Imagine that you are looking at homes for sale in Anchorage, Wasilla, Palmer, Eagler River, or anywhere in Alaska. As you go through the photos, you notice something.
The interior is a bit dark, it’s difficult to make something out of the room, yet the windows are just white squares because of the bright light from outside instead of showing our locale’s great view. While it is described as one in a lived-in state, it’s not spotless, a standard family home with quite a number of stuff lying around, toys and documents in the living room, a cluttered kitchen, and messy bedrooms.
What do those kinds of photos say about the home?
Unknowingly, the agent or seller is communicating a “not-so-good” message when settling for poor images.
With a price tag already placed on a property for sale, a potential buyer will automatically compare it with other homes at the same price, and might think that the agent is asking a bit too much for the home that’s presented oh-so-poorly in relation to others that are currently on the market.
As a buyer, would you contact the agent, in a scurry, to purchase the property as if it’s a steal?
Or nope, you would skip it, put the home at the bottom of your list as your last resort when you’re found nothing else better.
Presentation affects the offer, especially the real estate market in Alaska. Homes that are shown in poor images may reflect that the seller has low expectations about the home and consequently just wants to sell it at the lowest possible price. Making no effort to hire a professional photographer to shoot the home shows that the agent (or the seller) assumes that it will close at the lowest buck. Real estate photography in Alaska is also vulnerable to this negligence.
The Key is, Think like a Buyer
Online photos send out subtle messages to potential buyers as they go through them, consciously or unconsciously. So, when you are choosing photos that are going to be used in marketing the home, it would be very helpful to consider the point of view of a buyer.
While it affects the sale of the home, it also affects the image of the agent. Consider what those photos say about you as an agent and your service. Ask yourself the following questions:
How do your photos contribute to the value of the home compared with other ones that are currently in the market?
Do these photos invite buyers to make an offer as soon as they see them?
What do these photos say about your professionalism and knowledge as an agent in your locality?
Poor images don’t benefit anyone, the agent, the seller, and the buyer; they all lose a chance at a would have been a good opportunity because of bad presentation. Surely, agents don’t resort to poor photos because they want to sell it at a low price or stain their careers with unprofessionalism.
The problem for some would be, that the agent cannot tell between what’s a good photo and a bad photo. It’s not necessarily their fault, as some may not have the training or do not have the eye for good angles and best lighting. Although, along the way, one must learn the art of considering the most effective way of marketing a home.
And in real estate marketing, visual elements are very significant. As we have mentioned here in an article in DMD Real Estate Photography:
"As a real estate agent, it is important to think about your business in the long run. Every photo that you use and upload to advertise a property will definitely send a message about you as an agent.”
--’Advertising Rental Properties in Alaska …” published May 18, 2021
Think of it this way. Hiring a professional photographer to shoot a home may cost a few more hundred bucks, but it will result in selling it for more thousands as great photos increase its perceived price.
Your Local Expert is your Go-to Guy
If you’re new to the business, or have finally accepted the fact that seeing the difference between a good photo and a terrible one is something you need to learn yet, contact your local real estate photographer.
While you’re already here, try out DMD Real Estate Photography. A good chat and a look at our portfolio won’t cost you anything but a chance for great service and amazing results.