"Without pictures I am much less likely to go see a house," says house hunter Dan Dillbeck, of Grand Rapids, Mich. In most cases -- 85% of the time -- online photos are his first view of a home, he says, adding that poor pictures tend to turn him away.
Photographs are powerful bait. Good ones can lure buyers; poor ones can do the opposite. Follow these tips to create flattering photos of your property....
Home buyers want to see more than just the front of the house. Buyers also want to get a look at the living room, kitchen, dining room, family room, master bedroom/bathroom and the backyard, Bayless says. He suggests including your residence's best features, such as a home theater or an exercise room.
Most Multiple Listing Services allow several photos in their online listings, and classifieds sites such as Craigslist let sellers post up to four pictures. You can make additional shots available by using free photo sites such as Shutterfly, Snapfish or Picasa.
For condos and apartments, include shots of amenities such as a pool, tennis court or gym, says Kevin Grolig, a real-estate agent with Llewellyn Realtors in Rockville, Md.
If your home has a spectacular view, say of a beach, lake, mountains, park or golf course, by all means post photos of it, says Ron Luxemburg, a photographer in Pasadena, Calif.
Home seller Dzung Nguyen, 40, of Germantown, Md., posted 35 photos of his home in an online slideshow. When sites limit the number of pictures that can be posted, he links to it. "There are a lot of houses out there, and people don't have time to go to all of them," he says. His property has received more feedback from buyers, he says, than it did when it was listed with a real-estate agent who took only one or two photos....
