Ready For Your Close-Up?

It has been said that "A picture is worth a thousand words". And it was Picasso who said "Every now and then one paints a picture that seems to have opened a door and serves as a stepping stone to other things". In real estate, a great picture is a stepping stone to personally seeing the property, and just like a painting, a picture must be composed for maximum effect. Having great pictures is one of the key components in drawing people to your home or investment property. These pictures could lead to a sale and, according to Inman News, a leading website for agents and brokers, listings with professional photos sell for more money and at a quicker rate. But a bad picture won't even get people out their door let alone into yours. So make it count by having phenomenal pictures of that home or investment property you are trying to sell. Don't take good pictures? Hire a professional as it's so worth it.

I take pretty good pictures, but I must admit that a professional does it so much better. They have better equipment than an Android phone, combined with a vast knowledge and expertise to make even the most ordinary look extraordinary. The lighting, the time of day, the color scheme and of course the angle is crucial to getting that just right shot. Sometimes when I look at property pictures online, I wonder why they were ever included. You know the ones: Upside down, dark and even sideways. I mean come on, this isn't the batcave, it's your pride and joy, so show it off properly. Remember this is a buyer's first impression of your property and you want to make it a good one.

Having attractive pictures is often thought of as a "must have" for residential properties, but that goes for investment properties as well. Most people, nowadays, scan the internet looking for their next purchase. Rarely, does anyone just drive around and look at places for sale. First stop is generally online. Again, Inman News states that 92% of home and investment property buyers shop first online, so if people see bad pictures they are more likely to pass and move on to the next. And that goes for investment properties too, even if the list price makes it seem like a good deal no matter what it looks like. Price is important, but it's not the only thing that is. Granted, investment properties are more difficult to show as you can't force your tenants to clean their apartments, but you can make sure the common areas look good. And your property may be well worth the look in person, but without favorable pictures, no one will show up at your doorstep. Your photos should be inviting buyers to come take a look for themselves. And that means getting it show ready.

I've mentioned "Curb Appeal" many times and the need for having it. Just as pictures lure people into seeing your property, having curb appeal welcomes people inside. Again with the first impressions, if buyers see weeds, dead grass, peeling paint and rusty nails their first impression is already tarnished no matter how great it may look inside. And once inside, people want to see neat and tidy areas. So declutter and depersonalize as much as possible especially before taking those awesome pictures. It's amazing how pictures can almost erase stains on a carpet, or marks on a wall, but they can't straighten a messy room or hide major defects. So get it fixed before the pix. And if your property is vacant, you may want to consider staging it. That typically applies to just single family homes. Most important is that you want your pictures to say "Come Look At Me", not "Turn The Other Way". A home or investment property is a product for sale, just like any other, and should be marketed as such. And while you may not have the multi-million dollar property seen here, you can still take it from drab to fab.

I had a professional take these pictures on my past listings in Pittsburgh PA and I firmly feel that they added to the overall quick sale of the property.

So get your property ready for it's close up, make it picture perfect and you'll get that face to face you desire. With ultimately an autograph, from an admirer, on the sales agreement.