Yesterday I went to a Real Estate Photography class taught by Harry Bisel. It was a great class and I learned a lot. I hope to share at least a few of the things I learned with all of you.
"Pictures sell. Good pictures sell more" - A.D. Coleman
The first thing we need to remember with Real Estate photography is that we are NOT documentary photographers (I'll save that for my scrapbook) but ADVERTISING photographers. We are trying to SELL a house. Instead of taking pictures of EVERYthing, take as many pictures as are necessary to sell the house. A small empty bedroom is not going to hold a memory or help someone remember the home. (yes, I too have been guilty of taking these pictures!) As the listing agent, we work for the seller and need to take only pics that help sell the home. Now I'm not saying we need to "hide" things, but we need to show the home to the best of it's abilities. (And sometimes that IS the bathroom!).
Photographs are the new curb appeal. We have to be better marketing photographers so we can elicite emotions. When something elicites your emotions, you remember it, you think about it...that's what you want to do when you take pictures of a home. We want to get online home buyers to pause and linger at our online listings including pictures.
How do we do this?? We need to understand the purpose of the photo. Why did the seller buy the house? For me, the openness when you walk in and the stairway was my selling point - and I've since updated the railing to a beautiful wood and rod iron railings. What made you pick your house? Tell your agent, that may just be the feature that the next buyer will like as well! Capture that moment, feeling, emotion in your photographs. Bring color and softness to kitchens & bathrooms (ex. add flowers for a touch of color). And even if the house is now vacant, play up big areas.
When taking the pictures, walk to all four corners of the room to get a picture. The "typical" front on shot may not be your best. I try to do this...and use whichever photo (or photos) I think best showcases the room. Kitchens & bathrooms need to be SPOTLESS for pictures.
And remember to create memorable experiences first!!
check out Harry's website for more great information or to hire him: www.harrybisel.com
No comments:
Post a Comment