Move Your MLS Listings Faster
With Images that Sell
Don't List Another Property Without Learning These Tips
If you are an agent, broker, investor or flipper; you need to keep reading!
Want to move your listings faster?
I've been involved in real-estate most of my life. My dad flipped houses back before they had a name for it. Our family has bought, sold and rented a lot of real-estate over the years,
My dad had a little joke he liked to repeat. He'd say, "Son, there are two times you make money in real-estate; when you buy and ... when you buy." If we didn't get a good deal on the home when we bought it, we had little chance of making money when we sold it.
His trick was simple. Look through the listings for the ugliest looking house he couldfind; the "dog of the neighborhood" as he liked to called it. My dad knew there would be very little interest in the home and he could control the negotiations to get it for a steal. It was pretty easy logic. If the pictures were ugly, no one will want to visit it; let alone buy it.
On the other end of the deal, my dad had a nice camera and he used it to great affect as he did his level best to make our remodeled homes look awesome when it came time to sell.
There's a principle here. Homes that look bad in pictures don't draw a lot of interest. Homes that look good in pictures get a more traffic and higher selling prices.
When buying and selling my own home, I put my money where my mouth is.
The real-estate downturn was brutal, but our family did alright. We were patient when we bought, bought the "dog of the neighborhood," and took nice pictures when we sold.
We were forced to move because my commute was 2 hours one way and 3 hours back ... every day. It was killing me. So even though the housing market was lukewarm, we had to sell anyway.
All the while, an identical house across the street languished on the market for more than six (6) months. Same house, same floor-plan, same color, and - literally - across the street.
In fact, the house across the street was listed for less and had a finished back yard (ours was dirt). On the face of it, their house probably was better than ours. Still, it was our house that set the market and sold lightning fast. A huge part of that was our pictures.
How was the selling experience? Well, I am not as good as my dad when it comes to real-estate. I wasn't going to sell the house on my own. I got a realtor and chose the realtor with the best reputation in the area, He insisted on taking his own pictures (and he took a lot of them), but when I showed him my pictures he quickly said, "We'll use yours."
When we listed the house, offers started pouring in (seriously). We listed it on Tuesday and had 10 offers (most sight-unseen) by that Saturday. At the open house, we had ridiculous foot traffic and ended up with 40 offers by the end of the weekend.
Our house simply looked better in MLS (and online) than the other available houses, so people visited our house first (and did so in droves). Our neighbors actually complained about the traffic the weekend of the open house.
Wouldn't that be a nice problem to have with each of your listings?
Status quo is a losing proposition - bad pictures chase away business.
Redfin - a real-estate site - hires photographers for every one of their listings. That's right, companies backed by venture capital have entered the real-estate business and they have learned that pictures matter.
Studies show that pictures are one of the most important elements of a property listing. Today 96% of buyers research properties on the Internet before reaching out to a seller or agent. Great real-estate photos are essential to grab the buyer's attention and get onto their "must see" list.
If you are on the listing side of the residential realty business, you will find yourself competing with companies like Redfin more and more as time goes on.
Companies like Redfin have the resources to invest into hiring photographers for their listings. Most realtors take their own pictures. Realtors will have to adapt to compete.
96% of buyers research properties online before contacting an agent
- Bad pictures make homes look like "dogs." My father - a home flipper - made it a point to seek out homes that had bad pictures. He knew there would be less competition, which helped him drive the price down.
- Good pictures increase foot traffic. Homes with good pictures draw a lot of potential buyers. In places like California, that foot traffic can create a bidding war. I am living proof, because that's what happened with my home.
- Redfin and other companies are on the scent. Companies backed by investment capital are invading the listing market. Redfin - in particular - pays photographers to take pictures of every listing. They know the impact good photographs can have.
The answer for realtors is not to start paying photographers, it is to learn to take your own real-estate pictures.
If you are on the listing side of the residential realty business, you will find yourself competing with companies like Redfin more and more as time passes. They have the resources to dump into hiring photographers. So how will you compete with them?
Learn to take good pictures with whatever camera you have available.
