What message are your real estate photos sending to your buyers in Grand Rapids?

Imagine that you are browsing homes for sale in Grand Rapids or elsewhere in Michgian, and you come across one that is using rather poor photos. The inside images are a little dark, so it’s difficult to view everything in the room, and perhaps the windows are largely white due to the bright light outside. Overall, the home itself is presented in a lived-in state and looks like a pretty standard family home. There are some toys and documents scattered around the living room. There is a somewhat cluttered kitchen, and the beds are just a little messy, so the house is by no means immaculate.

What message are these photos giving you?

What is the realtor or home seller communicating with those images?

If the listing has a price on it, what would you use to compare the house with other homes listed at the same price point? Would you think that maybe the agent is asking a bit too much money for a home with this type of presentation, relative to other houses currently on the market?

If you were a buyer in this situation, would you rush to view the house in person before someone else puts an offer in?

Or would you be thinking that you have got plenty of time to get to visiting the house, so no need to hurry?

When considering what kind of offer would give you the best chance to get the property, would you want to submit your highest possible price, or do you think you could send over a low offer because you assume that the seller’s expectations might be low as well? Based on the listing photos, you might assume that the real estate agent doesn’t think the house warrants professional photography because he or she thinks the listing will sell for a low price. Or perhaps the might believe the house will sell regardless of the quality of the photos, so they assume that the seller would probably accept a lower price?

Think like a home buyer

When considering the photos that are going to be used in a real estate marketing campaign, you may want to consider doing so from the point of view of a buyer, and all of the subtle messages that they pick up when scrolling through the photos online.

However, the realtor selling that home also needs to consider the message that those photos say about them and the service they offer:

1. Do poor quality real estate photos make a home seem like good value relative to other homes on the market?
2. Do poor quality photos entice buyers to act quickly before it’s gone?
3. Do poor quality images give the impression that the agent selling the home is the most knowledgeable and professional agent in the area?

Based on the quality of the images, I think most people would be inclined to answer ‘no’ to each of those questions. Low quality real estate photos don’t benefit anyone, but I also don’t think real estate agents intentionally use poor photos because they want to get a low price for a home, or because they don’t want to appear professional.

Sometimes real estate agents who use poor photos do so because they don’t understand the perceived difference between a good photo and a poor photo. Now this is not anything to be ashamed of, provided that realtor seeks to learn more about what makes a great real estate photo. After all, having attractive visual elements in a real estate marketing campaign can have a huge impact on its success. Think about this scenario: Would hiring that professional photographer for $200, or even $500, be a worthwhile investment when it means an increase in the perceived sale price of a home by several thousand dollars? That doesn’t sound so bad, does it?

Ask your local expert

If the difference between good photos and terrible photos is something that you’re curious to learn more about, have a chat with a Grand Rapids real estate photographer or contact me with any questions. But just make sure the person you choose is a good one because not all photographers are equal in their abilities.