Listing Photos Matter
Many things have changed in the landscape of selling Real Estate since DeFoor Realty began nearly 40 years ago. One is the way in which people begin their search for a new home. One of the first thing they typically do is search online. After that, once a serious buyer seeks an agent, that agent typically also searches for homes that meet their clients specification online. Redfin says listings with DSLR, professional photos get 61% more views than competitors listings and sell for more money.
With so many listings at our fingertips, it’s vital that our listings stand out. We can help this happen by having quality listing photos. We don’t want people to brush over our listing because of a so-so photo. At DeFoor Realty, we strive to make sure our homes have quality photos that will make people stop and say, “I want to see that house!”
A lot of what makes a good picture eye catching is subtle. We tried to pick some examples in which the photos are very similar; that way you can see some of the techniques that we use to make our photos stand out among the many other listings.
The most noticeable difference between the two photos above is the color. The one on the right is a lot more vibrant, which we believe is more attractive. It is also closer to what the home actually looks like in person. Also, the sky. The photo on the right captures the blue sky and the clouds, and on the left it’s a bit blown out. Parts of the sky are almost all white. The sky is one of the challenges when shooting the front of a home. If it’s really bright outside, it often gets blown out (which basically makes it look white in a photo). We can compensate for this by adjusting the exposure, or sometimes even using a different sky. The photo on the left is also a little bit crooked, where the photo on the right is not. We think the photo on the right is more likely to make someone click for more information.
We’ll use this bedroom as our next example. Indoor lighting can present many challenges that need to be compensated for. One is the color of the lighting. Inside lighting can sometimes make things look yellow. Also there are usually several sources of light. These are typically the windows and lights over head or table lamps. Sometimes, you also run into a lack of light sources. An automatic camera may have trouble reading the light sources and the result can be a photo with the wrong exposure, a grainy photo, or a fuzzy photo. The light variables need to be considered when taking the picture. The photo on the right is actually three photos edited together to compensate for the light variables. In low light situations, a tripod may be needed to get the proper exposure without making the image fuzzy or leaving bright spots from a flash.
This kitchen photo is another good example of the lighting variables. A few things that stand out are the light sources. The chandelier and spots aren’t clear in the photo on the left and the image is not as sharp. This is again the result of the different lighting variables and the camera working to find the best exposure. With the photo on the right, we took three separate photos using three different exposures and edited them together. The result is sharp, bright, and more of the photo has the correct exposure, revealing the details of the home that buyers are wanting to see.
Here’s another example with the bathroom. Look at how much more detail you can see in the image on the right. The special details in the counter and on the cabinets stand out. You even get a better feel for all the textures.
While the images on the left are not bad, we want to make sure we’re doing all we can to generate interest, gain exposure, sell quickly and get the value of the home. We think that having great photos is an important piece of the puzzle.
