Improve Your Listing Pictures
Experts say that propertes advertised online and supported by at least six high-quality photos sell quicker than those using fewer. To boost your listings over the competition, consider these features when purchasing a digital camera:
Panoramic pictures. Panoramic or stitched-together photos are a series of pictures that are joined together, either by using the camera's software, or software bought independently, to create one wide-angle shot. For example, by placing a camera on a tripod in the middle of the room, you can take a number of adjacent shots, stitch them together, and create a 360-degree view of the room.
Image stabilization. Also called anti-shake technology, image stabilization lets you avoid blur while shooting in low-light situations. The camera uses either a gyroscope or special internal software to compensate for shaking hands.
Five-megapixel resolution.A five-megapixel camera will meet the needs of most agents. Your digital photo is made up of elements called pixels. More pixels mean higher-quality photos. A five-megapixel camera, which provides 5 million pixels of resolution, will satisfy your website and email needs, as well as produce excellent-quality print photos up to 11 inches by 14 inches.
Wide angle.To capture the breadth of a room, consider buying a wide-angle adapter for your point-and-shoot digital camera. Adaptors connect using a magnetic ring that mounts with an adhesive strip, and fit the following camera lens diameters: small (10mm to 17mm) and large (17mm to 27mm). Manufacturers include Crystal Vision, Tricod and Bower M. Power.
Have a great week!
Rob
Robert Rauf
Cell: (732)740-0175
Building financial security, one homeowner at at time.
Thanks for the tip, but our MLS has pics that only got to 900kb
I think today's agents on the go have found that their iphones or a good quality phone like an LG have all the features they need (and feel that the customer deserves). The added advantage is the ability to email those tiny (they will certainly fit on your MLS) files right to your computer.
Really, when you think about it, why would a prospective buyer want to look at just one fabulous pano shot when you can give them 100 crappy shots of the same room with with your cell phone in the time it takes to do that ONE pano shot.
Randy,
I agree, you probably could get away with a cell phone shot...(to a point) My Black berry takes photos at 2.1 Megapixel, I think that would be fine for most MLS shots. but too much smaller than that and the quality will not be good enough when blow up to view. As a temporay shot it is better to have a low quality photo than no photo, providing you take the time to "fix" the poor quality photo. My biggest pet peeve is when listings pop up with out any photos at all, that is just crazy in this day in age. Second biggest pet peeve, the horrible photos with unmade beds, piles of garbage etc.... I cant imagine how the rest of the house looks if they choose to show the "bad" in the photos!
Robert,
That was actually a tongue-in-cheek comment :(
I wish I could get shots like this off my cell phone:
but NO - I had to use that fancy-shmancy expensive equipment you mentioned. Only I was at 12 megapixals and used a tripod instead of IS.
Robert -- I shouldn't poke fun like that.
The scary thing is I can get better pics on my cell than I see in many listing photos.
Now that would be funny if it weren't so TRUE!