MLS photos are perhaps one of the most important parts of the marketing process for home sales. The right photos bring in excited interest. The wrong photos completely lose both agent and buyer. Let's take a look at some common problems.... (these are all actual MLS photos)
1) Odd photos that show... well, we aren't really sure what they show! What does this photo tell you about the home? As an agent or potential buyer, does this photo show you anything of interest that makes you want to view the home in person?
2) Empty homes. While this agent actually had utilized all 26 of the photo slots all of the photos looked pretty similar to this. This does not inspire most home buyers to want to see more... it's just an empty place - not HOME.
3) Lacking curb appeal - someone tell me how you get into this home? Look where the front door is located (behind the big bushes)....
4) No interior photos - Far too often we see a home like the one above and there are no interior shots listed. What does this tell a potential buyer? Typically it says that there is nothing here worth showing... (the MLS listing above did have additional photos)
One of the big problems we have is that far too often agents are so anxious to get a listing that they forget what they are hired to do. Selling a home is not just about putting the information in MLS, getting a sign in the yard, a lockbox on the door and perhaps posting to some social network groups. A real estate agent in today's market should be able to advise the client what they need to do to sell their home, be in contact with professionals who can help them, and then do everything in their power to help get the home sold. Now, I'm not saying that any of the agents who had photos above are BAD agents.... they just maybe aren't doing the maximum effort for their clients.
If the answer is that the clients won't do anything - they advised to clean up, trim the bushes, paint or have the home staged - then my next question is, why did you take the listing? What does it say about your business that you are willing to take a listing wherein the homeowner cares less about the home than you do? You are going to spend your marketing money to try and sell a home that is being sold by an unmotivated seller? Oh, wait, that's why you aren't putting your strongest foot forward? I see.... is that really how you want to be perceived by other potential listing clients?
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If you would like to be taught by CSP's Executive Director, Melissa Marro, see her class dates below and call 1-888-STAGING to reserve your seat. To learn more about becoming a Certified Staging Professional, visit www.csptraining.com.
- July 28-30 CSP Certification Course - Charleston, SC
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- August 25 - 27 CSP Certification Course - Nashville, TN
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- November 10-12 CSP Certification Course - Tampa, FL
- December 1-3 CSP Certification Course - Jackson, MS
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First Impressions Home Staging & Interior ReDesign is a nationally award winning company owned and operated in Summerville, SC a suburb of Charleston, SC. We provide high quality staging for both occupied and vacant homes in the greater surrounding areas and beyond! For more information please visit, www.WeStageSC.com. If you are interested in learning about making Home Staging your profession, please visit, www.StagingAndRedesign.com for more information.
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Melissa Marro, a published artist, now turned staging advocate and national speaker speaks her mind about real estate and the home staging industry. In her 'no holds barred' approach, audience members find real answers to the industries pitfalls and learn how to overcome them with tried and true information and guidance. With marketing as her passion, she turned a small home based business into one of the nation's largest home staging and training facilities. Selling her successful home staging company in January 2012, Marro is now a full time speaker and instructor for Staging And Resign and Real Estate Staging Association (RESA)'s trade events.
For more information on having Marro speak at one of your real estate functions, please contact her at 843.619.1593 or email at marro.melissa@gmail.com
Absolutely one of the MOST important things when selling a home is great photos. I am constantly amazed by some of the MLS photos I see. I've seen homes listed at over a milliion dollars, and the photo of the kitchen showed a sink full of dishes and clutter all over the counters and table. Really?
I love my digital camera because I have 150 pictures to choose from and even then I still end up adjusting them with photo software. First impressions are everything and in today's market the first impression is usually the pictures online.
It is absolutely mind-boggling what some of the photos that are posted of homes look like. My personal favorites: dirty laundry everywhere, kitchen counters that are so chalk full of appliances and dirty dishes you can't see the walls behind them, or as you pointed out - 26 pictures of empty rooms.
thats for sure....listing photos are so very important...some agents kill me... the quality of photos..
Aloha Mellisa,
Mystery rooms and the vanilla box effect will not sell a home. One empty house looks like every other empty house, although sometimes I think REA's should understand this simple concept if they intend on being even remotely successful as an agent but we still see listing after listing of the same empty rooms, for months and months, over and over. Thanks for the post.
Peace,
I don't understand paying for professional photography and sending the photographer to the house before the staging or before the improvements the stager suggested have been completed. How can this make sense?
Good post Melissa. It amazes me even more when we stage a home and the photos still aren't updated. Online photos are one of, if not the, most important factors in generating interest about a property. They are the most critical part of marketing the property (in addition location and price).
I am thirlled to read this Melissa nd proud to have you ont he team> the right amount of great photos reduce DOM - but thats in the class:) Best wishes for your success
I've had this happen with over some Realtors, they tell the homeowner to go ahead and stick out the sign and the home seller's, so far have said, no, not until it's staged.
Such an important aspect of selling a home and yet so often neglected. You are right. . .it is surprising so many poor photos are still being used. The one that really confuses me is when a home has been on market for a while, they finally decide to bring in a stager and yet don't update the online photos?? When I am in this situation I have learned to remind the sellers to be sure their online photos are updated. That is usually enough to ensure it happens. Great reminder Melissa!
Melissa, as always sound advice! Myself, like everyone else here ramains constantly amazed that we still have agents out there that fail to do a top notch job for their clients. Or, if their client just won't let them do a top notch job, why they would represent them at all! Unfortunately we see this also, way too often. The most critical time in the life of a listing goes right in the can when the price is off, the condition is poor or the home is presented poorly (No staged) or not presented at all because agents are in too big of a rush. Oh well, at least most of us here make a promise to ourselves to do better by our clients.
Melissa, amen sister. This is why I teach a basic RE photography class to local agents and it has been well received. Now to get them to stage BEFORE they use their new knowledge about photography...educate, educate. Sooner or later they HAVE TO come onboard...right. (?)
Melissa ~ you are so right about pictures. I try to take them always from the same angle around the same time on another day. Thanks and good luck with the courses ;)
Good point Melissa. The one I don't understand is when you stage the home and give them great photos to use and then ...... they don't use them!
I know we all get busy but if an agent doesn't realize that their buyers are finding them online - as well as future sellers - then they are missing the point. Leaving those old photos up doesn't cut it!