Category: Realtors

photography, Realtors

Simple tips to enhance outdoor photos

Pipas Imagery

Keystone-Heights-real-estate-photography-1The cover photo on a listing is usually the most important photo because it peaks the potential buyers interest and gets them to continue looking through the rest of the photos.  Often times the cover photo is an exterior shot of the home.  Here are a few affordable ideas that can be done to help make that exterior cover photo really pop and get more buyers interested in your listing!

Add a small container garden

If your listing has a porch try adding a small container garden with brightly colored flowers.  This is an easy way to add colorful curb appeal and is simple to put together.  Stop by your local garden center and grab a few containers of varying sizes, some of your favorite plants, and a couple bags of potting soil and you are all set!

Spruce up the mailbox

Most people tend to overlook the mailbox when thinking about ways to add more color or curb appeal to their property.  Adding a few flowers around the mailbox is a quick and easy way to incorporate some more color without a lot of work.  Some simple low maintenance flowers that can be added are marigolds, petunias, or zinnias.

Paint the front door

The front door is often a neutral color that doesn’t draw much attention to it.  Adding a color that accents the house can make a big statement with a small amount of work.  Check your local hardware stores to see if they have any paint containers on clearance.  This is a great way to get a color pop without spending too much.

Add outdoor furniture

If your new listing has a large front porch that doesn’t have anything on it, consider putting a few pieces of outdoor furniture on it.  This will help add charm to the front of the house.  Sometimes you can find cheap outdoor furniture at thrift shops that can easily be spruced up with a little bit of paint.  Also add a brightly colored throw pillow and that will help draw attention to the home even more.  If there is a table on the front porch, consider adding a small container with flowers in it there too.

Small and simple final touches

Don’t forget those final details that can make a world of difference.  Adding a wreath to the front door can be very welcoming.  Possibly paint the shutters to give them a refreshed look.  Mix in a few colorful flowers into flower beds that are already there to help the front of the home pop a bit more.

I hope these ideas gave you some inspiration for easy way to enhance the curb appeal of your new listing.  Keep in mind that all of these ideas are just suggestions.  If your listing is in a neighborhood with a home owners association be sure to check with them regarding any rules or regulations about making any changes to the exterior of the home.

photography, Realtors

Should I add amenity photos to my listing?

Pipas Imagery

Sometimes the actual house for sale isn’t the only thing that potential buyers are looking for.  Instead they might be looking for the full package of not only the perfect home but also the perfect neighborhood with all the bells and whistles.  Buyers are often looking for things to do locally and ways to easily socialize with their neighbors.  Amenities can be a huge selling factor when home buyers are looking for their new place to call home.

neighborhood quote

A big part of most neighborhoods is the amenities that are included.  If a buyer sees a large monthly home owners association (HOA) fee then their first question is going to be – “What is included?”.  Adding amenity photos will help them see right away the benefits of what is available to them when they buy that particular property.  This will help the buyer stop wondering and now you’ve captured the buyer’s interest before they have moved on to the next home.

There are many large neighborhoods that have groups of amenities and only certain ones are accessible to some of the subdivisions within them.  The future home buyer might be wondering which ones would I have access to with this property.  Having the photos in the listing helps them to understand which amenities are available to the home owner and those that are not.

The amenities that are available tend to vary based on the area you are looking at.  Some examples of common amenities are pools, tennis courts, gyms, clubhouse, and playgrounds.  Some less common amenities can include community lake with walking path, golf courses, or boat launches.  Everyone is looking for something!

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.

DCIM100MEDIADJI_0020.JPG
DCIM100MEDIADJI_0006.JPG

 

 

photography, Realtors

Ponte Vedra Real Estate Photography / 189 Spring Park Ave

Pipas Imagery

Angela Olmas’ new listing in Ponte Vedra, Nocatee Florida

DCIM100MEDIADJI_0011.JPG
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:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

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.