The speed with which consumers have embraced online shopping amazes me. In just a few short years, the buying habits of most people have changed from window shopping at the mall to browsing across the internet, comparing quality and prices from the comfort of home. This same change applies to the real estate industry as well.
With almost any information about homes for sale available online, buyers are able to narrow down their list of most interesting homes without spending an entire day driving from house to house…and most of them are doing this based on the photos of those properties.
The New Orleans MLS (Multiple Listing Service) allows an agent to upload up to 12 photos of each listing. Is every home a candidate for 12 photos? Probably not. Tenant occupied properties are notoriously hard to get good photos of – no matter how hard we try. Homes that have been flooded and gutted usually don’t warrant more than a couple of exterior pictures and maybe one or two interior photos.
However, too many agents are still just using a couple of shots of the front of what might be some great homes and calling it advertisement or marketing.
The result? Houses that are passed over by buyers that assume there is something wrong with them.
I did a quick search of the active listings on the West Bank and of the 1,268 single family homes for sale here is what I found:
- 17% had only 1 photo
- 13% had between 2-5 photos
- 45% had between 6-10 photos
- 25% had the maximum number of photos allowed
These numbers don’t even get into the quality of photos being used. Here’s what the buyers will see in that 17% that have only 1 picture to draw them in with:
- Photos taken from across the street that give a great view of the trees, but not much of the house
- People peeking out of the front doors (are they included in the sale?)
- Blurry and out of focus pictures (should I check my glasses?)
- Thumbnail photos that are so tiny there is no way a person could decide if it’s a house they might be interested in…combined with a description like “Must see to appreciate”
- Driveways and front yards so full of cars that it looks more like an auto lot than a home
- Pictures filled with garbage cans, overgrown grass and the shadows of the agent taking the photo
- Photos that are so crooked buyers are waiting for the house to slide right off of the screen
So what is my point? Sellers should be reviewing the marketing efforts of their agents. Ask to see the photos they are using – if you don’t like them, demand additional or replacement photos. Ask to see the MLS printout that buyers will get. Don’t be afraid to ask that the descriptions be detailed and accurate…good spelling and grammar are bonuses as well, but that’s a topic for another day.
Marketing and showcasing your home in it’s best light is what your agent is being paid for. Be sure you are getting your money’s worth, because that shouldn’t be optional either.
For information about home buying or selling on the West Bank of New Orleans, or relocating to or from NAS JRB New Orleans, please contact the West Bank Living Team. It would be our pleasure to have the opportunity to assist you with any of your real estate needs and have a little fun while doing it!
I am sooooo on your side. It is so not right for an agent to take on a listing and not market that property with all of the resource available to them. I too have noticed that there are your first time homes for sale with little to no view or no details as to what the property has to offer. I have seen large valued homes with one picture and very little details regarding them.
WHAT ARE OUR AGENTS THINKING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!