What is wrong with this picture?
O’Fallon home listed at $175,000
I guess this agent didn’t want to bother with getting out of the car to take the picture.
This house is a REO owned home (a foreclosure) and it is under contract now.
Still, it took 475 days to get a contract.
There are 4 other pictures that suggest the house is in decent condition (though it is rarely the case when you see the home in person…pictures hide a lot of flaws and foreclosures are almost always pretty rough). But, I wonder if this picture…and the lack of LOTS of good interior pictures…had something to do with the fact that it took over a year to get this house sold.
Buyers study pictures to decide if they want to come see your home. If you are selling your home, make sure your pictures don’t disqualify your home before the buyers even walk through the door.
If your home is already on the market, take a critical look at the pictures posted on your listing and ask your agent to redo any of the pictures that send out red flags. If you are preparing to list your home and haven’t yet selected an agent, I would welcome a chance to talk to you. For more information on what I offer my home listing clients, take a look at my FAQ for Sellers or contact me by email.
PDF Possibly Related Posts:
- Bad MLS Photo of the Day #33
- Bad MLS Photo of the Day #17
- Bad MLS Photo of the Day #16
- Bad MLS Photo of the Day #15
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow. This photo makes this house look straight out of a horror flick. Even if it is well-maintained, by shooting straight into the sun this image gives the buyer the wrong impression. I am an architectural photography and it is a BIG no no to photograph a building will the sun behind it– you want the sun to light the front of the house, not your camera!!
All photography invokes feelings, whether it’s a fine art image or a real estate photo– the viewer sees only what is in front of them. In this case, a bad image= a very bad impression of this house. I have no doubt that the delay in selling this house is a direct result of the photography. There is nothing about this picture that makes anyone want to go see the real thing.
Ashley – You make some great points. I agree that the pictures evoke feelings. I’ve found that the home purchased by buyers is often a home that excited them simply from seeing the pictures online. They walk into the home prepared to love the house.
In contrast, when they go to a home that has bad pictures, they walk in skeptical. It’s like going on a blind date simply out of a sense of obligation…so you won’t later regret not having explored every option…but knowing that you won’t like your date. It’s very hard to overcome low expectations in a date or in a house.
I’ve seen your pictures, and I have no doubt that you could make any house look like a shining star.
Thanks Karen! That’s definitely my goal!