January 9, 2010 | Epistle to the Real Estate Agent: Regarding Your Photos

Dear Real Estate Agents,

It has come to my attention that some of you don’t know how to take pictures. I’ve seen the photos you’ve taken in the MLS database (if you bothered to take them at all), and you need to understand a few things about photography.

You know that saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words”? It is true. What that axiom fails to add, perhaps because the person who originated it assumed this additional caveat, is this: “Those words can either tell the story well, or not.”

As with anything else, there are the basics of photography that you’ll need to understand. Photography is just as important as being able to not only write and understand real estate contracts, but also establish rapport with your buyers or sellers. It’s one of the basics of marketing, along with writing ad copy or descriptions of said property for your MLS provider.

So here’s what you need to do in order to be successful at this skill. And it’s all about the basics.

Here are a few important questions that I’ll address:

1. Who is going to be taking the pictures?
2. What equipment are you going to be using?
3. When are you going to be taking these pictures?
4. Where are you going to be taking said pictures at?
5. How are you using these pictures?
6. Why did you do any of the above?

1. Who is going to be taking the pictures?

One of two important components to this endeavor is determining who will be tasked with photography. Will it be you? Do you have an assistant that does this?

What is their experience in taking the pictures? Many people have the ability to point a camera at something and take a shot of it, but there’s something to be said about talent. Knowing what to take a picture of, as well as how to make something presentable for pictures (the right lighting, for instance) makes all the difference.

2. What equipment are you going to be using?

You are only as good as your tools. Therefore, it is imperative that you invest in quality camera equipment. You don’t need equipment that professional photographers use, but you should invest in quality items.

Do not treat this lightly: This is going to be the most important decision you’ll ever make, because you’ll need to determine how you’re going to use the pictures. If you’re going to create virtual tours, create brochures, and syndicate your listings on the net, then something in the 6 or 10 MP range is probably a good idea.

For those of you who want to be smart about it, a mid-range digital camera is the most economical option. For seasoned agents in the business, you will probably want to go higher, because the expectation is simply higher, even if you aren’t aware of it.

For those of you wanting a camera that can take wide-angle shots, you are better off with a non-compact camera where you can attach add-ons to the lens. You can get away without going to an SLR, although SLRs have dropped considerably over the past couple of years. Typically, this entails buying an adapter ring and the appropriate lens. Since I’m only pointing you in the right direction, you’ll need to take it upon yourself to research what cameras out there suit your needs, and what attachments you need. Professional camera outlets, such as Adorama, are useful and I’ve dealt with them in the past for my father’s business needs.

Your camera choice will need to factor in how comfortable or experienced you are in fiddling with the more advanced stuff. If you are wanting to control how your pictures look, in particular manipulating settings (flash, exposure, f-stop, etc.), the better your pictures tend to be—assuming you know what you’re doing. Don’t let me scare you off, however, as most cameras have an “auto” feature that usually covers most of it.

You want something that can take good pictures in low-light or natural-light conditions. I know that many people like using the flash, but flashes—particularly ones that aren’t calibrated properly—tend to wash out colors, cause the “flare” against mirrors or other reflective objects, and place emphasis on objects that shouldn’t be emphasized. Do remember that most of the time, the closest item to the lens or flash will always be the brightest object, given how light works.

On another subject: when buying a camera, you will need the accessories to go with it. These include a camera bag that can carry all the camera accessories (battery charger, extra battery, flash media), at least two memory cards in case you lose one. If you think you’re going to drop the camera, then you may want to find a protection plan that covers accidental damage. When thinking about warrantying the camera with a service plan, you will want to read over the terms of the plan first. Otherwise, it’s just as easier to buy another camera in the long run without it. Caveat emptor.

3. When are you taking the pictures?

It is important to take the pictures at the right time.

Optimally, you want to photograph the home and property when the following conditions are met, or nearly met.

• During a clear day, with very little clouds and great sunshine.
• When the house is presentable; you don’t want to take a picture of a house when they have Halloween decorations out on the lawn, or during a garage sale. Also, if the inside of the house is less-than-presentable, you probably don’t want to take shots of the interior. After all, these pictures will be posted in public spots, and the point of advertising is to get people interested in a property.
• When the least number of people are home. The more people around, the more difficult it is to take photos, and the more you inconvenience those who live there.
  • For instance, most folks have a least one car per person, so if there are four people home (two kids of driving age and two parents), there may be as many as four cars there. That means that there are cars in the driveway, or in the garage, and that they’ll have to be moved in order to take the proper photo.

