Home Been On Market Long? Have Realtor Take New Photos

The other day I had a client that had asked me to send them listings in a specific area and with certain guidelines. As I am browsing through the list to make sure the homes meet all their criteria; I came across what I felt was a lazy agent. Here in Charlotte, NC. if we get snow it is one day and most likely melted the next day. I viewed a main image of a house that had snow on the ground. The trees were all barren and it looked dark and gloomy outside. As I scrolled through the photos I noticed all the exterior shots were that way. Now, in fairness the interior photos of the home were very warm and friendly.

In a competitive market such as this one is, proper photos are vital to help with a home sale. There is an old adage that rings true "a photo is worth a thousand words". Last year I had a listing I received in the summer. When fall came and all the trees had the beautful leaves that changed colors I took the pictures looking out at the wonderous view and all the colors of the trees were breathtaking. Two weeks later the house was sold. The buyer mentioned at the closing that the view of the fall leaves different colors enticed him to view the property. Did it sell the home? No, but it brought a buyer who might not have otherwise came to the home.

Also, when you have photos from another season, the buyer will instantly think what is wrong with this house? Why has it been on the market for such a long time. You could be drivng away people who would otherwise view the home and possibly purchase it by the pictures. In fact, for me that was the first thing that came to my mind when I looked at the pictures of the house with snow. There are too many choices out there not to refresh the photos with the seasons and bring the home out in it's best light.

We are in a very competitive market and you the seller need any and all advantages you can get to help sell your home today.

Dave diCecco
Realtor/Broker
www.davedicecco.com