April 30th, 2008 by Michael Oliver

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OK, I’ll admit it. I like to help people, sometimes to the point where it takes a lot of my time and I feel like I have to play catch up. Here’s a post I think will help the overwhelming majority of FSBO’s AND new real estate agents (or those that have yet to realize what they should be doing). I am taking the time to write it because I see so very many horrible home pictures! It’s hard to believe that some people don’t seem to know they can and should do a better job. I am in no way pretending to be a professional photographer. However, a few common sense techniques will produce above-average pictures that will get people interested in a home. As a disclaimer, some homes are hard to photograph because of their layouts and other issues. But, lets start from the beginning.

Use a Wide Angle Lens

As the saying goes, you get what you pay for. But if you’re a FSBO or an agent (especially if you’re an agent since you’re supposed to be the professional with all the professional tools to get the job done), you need to take your shots with a wide-angle lens. A regular lens will make rooms look smaller and less inviting than they are. Cameras with wide-angle capability sell for a few hundred dollars. Even if you’re a FSBO trying to sell your own home and won’t ever be using the camera again, I assure you the cost will make your home look a thousand times better online where everyone will be taking notice.

Here’s an example of what a wide-angle lens will do. In the photo below, courtesy of Frank L. Losa of Franklyrealty.com, the shaded area shows how much more of the room is included with a wide-angle lens. The more brightly colored square area is all that would be captured with a regular lens, taken from the same vantage point. This is a great example of a picture being worth a thousand words. It’s just this simple: ALWAYS USE A WIDE-ANGLE LENS FOR REAL ESTATE PICTURES.

Angles

Just like anything else, some angles and sides are more photogenic than others. I get very tired of seeing the same old pictures of homes taken straight on. These pictures put me to sleep. For the sake of my sellers and the people looking at homes all day online, I try to present photos that are a little different. I try to use an unusual or exciting angle that makes the home show itself off rather than take shots that look like thousands of others. Here are a few examples from my own listings.

Here’s a living room that I think looks many times better than what you would find in the average Tucson listing:

Here’s another one of a regular bath vanity, taken from a much lower height than is customary for a bath picture:

Here’s another one demonstrating that a new and different angle will help separate your home from the competition:

I could go on with numerous other tips, but let’s look at some of the pictures recently displayed on MLS here in Tucson that actually spurred this post. (Don’t worry agents, I wont tell who took what, but we both know who you are.)

Hmmmm, are you selling the trees and bushes or maybe the house that we can kind of see behind all that? Or maybe you’re selling the bench that is squarely in the middle of the picture. I’m just not sure.

Did the camera have sunglasses on or what? This picture is so dark I have no clue what I’m even supposed to see. Oh, wait! The tree! The tree must be for sale because there would be no other reason for anyone to post a picture like this in a listing. In fact, the tree should be upset because part of it is missing from the picture. Again, these are real pictures that took me about 45 seconds to find.

Here’s one more, just for fun. This is a great one, and in a way, a sad one. The listing was just reduced in price. Hmm, I wonder why.

I guess I’m not the only one who thinks a counter with a bunch of junk on it doesn’t look so appealing. Is this picture taking thing really that hard? Come on people! There is actually junk on every chair and on the counter. Hell, the lady’s purse is just sitting there. One more thing that is not so obvious: the angle is awful, and only half the fridge is visible. If the real estate agent you just hired to sell your home posts pictures like this, he or she should be fired ASAP. If the agent doesn’t have the common sense required to not do this kind of stuff, then the rest of the transaction will be an even bigger joke. Furthermore, this is an expensive house. Don’t think I just pulled some 85k special to poke fun. This house with the amazing kitchen picture is a $500,000+ home, almost 3 times the average sales price in Tucson AZ.