Dear Kathe,
We have noticed that some homes have a lot of photos online while others are more sparse. Shouldn’t you post as many photos as possible when you are trying to sell your home?
Real estate agents may now enter 25 photos for each of their listings into the MLS. Is more necessarily better? Probably not. Photographs should not be uploaded unless there is absolutely no chance that they will turn off a buyer. Yes, a certain photographic presence is expected, but it is quite possible to go too far.
As a general rule, I do not include photos of subservient bedrooms, for example. It’s a rare day that a photographer can get a great angle to make a small bedroom look spacious, and if it’s a child’s room, its likely “busy” with all of their things. It is simply too easy to turn buyers off with these types of photos. Children’s rooms may be brightly colored, and a buyer could reject even viewing the home as a result, thinking “that’s a project I don’t need.” Prospects may also not have children and may feel “that’s a home for a family, and that’s not me.”
Photos that showcase your furniture rather than the room is in should also ne avoided. Buyers are not buying your furniture – the photos must offer enough depth to each room that it is the room prospective buyers are viewing and not your stuff. Use a wide-angle lens or skip photographing the room.
Do not post any photos showcasing pets or clutter. As cute as they are, many people suffer from allergies and one look at a pet in a photo may cause them to screen out your home. Remember, these photos are what the world is using to decide whether they should come and view your home – you don’t want to lose prospects because you didn’t tidy up in advance or left clutter about – they may fear that the whole house will look that way.
Have a friend review your photos online and ask her to be brutally honest – if there is anything that could turn a buyer off (rooms that look tiny, photos showing a lot of wallpaper, photos showing strong wall colors, photos showing dated bathrooms), ask your agent to take them down. If you get buyers into your home, they may forgive things that would have turned them off in a photo because they otherwise love your home. Don’t lose them before they even get in the door. Less may very well be more.