I have seen so many crazy pictures on the MLS. I wish I could publish them, but I don’t want to get sued. I think many people would be surprised by what passes as marketing. I’ve seen a family room picture with a man drinking beer and smoking a cigarette in a dark corner. I’ve seen bathroom pictures with seats up, mangled toothpaste out, and towels piled on the floor. One of my recent favorites is a picture of the front of a home with overgrown bushes and a fallen column hanging off the porch.
What are these agents, sellers, and brokers thinking? It is not expensive to have a professional photographer come out to stage and photograph a listing. Yet, I would estimate that fewer than 15% of listings feature professional photography. When I told one of my sellers this the other day, she was surprised and asked me why. I have to admit I was stumped; I don’t know why.
It is difficult to find a good photographer; I will concede that point. It took me a few years of trying different services before I met Bruno Vanoudenhove, who now does all my listings. To me, Bruno is unquestionably the best. He has a talent that can’t be taught.
Bruno stages each of his shots. He takes his time and will often spend over an hour at a smaller home, much longer for larger homes. Now that we have worked together for a while, I know what he likes and what will look good for the camera, so I prepare rooms before he arrives. Still, he always ends up tweaking this and that and making each image just right.
Recently, I had clients tell me they prefer his staging to that of a professional stager. Bruno knows how to make a room look large, uncluttered, and clean.
If you didn’t get professional photos of your listing taken, I think it is fair to request that the agent have them done. And, when you’re interviewing a listing agent, you should probably ask to see their marketing online. If the photos were not professionally taken, I would consider another Realtor.
For more on this topic, see my post, What is Internet Curb Appeal?
