Earlier this year I read an excellent article by the New York Times (”Making Every Pixel Count“) on the importance of good photos. The Los Angeles Times (”Shoot - It’s for the Web“) recently ran a similar article with the same conclusions, which prompted me to remind our users of the importance of good photos! Most of us will agree that photos are usually the “grabber” they captures a buyer’s attention and entices them to look further. Compare the two photos above - both are pictures of the same property - can you guess which ones look better?

In the New York Times piece, Jacky Teplitzky, an EVP at Prudential Douglas Elliman (New York) explains:

Good photos will grab people’s attention and help you sell a home, Bad pictures will absolutely give you trouble, because you won’t have any calls on it, and nobody will come to see it.

The Los Angeles Times concurs saying:

A picture may be worth a mere 1,000 words in other circles, but in real estate, it enters the realm of deal or no deal.

Over 80% of prospective home buyers are using the Internet to find their home and they rate photos as the most useful tool in their search. The National Association of Realtors reports that that buyers considered “very useful,” 83% cited pictures as the most useful web feature, 81% cited detailed property information and 60% cited virtual tours. According to the NPD Group, property photos are considered extremely or very important among almost all consumers (92%). So how can you improve your photos, particularly on your flyers? Here are a couple of hints and tips:

• Use a good camera. A decent digital camera can make all the difference! A couple of months age I bought Nikon D50 and believe me, its a lot better than my Sony Cybershot - but it can only go so far. The Los Angeles Time shares this anonymous but insightful quote: “Buying a Nikon doesn’t make you a photographer. It makes you a Nikon owner.” If you are serious about taking photos, it would be a good idea to get a basic knowledge of photography. I found Photography for Real Estate to be a great resource for aspiring photographers! Remember to take pictures in high resolution to ensure high quality shots. Here are some more tips.
• Remove any clutter.Clutter than can interfere with your photos. Help eliminate clutter by removing vehicles from the driveway as well as garbage bags, toys, food, tools, personal photos when shooting inside the house.
• Check your lighting. Avoid taking photos on rainy day or at night. Try and have as much natural light as possible. For inside shots, turn on all interior lights and use a flash if you have one.
• Create balance. If there isn’t enough furniture, get some to avoid an “empty” look. Add “props” such as flowers.
• Touch it Up. Consider using a software package to touch your photos up. Be careful not to go overboard! Removing power lines and bunching up color may be okay - but too much “make up” may leave prospects disappointed with the real thing.
• Shoot, Shoot, Shoot. Take as many pictures as you can - remember it doesn’t cost you any extra. Professional photographers do it, you should too!

When adding photos to your flyers remember to do the following:

• Put your best foot forward. Use the best photo, preferably a shot of the front of the house, as the main photo. If you are selling or renting an apartment, use a good inside shot or if the unit has a great view, consider using that.
• More is better. Including more photos in your gallery always works better
• Bigger is better. When posting flyers into Craigslist list, make sure you upgrade your account to take advance of the large photo format available only to subscribers. This lets you display your entire gallery (not just the thumbnails) in your Craigslist post. (See Example)

I think Chad Burt’s comments on 37 Signal’s blog really sums up the value that a vFlyer can bring to your Craigslist post:

What I find very frustrating is when photos aren’t even available. Look at Craigslist on a given day and half of the rentals listed lack photos. Don’t they realize that most people won’t even consider looking at a place without seeing a photo first?

So remember, a good picture may be just be worth a thousand words. Follow these tips and they will improve your chances of creating great photos and avoiding having your pictures featured in the “The Unbelievably Bad Real Estate Photography Hall of Fame.”