RealtyTech's Blog

Here at RealtyTech, we’d like to imagine that the possibilities with your real estate business are endless. Part of making those dreams a reality reality is having a good solid marketing plan in place for your listings. Breaking it down even further, let’s concentrate on marketing your listings, and even further, PHOTOS!

While Sr. Director or Realtor.com I was given the task of going to to AOL Testing Centers in Dulles Virginia outside of Washington DC, (Back with AOL actually mattered), to test one thing and one thing only: How to get a Consumer to contact a Realtor based on that Realtors online presence only. AOL set up a six week study in Dulles and I got to see most of it. We had qualified home buyers sit in a room with one-way mirrors and had them look up real estate online.

Tracking and watching

We tracked and watched their actions to search online, what sites they found, what they did once they found a site, then watched the entire process of them finding a home and then actually contacting a Realtor. The study cost $260,000 back in 2002, but to me, it was priceless.

The bottom line: The most significant reason Consumers contact agents about a particular home is how the home looked in the pictures, period.

Pictures do make a difference!

We even went so far as to set up dummy listings on Realtor.com We put the same home on the site twice, one without pictures for $300,000 and the same home WITH pictures for $350,000. Guess what? The consumers 7 out of 10 times contacted the agent with the overpriced home with pictures over the correctly priced home without pictures! In this case some pictures were worth $50,000!

Tips for good Real Estate Photography

Ever since that day I’m still amazed to find beautiful homes on the IDX feed with poor amateurish photography. Not only does this lack of professionalism kill interest in the property, it also makes YOU look poor and amateurish yourself. Are you with me? Do you want to sell more listings? Here are some tips:

1. Look at fine photography and get a feel for how to take pictures of homes. http://pursuitist.com/house/ has nice photos, so does www.Houzz.com

2. Learn how to use your digital camera for optimal effect.

3. Learn how to use a tripod and extended exposures for beautiful lighting effects at dusk or morning.

4. Decide upon the best lead photo in your listing.

5. And if you don’t have the time or interest, cultivate an ongoing relationship with a photographer to do the work for you! It’s a worthwhile investment.

Cheers,
Richard Uzelac