Author: Pipas Imagery

photography

How do I know how many photos I need?

Pipas Imagery

One of the first things you’ll notice on our services page is that our base packages are based on number of photos instead of by square footage.  This is set up intentionally to allow each Realtor the opportunity to determine how many photos they think is necessary to capture the home they are listing.  I often hear from agents “do you recommend a certain package” or “just shoot whatever you think the home needs”.  Before providing feedback I always ask a few more questions and try to get a feel for the property in order to make the best recommendation.

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More isn’t always necessary.  When determining how many photos you may need, there are several factors come into play including the total number of rooms in the home, the outdoor features on the property, and if the home has any unique qualities.  If the home has a lot of character to it then you may want to choose a higher photo package to make sure you capture everything with specific lifestyle shots.

Also, when picking photo packages be sure to think about the neighborhood and property as a whole.  Some neighborhoods have amazing amenities and that is what sells the property.  Other homes are in a very desirable location and drone photos might be the key to showing proximity to the beach or a great school nearby.  At the end of the day our goal as your photographer is to help you intrigue more buyers to want to come out and see the home you have listed so you can get it sold faster and for the most amount of money.

In summary, when looking at how to choose the right package be sure to really analyze the needs of each property individually.  We are happy to make suggestions or answer any questions you have so that in the end you get the product you were hoping for.

 

 

photography, Realtors

Drone photos can enhance your listing photos

Pipas Imagery

DCIM100MEDIADJI_0003.JPGThere are a lot of properties on the market that a drone photo would provide a great perspective for the potential buyer.  Using a drone can capture a prime location (near a school or water) or show features of the home that may not be captured otherwise (size of the land or solar panels).

Before considering getting drone photography for your listing be sure to check with your photographer and verify they are Part 107 certified with the FAA.  Any photographer not certified can result in large fines for the agent for using the photos.  The next thing to verify is that the property is in an area that does not need a special approval from the FAA to fly in.  Some areas close to airports or military bases can have restricted airspace and need an additional approval before drone photos can be taken.

Once you decide you would like to add drone photos to your listing there are a few things to consider to ensure they turn out great!

  1. Remove clutter from the yard like bicycles, child toys, and trashcans.  Removing these items will allow you to show more of the land which will result in the perception that the property is very spacious.
  2. Clean gutters out.  Since the roof will be clearly visible in most shots it is DCIM100MEDIADJI_0002.JPGadvised to clear out any leaves or debris in the gutters.  This will show the buyers to see that the home has been well cared for.
  3. If your property has a pool, clean the pool deck and remove pool cleaners.  Be sure to clean the pool deck a day or two prior to the photo shoot to ensure it has time to dry.  Also be sure to remove any vacuums or cleaning devices from the pool as it will make the photos for more eye appealing.
  4. Let your neighbors know that you will be having drone photos done.  Giving your neighbors the details about the time and date of the drone photo shoot can help ease your neighbors minds so that they know what is going on outside.

Drone photos are a great way to provide buyers with a different perspective of the home.  Here are a few more examples of some interesting drone shots.

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photography, Realtors

Ponte Vedra Real Estate Photography / 189 Spring Park Ave

Pipas Imagery

Angela Olmas’ new listing in Ponte Vedra, Nocatee Florida

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photography, Realtors

Virtual Staging is an innovative approach to impress buyers!

Pipas Imagery

What’s all the hype about virtual staging and is it really worth it in comparison to traditional staging?

According to the National Association of Realtors®, over 75% of buyers’ agents said that their buyers were able to envision their future life in the home.  In addition, about 38% of sellers’ agents use traditional staging in all of their client’s listings.  This is due to the fact that staging can often have a direct impact on how quickly the home sells.  Virtual staging is a cost effective alternative to traditional staging.

Here are a few example of virtual staging that Pipas Imagery created so you can see what’s possible:

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Virtual staging is a great way to showcase a property without having to bring in real furniture.  All of the staging is done electronically which means you don’t have to carry in furniture, plants, or wall art.  This provides a way to enhance the empty room photos which will help buyers envision their own furniture in the room.

When using virtual staging photos be sure to include the original empty room photo in your listing too.  Buyers may be expecting the furniture if they only see the photo that is virtually staged.  So in order to give them a heads up its best to include both.

Most buyers are fairly understanding of virtual staging, so long as the actual features and presentation of the home they are thinking of purchasing isn’t altered. In other words, when it comes to changing images digitally for real estate marketing purposes placing a couch and love seat in a room that was empty when the photographer took the original photo is okay, but repairing a huge hole in a floor is not.

photography, Realtors

Preparing your home for real estate photography

Pipas Imagery

 

 

There are a lot of pieces that go into selling a home.  One important piece is making sure it is visually pleasing to the prospective buyer.  Here is a video I recently came across from White Orchid, which is a home staging company, that has some great ideas:

In this video the home staging business owner John Matthews shares a lot of great information.  One thing he said that really stood out was:

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This quote really encompasses what every home seller wants to hear.  If you’ve already scheduled a real estate photographer to come photograph your home then that’s awesome!  Having high quality photography will really make a difference when selling your home.

However, making sure the home is staged correctly is another important factor since a professional photographed home that is not presented well will not provide the same results.

To really emphasize this point John says:

“Other than pricing it right, home staging and professional photography are the most important factors in selling real estate today.”.png

Here is an example of this in action:

Let’s pretend there are two houses on the same street, one is owned by the Jones family and the other is owned by the Sullivan family.  These homes are the same square feet with three bedrooms and two bathrooms.

The Jones family is pretty neat, although they do have two young children and a little bit of clutter around the house.  The realtor they hired does their own photos so the images are slightly dark inside, the colors aren’t quite right, and they appear to have been done quickly.

The Sullivan family also has to children but their realtor encouraged them to hire a home staging company to prepare their home.  The staging company used a combination of the Sullivan’s furniture and some special pieces that they brought in.  The realtor then hired a professional photographer who created beautifully lit photos and even included a twilight photo to really showcase the home.

Now both of these homes are on the market which the same sale price.

Which one do you think is going to attract the most interest from potential buyers?  

Clearly the Sullivan home is going to sell faster and likely for more money.

Home staging tips for selling a home:

Of course the most ideal situation would be to hire a professional staging company but if that is not possible there are a lot of ideas of things you can do yourself.  Here are a few tips from professional home stager Tori Toth:

Tori made several suggestions including:

  1. Declutter
  2. Pack away items you don’t use regularly
  3. Clean up from top to bottom so it shines
  4. Take care of any small repair projects before listing your home
  5. Paint
  6. Rearrange some furniture to maximize your square footage
  7. Spruce up the front yard to give your home some more curb appeal

We have also put together a great property prep list that home owners can use to get their home ready for a photographer.  You can download this checklist here.Prep list