• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Accessibility Statement

Follow Us on FacebookFollow Us on TwitterFollow Us on InstagramFollow Us on YouTubeRSS Feed

Kimberly Howell Properties

San Antonio Real Estate

office@kimberlyhowell.com
(210) 493-6888
  • Blog
  • About Us
  • Agents
  • Buyers
    • Neighborhoods
    • Relocation Information
  • Sellers
  • Listings
    • Available Rentals
    • Homes for Sale
    • McNair Custom Homes
    • Open Houses
  • Contact
  • Rental SearchHomes for Rent
  • REALTORS®Find an Agent
  • McNair Custom HomesNew Construction
  • Property SearchHomes for Sale
You are here: Home / Archives for pictures

pictures

Why Good Real Estate Photos Matter

September 21, 2011 by khproperties Leave a Comment

Bad real estate photo

In real estate, you might only get one shot at capturing a potential buyer’s interest when it comes to the internet. Thanks to the explosion of the online home searching, that first impression becomes more and more important to you when listing your home. If that first photo doesn’t showcase the home or worse, makes it look bad, you may lose the one opportunity to catch the buyer’s attention. If you miss it, they’re moving on to the next house for sale. Good photos really do matter.

In the words of Eminem:
“Look, if you had one shot, or one opportunity
To seize everything you ever wanted in one moment
Would you capture it or just let it slip?
”

Step 1: Getting Good Pictures

Knowing that the purpose of pictures is to present your home to potential buyers in the best possible light and entice them to come in for more information is incredibly important. If the lighting is poor, the home cluttered, or even the image blurry, a buyer can be turned off and never even give the house a chance. Buyers want clear images. They want to see unique features. They want to get an idea about room sizes, layout, design. They don’t need to see your furniture (although good furniture placement can serve to enhance), or your television programs, or doorways or your junk.

The best pictures offer variety, detail, depth, and quality. Taking a few moments to evaluate the room and make minor adjustments before snapping off a few shots is worth the effort, and then some. If the room is dark, turn on lights, adjust the blinds, or bring in a lamp for the 30 second shot. If you have an oversized highchair and piles of laundry on the kitchen table, move them out of the way briefly. Add fresh flowers, borrow artwork or design elements from other rooms. None of these things is permanent, but it can still make a significant difference in the impression being sent out to the world.

Sometimes, this also means excluding things. If you have a room dedicated to junk storage, maybe it’s ok to skip it for purposes of marketing and this site explains how if a buyer is impressed enough by the other rooms, they’ll see it eventually, and by that point you’ve already gotten them at least a little interested and inside your home.

Step 2: Getting Good Exposure

Where do people begin their home search these days? The internet. Whether a REALTOR® is involved from the get-go or not, buyers overwhelmingly begin their search online. A 2009 study by NAR found that over 90% of buyers used the internet to search for homes. And other than general statistics, such as bedrooms, bathrooms, renovation and bath remodel fort worth, and square footage; the photos tell the most about a property. Buyers get a feel for the layout. They can see the materials. They begin to imagine how a home might get re-arranged with their furniture. They share the pictures with friends and family and actually start getting excited about their prospects.

Recent surveys by the National Association of REALTORS® show that 84% of buyers surveyed said that the photos are the most useful information. And the number one action they took after viewing a home online was to drive by or make arrangements to visit the home.

There are thousands of people who are willing to buy or lease a property without ever setting foot in that home. Their ability to make this decision has come to rely heavily on pictures.

The more pictures you can include with your listing, the better the exposure. Just one picture of the front of the house tells a potential buyer very little about the property. Twenty-five pictures showcasing the large rooms, layout, or even unique details of the property will yield much greater interest and much greater results.

Choose your pictures thoughtfully. Let the image order flow naturally. Don’t skip from the living room to a bathroom to the backyard to the kitchen to the living room again.