Taking really good real-estate pictures isn't as difficult as photographers might lead you to believe. It doesn't take a $3000 camera or a degree in photography to do it well. It boils down to basic portrait photography principles applied to real-estate; along with a number of real-estate-specific tricks that make homes look warm and inviting.
You don't need a $300 lighting kit and 4 hours of setup either. The pictures I took for my house (top of page) were taken with some simple work light you can find at any home improvement store and an extension cord or two.
While it may not be overly complicated to take real-estate pictures, you DO need to learn how to do it. We've created a course that teaches just that. After this course, your listings will draw more attention and more foot traffic than ever before.
The best thing you can do to increase sales - The Real-Estate Photography Course (for Realtors)
An online photography course designed specifically for Realtors
Through a series of short videos (averaging about 3 minutes each), you will learn how to take great real-estate pictures for your MLS listings, flyers and brochures.
Benefits of the Course
- Learn with Any Camera: Learn how to use a point-and-shoot or low-end digital SLR camera to create professional-quality property images.
- Generate Demand: Generate more foot-traffic for your open houses and more interest through your online listings with images that showcase your properties.
- Attract Motivated Buyers: Attract motivated buyers with images featuring things they care about.
- Pro Secrets Revealed: The BEST KEYS no one is teaching to take great property photos that make each home look worth more.
- Learn the Best Times for Photos: Learn the best times of day to take interior and exterior shots.
- Make Homes Look Inviting: Learn how to make each interior room (staged or not) look brighter and more inviting.
- Cheap Lighting: Learn how to light your properties by using inexpensive work lights available at any home improvement store.
- Easy Enhancement Tips: Learn EASY ways to make every listing photo pop off the page by using basic and inexpensive photo editing software.
- Better Layouts for Brochures: Layout secrets that will make your flyers look great.
- Step-by-Step Instruction: See what to do with each photo as we walk you through each method.
"For real-estate professionals, amazing photos are critical to selling."
"This online real-estate photography course really delivers. It teaches real-estate photography in a way that is easy to learn and practical for agents and stagers alike. It definitely gets the CSP International thumbs up!"
Increase Foot Traffic Now, No Risk.
You are just a few clicks away from taking your realty business to the next level.
Just 1 EZ Payment of $79
100% MONEY BACK GUARANTEE
All of our courses come with a 100% worry-free guarantee. If you aren't completely satisfied with the course, let us know within 30-days of purchase and we'll process your refund as quickly as the banking system will allow; no questions, no hassles, no worries.
"Don't list another property before watching this course."
"I've see a huge difference since taking this course."
"This course is so practical."
Still wondering if this right for you?
Yes, this works with a Point & Shoot Camera
The methods taught in this course are designed specifically around the busy life and business needs of realtors; with the understanding that most realtors do not carry a digital SLR camera with them in their trunk (that would be cruel and unusual punishment for a camera ... by the way). No it is designed around the idea that you have a point and shoot camera.
But I'm too busy. I don't have time for this.
The course is broken down into short, digestible lessons that quickly teach you what you need to know to take good real-estate pictures. You can take this course in the time you spend waiting for clients to meet you at a property, on the treadmill at the gym, or just about any time you have a few minutes to spare.
Companies like Redfin are taking more and more of the listings for themselves. They use professional photographers and can offer low commission rates. While no one can replace the personal service you provide, you still need to be competitive. If your listings look bad, you will eventually lose business. Protect your business and your income. Learn the skills to put your property listings in the best possible light.
Increase Foot Traffic Now, No Risk.
You are just a few clicks away from taking your realty business to the next level.
Just 1 EZ Payment of $79
Look, it is easy to sit back and say, "... but most other realtors still take bad pictures ...” To that I say, "probably not for too many more years." Take action now. Set yourself apart. The Internet has changed virtually every business, and now it is knocking on the front door of the real-estate business. What are you going to do about it?
P.S.: In recent years, Internet-based companies have disrupted many industries. Über and Zipcar are prime examples. Companies like Redfin are doing similar things to real-estate. You'll have to have to be proactive to stay ahead of them and defend your livelihood.