4. Where are you going to be taking said pictures at?

When you’re listing a property, you’re not only selling the house, you’re selling the area. Therefore, it is important to take photos of the community or the areas nearby.

If a house is five minutes away from the river and beaches, then you should probably take a picture of the river and the beaches. Same goes for a property with a “gorgeous view of nature” from “its front door step” or “its balcony.” Thus, you should take pictures of the very sight that the homeowner would see, whether it would be of the mountains, the lake, or a natural sight. That’s what will likely sell a property.

5. How will you be using these pictures?

You need to keep in mind that different services have different needs and limitations. A magazine or newspaper ad will likely only allow you 1 photo. A MLS listing server may only allow you up to 8 or 10 photos. A virtual tour may allow you to have 20 to “unlimited” numbers of photos; “unlimited” is encased in quotations because it’s impossible to publish an infinite number of photos and be done with it, not to mention the fact that there is a limit, but most users never reach it, so it remains undisclosed to most. If you do it right, you may be able to stitch the photos together to create a panorama, particularly of exterior views such as waterfronts.

Let me touch on the virtual tour panorama topic here, since I’ve done it. It is not without some effort, but nothing worthwhile is rarely effortless. So let’s me begin by saying that services such as RealBiz360, allow their publishers to upload “high definition” photos. In these photos, users can zoom in and all that jazz. It’s nice, but I haven’t run into any real estate buyer (or seller) who cares about that kind of feature. Still, you need to keep in mind that “high definition” photography will be the future, so the clearer the picture… the better. And, at any rate, the resolution of your pictures will be downscaled when they are uploaded.

6. Why did you do any of the above?

I want to say that I needed a “why” question.

However, I need you to realize that you need to always analyze and question the decisions you make, because if you don’t, you’ll never improve. You’ll become stagnant and resistant to change. Yes, some change should be resisted, but that decision lies with you, and hopefully made with the help of your critical thinking skills and not on a mere whim. When doing anything, you need to answer the question of “why?”

Why did I buy that device? Why did I take the picture that way? Did I place myself in a home buyer’s shoes and see things through their eyes? Why should I do that? Why don’t I?

The best real estate professionals—or any sort of professional on any career path—tend to be able to put themselves in the other person’s shoes and figure out how their brain works. They find out what they want and then, switching over to the supplier mode, devise a means to deliver the consumer what they want and, at best, make money doing something they enjoy doing.

And a few other things…

I have a few other words of wisdom that I’ll impart:

• Do not pose in pictures or have someone pose in pictures being a “Vanna White.” There is absolutely no reason why someone should be “Vanna Whiting” appliances, pools or anything of the sort. Let me repeat the point ad absurdum: There should not be anyone in your photos, at all. The point of a photo is to show off a room, a feature, or an attribute you want people to know about. Having folks in a photo detracts from the subject of the photos.
• Do not take photos of stairways, hallways, or toilets. Unless the toilet is the Super-Deluxe Toilet with Automatic Bum Cleansing Features, it’s not worth a photo. Even if it were… still not worth the photo. Unless you have a toilet fetish. (Sadly, Google informs me that such a fetish exists. There’s no technical word for it yet, as far as I am presently aware.)
• Take tons of photos. Digital memory has increased in size, so why don’t you take more photos? We’re not in the 1980s where you had only 24 exposures on a roll of 35mm film. So, you don’t have to use every single photo you take, and it is nice to have a smattering of choices to choose from. Take photos from different vantage points, in different lighting conditions. Take a photo with a flash, and one in natural light. Be creative, but be creative with purpose.
• Make the property presentable, clean, and no clutter. Before you take photos of a property, you need to tell your sellers that it is important to have the home presentable. The less clutter on counter tops and in rooms, the better. The idea here is that the potential buyer should be able to visualize themselves in the home, since they are going to be the ones to live in it, should they choose to buy it. Should repairs need to be done, then the selling agent needs to inform their seller of the items that need repair.

That’s all I have for now. Feel free to send me any comments, questions, or concerns. I look forward to helping people—including myself—improve my skill sets!