The importance of good photography for an estate agent cannot be underestimated. In recent years, the number of listings competing for space on a rising number of property portals, agents’ websites and digital outlets, in addition to conventional printed magazines and newspapers.
The pandemic definitely raised the profile of agents’ photography when it was impossible for people to view properties in person. At this time, photos became the main way to create a virtual experience and suggest how it would feel to live in a property.
Agents used not to take photographs seriously and there was a time when they would take out a Polaroid and snap a couple of shots themselves. Nowadays agents often use professional property photographers to take a vast array of hi-res images, including some styled shots to hint at a lifestyle for the person scrolling online.
It’s definitely important for agents to tell a story and set the scene, striving to get the best shots of every property, whilst being transparent, to avoid unexpected surprises when a prospective buyer views in person. More and more agents are deploying techniques like ‘digital staging’, lifestyle shots, the magic night shots add, and increasingly drone photography is being used to showcase homes, especially those lying on large plots.
The world of social media and mobile technology has radically changed the immediacy and way we can access photographs from anywhere at any time. 54 per cent of social media users regularly turn to social media platforms to research products and services, including their next home. 71 per cent of users, who have had a positive experience via social media, are more likely to recommend to their family, friends and colleagues.
In a busy world with a short attention span, it’s important that we try hard to capture the essence, detail and feel-good factor of every property we visit and photograph – the heart of the home begins with a lovely image.
