of home searches take place online. I know when I was looking for a home, I put the un-appealing houses on the back burner. Why visit them when there was an amazing looking house close by?
Never mind the fact that countless studies and statistics show that great home photography is worth its weight in gold. Reputable real estate information outlets such as RISmedia report the correlation between photography and a home’s Days on Market (DOM) and percentage of listing price the sale garners. They talk about attracting more potential buyers, selling a home faster, and even selling the home for a higher price in their article “The Successful Combination of Photography and Real Estate” by Gar Benedick
Seattle brokerage Redfin Corp., even cites that listings with better photography can sell for between $934 and $116,076 more than the competition when measuring the difference between asking and final price.
So agents, do yourselves and clients a favor… invest in the proper marketing. Invest in great photography. This will almost certainly produce instant results AND pay dividends for your career in the long term.
Which house would you take your family to see… one with pictures like the ones above, or one with photos like ours? You be the judge… www.s18photo.com
Project 52: 25/52
- At June 25, 2012
- By S18 Photography
- In project 52
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Project 52: 25/52 “Captured from Above”
25 Columbia Dr.
Recently, I had a great opportunity to take some photos of a gorgeous home in Marlton, NJ. The owner found us on the web and reached out to us because they loved our work. We are certainly glad they did, because they had a beautiful home, and they were great people! This was one of my favorite sessions in a long time!
S18 Photography 2012
Project 52: 24/52
- At June 17, 2012
- By S18 Photography
- In project 52
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Project 52:24/52 “Portraits Without a Face Visible”
Photo of the Week – 24/52 – “Twilight Marina”
- At June 17, 2012
- By S18 Photography
- In project 52
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On a recent trip down to Maryland, I stayed stayed at a nice hotel right on the waterfront. Looking out my window, there was a great view of a marina, and I was sure to snap an image during blue hour. Here it is!
S18 Photography 2012
