We have all heard about curb appeal when it comes to selling a property. It is equally important to give your photos the best "curb appeal" possible. That means going back until we get the lighting right.
I had to list this home for sale in Andover on Wednesday, but given the monsoon season in New England (HAHA) I had to take the front picture in the rain. It is also my policy to take the front picture of a home in full sunlight with blue sky in the background. It took two days for the skies to clear, but I went back this morning to take another photo.
There are 2 reasons for taking the time to go back and re-photograph the exterior. The first is obvious. Everyone wants to buy a nice cheery home.... a sunny day with blue skies is just happier than a gray dismal day.
The second reason is much more subtle...... Your eye will automatically go to an image with more contrast. Close your eyes for a few second while looking at the photos. When you open your eyes let your eyes go where they want. They will go to the image on the right first, the contrast of a bright sunny day draws the eye....
So what?... Well when buyers are doing web searches the same principal applies. If there are a list thumbnails of homes for sale, a buyers eyes will be drawn to the homes where the thumbnails have more contrast. you are increasing the odds of a buyer doing a home search online of clicking through to your property to gain more information.
Hope this sheds some "light"!!
Heres a list of thumbnails in a home search. Again if you close your eyes while looking at the list, your eyes probably goes to the middle photo (3) than starts to compete with the first (1) and last (5) photos. Photo 2 and Photo 3 are just dominated by the other 3 photos.
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This post was provided by Kevin Vitali of EXIT Group One Real Estate In Tewksbury MA. You can contact Kevin by email at kevin@kevinvitali.com or call 978-360-0422.
I pride myself in the quality of my work while helpingbuyers and sellers make dreams come true.
Real Estate Services in the northeast Massachusetts, around the Merrimack Valley, Southern New Hampshire including the towns of Andover, Billerica, Boxford, Chelmsford, Dracut, Georgetown, Groveland, Haverhill, Lawrence, Lowell, Merrimac, North Andover, Newbury, Newburyport, North Reading, Rowley, Tewksbury, Tyngsboro, Westford, Wilmington, West Newbury
Kevin - Last summer I had hoped to take a lot of stock photography but couldn't for the exact reason you stated - no bright blue skies. We had a lot of hazy, dreary and overcast days.
Today, on this Good Friday, we are having nice warm weather with sun, but the sun is behind hazy white looking dreary clouds, so again I didn't go out. The bright blue skies add so much to marketing materials.
Cool eye tricks! You are so right! Also the 2nd photo at the top was obvoiusly shot at sunset (sunrise?) and has that advantage as well.
I keep a selection of sky photos that I layer onto my listing photos for those days when I must take a photo but the sky isn't cooperating. As you point out it makes a huge difference in the appeal.
Kevin,
Great points! It is extremely important to grab potential buyers with that first glance. A warm well-balanced colorful photograph is a great way to make your listing JUMP off the page!
I think so many home buyers are deciding what properties to view off thumbnails they see on the internet. You need to give yourself every advantage possible.
Thanks for the points. It is important to have the first impression. Without it, may not captivate the potential buyer to look further.
I would love that idea and do it when possible, but when it seems you get six months of rain during the winter months, you sure could be waiting a long time to get that photo of blue sky in the background.
Your point speaks for itself in the photos with the blue skys. So much more inviting! Thanks for the tutorial!
Kevin - That is so true. Your eyes will tend to see the one that is brighter. Great advise.
I'm a big fan of blue sky MLS photos. But I'm not going to wait for the perfect one to show up on photograph day. So I Photoshop them in. Same results!
Richard- It works in a pinch. Some house you just cannot get full sunlight on the front andblue sky in the back. You are still missing the most important part though.... the proper lighting on the house. The lighting on the house does not match the blue skies and actually looks a little off.
Dteve I go back and do a photo over if the lighting was not in my favor to edit and maximize