Photos Matter! So Take a (GOOD) Picture - It Will Last Longer

Guess what? Some modern-era statistics say the more pictures your listing has, the quicker it will likely sell. Even two and three times as fast as a home with no pictures. And I believe wholeheartedly that is 100% true.

When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence. ~Ansel Adams

I am shocked at the number of listings I see that do not have more than a horrible exterior shot uploaded to the listing system. Or worse, a listing that uses the moldy old photo in the database from the LAST time it sold, several years of wear, tear or even updates ago. Buyers (and their agents doing the legwork) want to see pictures--EVERY Buyer is visual, and well-composed pictures do more to sell your home than you know. In fact, many of my clients dismiss properties with no pictures from their "go see" lists. Why, you ask?

• People are visual creatures (yes, even the women). Descriptions can only do so much for a listing, and people start to tune those out amidst the puffy Realtor-speak descriptions we all see every day... "Spacious colonial awaits your finishing touches" often = "Big old empty house that needs major updates," right? :D The pictures are where they get to see the relative condition of the home, getting the buying decision underway.
• When Buyers are surfing the web, they are drawn back to homes they remember over time based on visual cues obtained from the pictures. Essentially, they don't call me saying, "remember that house on #4567 Blah Blah Place?" They say, "remember the house with black shutters and the cute white and stainless steel kitchen?" - Yes. Yes, I do.
• Not having pictures is a perceived warning sign to Buyers that there is a REASON why you don't have pictures, even if that is not the case. It invites the question mark into the room. 
• Not having pictures signals to other agents that the listing was not worth their attention as a professional ... and that may hint that they may be difficult to work with on a possible transaction if they either do not have the time nor the attention to detail to fulfill that critical piece of the listing/marketing process.

Now that I have you thoroughly convinced that most Buyers do not want to even see homes that do not have pictures (good ones, of BOTH outside and inside), here are some things to avoid when you go through that exercise...

• Avoid overdoing it with the fish-eye lens. If you do not know how to properly use a fish-eye, it can look like you are overcompensating for small spaces, having the opposite effect to a viewer. The outer edges of the halo effect a fish-eye produces should not be visible in the shot nor should there be a high degree of distortion.
• Avoid taking too many shots of the same thing/same room. Aim for a single representative shot of each room, taken from a vantage point that is interesting and makes the room look as spacious as possible. One area in which you can break that rule is the kitchen. If you have a nice kitchen and can't fit it all into one shot, grab a couple that highlight different key features.
• Avoid overdoing it with descriptions superimposed on the pictures that cover key images, or gush a bit too much about a feature. I do think this can be a useful technique, just be sure the verbiage isn't overwhelming and that the font is legible in thumbnail form. 
• Avoid trivial pictures, or pictures of things that are not highlight reel material. One agent recently posted a picture of an outdated faucet. Just the faucet. Huh?!? Another took a picture of a flower outside--not the whole of the landscaping, which was nice, but an artsy-fartsy picture of a SINGLE flower. I suggest the agent save those items for their Flickr account or personal art gallery - those will not sell the home.
• Only post clear, complete pictures. Having the flashback shadow (or reflection in the mirror) of the photographer in the shot is amateurish, as is allowing a picture to be uploaded to a listing photo gallery that is much too grainy (resolution problem) or too fuzzy to see. In the age of easy to use point and shoot/SLR digital cameras, enough shots should be taken (and previewed on the spot) at staging/listing prep that you can get decent exposure under control.
• Do not allow your home's condition to deteriorate significantly form the photos during the time it is on the market. Nothing is more disappointing than previewing a gallery of tasteful, promising photos than to arrive at the front doorstep and see it in shambles--and looking totally different (in a bad way!) than it did online that same day. Stage it in such a way that you can maintain it. You are setting the expectations, so live up to them, and watch your home sell before you know it (provided it is priced well, of course).

The bottom line is that any good agent will be proficient in this important discipline, and will either have the right equipment to do the job well, or will outsource it to a professional.  The part you play is simple: They will need for you to do some pre-photo shoot cleaning, decluttering, and basic staging. They will be able to give you cues (or even a list if you would like) as to how to best present the home to get the ball rolling.

Ever seen any funky listing pictures before? Have you ever been surprised to see a home in person based on the expectation the photos created in your preview process?