A GOOD picture is worth more than a 1,000 words
I am amazed and amused at the quality of photographs still being posted on Realtor and MLS websites....It is one thing to show a poorly staged furnished home and another thing to not see the GREAT shot that is available by using your imagination.
Realtors who photograph the interior of the clients' homes that are furnished need to allow time to "stage' the individual rooms...the dish rag hanging on the stove handle does not indicate a "homey setting".....placing items under the counter, in the cabinets or outside the shot can take mere seconds and allow the viewer to actually view the property rather than kibitz on the owners' poor housekeeping.
Taking exterior photos when the grass is a week overdue for cutting or after the leaves have been removed are easy to comprehend when you view the resulting photos so why not ask the client to arrange for these events so that GREAT photos can be obtained.
I am marketing a home for Jan 2008 occupancy and I did not have a good exterior photo. The exterior was repainted 2 years ago in the spring/summer and there is a large tree in the front yard....to take the VERY BEST photo, I waited until the leaves were off the tree in the front yard, then had them removed by a yard service and then took the exterior photo of the front on a bright sunny day...the result is awesome.
Yes, I have a good camera. It is 3 years old and was expensive when purchased. Yes, I take a lot of pictures - for marketing, documenting move-in and move-outs of residents as well to document repairs and maintenance. I always have a camera with a charged battery in my car and one in reserve in my office. As I drive by my properties, I document items that need attention by the residents and for my maintenance-to-do list.
In the past, while I had a camera in my car, it had film that had to be taken to be developed and then the photos had to be scanned as JPEG images to be used in listings or as documentation. Storing photos were also a problem.
With digital cameras, photos are kept on a 2GB jump/travel drive and photos that are no longer needed are archived onto CD for storage.
At the inception of my property management career, I never dreamed I would become a property photo journalist, interior decorator or set designor.