Keeping these ideas in mind, and working with your REALTOR® to market and show your home in the best possible light will make an enormous difference in the long run.

image courtesy of carolyn.will

Filed Under: Sell Your Home Tagged With: real estate, photos, how to, sell your home, tips, advice, marketing, internet marketing, pictures

Primary Sidebar

Open Floorplan

Is An Open Floorplan The Right Style For You?

Open floorplan living is often billed as the perfect floor plan, bringing family together in a single room where cooking, conversation and the screen share the same space. It has been a popular feature of a … [Read More...] about Is An Open Floorplan The Right Style For You?

New Kitchen

Nine Mistakes To Avoid With A New Kitchen

No room carries more influence with a buyer than the kitchen because it’s where the everyone gathers and many memories are made. The kitchen can represent up to 20% of the entire value of a property, so it’s … [Read More...] about Nine Mistakes To Avoid With A New Kitchen

House Fire Safety

9 Ways To Avoid Housefires

A fire in your home can happen at any time of the year, but with colder months upon us it’s easy to see how the danger increases with the setting of wood-burning heaters and the use of candles to create a cozy … [Read More...] about 9 Ways To Avoid Housefires

Call A Plumber

Is It Time To Call A Plumber?

As a homeowner, you’ll inevitably have to call in a Sydney plumber to deal with plumbing problems at some stage. It’s one of the ‘pleasures’ of owning property! Choosing the right contractor can feel a little … [Read More...] about Is It Time To Call A Plumber?

First Time Homebuyer

8 Tips For First Time Homebuyers

If it's your first time buying homes for sale, it can be quite intimidating – you’ve got to deal with agents, sellers, rival buyers, banks, and title companies. And it’s not always clear what role each of them … [Read More...] about 8 Tips For First Time Homebuyers

Search Our Site

Real Estate Topics

  • Buying a Home
  • Homeowner Tips
  • KHP News
  • Local Events
  • Local Laws
  • Miscellaneous
  • Mortgages and Financing
  • Open Houses
  • Real Estate
  • Real Estate Market
  • Renters and Landlords
  • San Antonio Places
  • Sell Your Home
  • Technology
Our real estate agents can help you with properties anywhere in Texas. If you need assistance finding agents in other parts of the country, please contact us.

Search Homes

Explore Cities

  • Alamo Heights 40 Listings
  • Bandera 403 Listings
  • Blanco 178 Listings
  • Boerne 660 Listings
  • Bulverde 391 Listings
  • Canyon Lake 415 Listings
  • Castle Hills 20 Listings
  • Castroville 91 Listings
  • Cibolo 396 Listings
  • Comfort 58 Listings
  • Converse 624 Listings
  • Fair Oaks Ranch 72 Listings
  • Floresville 268 Listings
  • Garden Ridge 14 Listings
  • Helotes 209 Listings
  • Hill Country Village 3 Listings
  • La Vernia 183 Listings
  • Lakehills 126 Listings
  • Leon Valley 28 Listings
  • Live Oak 77 Listings
  • Mico 123 Listings
  • New Braunfels 1514 Listings
  • Olmos Park 7 Listings
  • San Antonio 10546 Listings
  • Schertz 325 Listings
  • Seguin 680 Listings
  • Selma 67 Listings
  • Shavano Park 11 Listings
  • Spring Branch 422 Listings
  • Terrell Hills 31 Listings
  • Universal City 73 Listings
  • Windcrest 31 Listings
  • Hollywood Pk 2 Listings

Stay up to date with the latest from Kimberly Howell Properties.

San Antonio real estate and property information provided by Kimberly Howell Properties. Kimberly Howell Properties does not assume any liability or responsibility for the operation or content of any of the linked resources, nor for any of the interpretations, comments, graphics, or opinions contained therein. All information deemed reliable, but not guaranteed.

KJH Properties, Inc. is a licensed real estate brokerage in the State of Texas, Equal Opportunity Employer, and supporter of the Fair Housing Act.

TREC Information About Brokerage Services | TREC Consumer Protection Notice | Privacy Policy

All content © 2009-2020 Kimberly Howell Properties, unless otherwise noted.