Is it just me or are my Estate Agent's pics rubbish?

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glock339

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Gary
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Hi everyone, I've recently put my house up for sale and I'm not happy with the pics my estate agent has taken. They sent a girl from the office to take em and when I asked her if the camera had a wide lens she told me she didn’t know and I actually ended up sorting out the memory card on it for her at one point!

I complained about the first pics they used and they said they would get the guy who was coming round to do my virtual tour pics to take some stills while he was there. While the guy was round I got talking to him and found out he has no experience with photography and just bought the virtual tour business as a franchise. Needless to say the pics he took were no good either!

I'm a bit annoyed because the house is unique and the pics just don’t do it any justice. In my opinion anyone who has looked at these pics will be put off and wont bother looking at it again now! Should I expect better pics considering I'll be paying around £2000 to the estate agent if I ever sell the place!? Any advice on getting better results, wider lens etc?


LINK TO PICS BELLOW:

http://search.issl.co.uk/detailsLite.aspx?chainid=1425&propertyid=466389287


Cheers.
Gary.
 
Lovely house. Pics look ok , but i guess for £2000 they should be good images and not just a few snap shots. As you say a unique place and deserves a good set of pics to show it off to its best.
 
Is it me or are my estate agent's pics rubbish?
No it's not you, yes they are rubbish. How you expect to sell a house with those pics is beyond me.
 
They're not the best photos, looks like a lovely house as well.

Why don't you take the photos and then you'll be happy with them, I did it for a mate who hated the ones the agent took. Or if you're not happy with the estate agent, use another one, I'm sure in the current financial climate it'll be a competitive market.

Dave
 
Thanks for all the replies so far! I've been thinking of taking them my self even though I dont see why I should if I'm paying that sort of cash.:shake:

Anyway what would I need and how much money would I be looking at? I saw some other estate agents before the one I foolishly signed up with, and a couple of them had what looked like a digital camera that took decent pics that captured most of the rooms rather than little snap shots. I presume they had some sort of wide lens? Please humor me here, I'm a complete photography novice!
 
the market is totally flat, dont think the pics will make that much difference, lloks pretty std, looks like it will prolly be damp
 
Speaking as a former estate agent made redundant in the current recession, let me offer a few insights if I may.

glock339 said:
Hi everyone, I've recently put my house up for sale and I'm not happy with the pics my estate agent has taken. They sent a girl from the office to take em and when I asked her if the camera had a wide lens she told me she didn’t know
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Pity the poor "girl from the office" who might be the world's best sales negotiator but appears to be lacking in (1) Understanding the really important aspects of the relationship between agent and client - trust, confidence and professionalism and, (2) training in how to take pictures of your home. Oh dear.


I complained about the first pics they used and they said they would get the guy who was coming round to do my virtual tour pics to take some stills while he was there. While the guy was round I got talking to him and found out he has no experience with photography and just bought the virtual tour business as a franchise. Needless to say the pics he took were no good either!
Click to expand...

Time to deal with the manager I think. Invite him to your home (your turf) calmly expalin how disappointed you are, how you've lost confidence in their ability to adequately market your home and how you're waiting to hear what he has to say before going to see the Trading Standards people at your local council. I expect you've signed a sole agency agreement tieing you contractually to that agent for an initial period of N weeks?
I think there's little point in a major fall-out and you stand to gain so much more by resolving your concerns with a bit of firm negotiation on your part: new photos, relaunch with feature placing in the local papers, re-mailing out the sales details for your home with the new photos.

I'm a bit annoyed because the house is unique and the pics just don’t do it any justice. In my opinion anyone who has looked at these pics will be put off and wont bother looking at it again now!
Click to expand...

Having looked at them, I'm bound to say I've seen worse. Some are a bit "arty" like the high level cistern (sometimes these work, sometimes they don't), some need better light, some aren't "square". What matters however is that you're unhappy with them.

Should I expect better pics considering I'll be paying around £2000 to the estate agent if I ever sell the place!?
Click to expand...

You have every right to be satisfied; currently you aren't. Keep getting the manager back until you're happy.

Any advice on getting better results, wider lens etc?
Click to expand...

Hmm. I'd respectfully suggest that before you have the chat with manager you decide whether you're (a) a serious hobby photographer who knows his stuff, or (b) a dissatisfied customer.
 
Thanks for the input as-i-said.

Anyone got anything constructive for me such as what camera/lens etc I'd need to get some decent interior shots?

Cheers.
 
Cheers tikkathreebarrel, I think you are rite there. I'll have to get on to them again me thinks, they will really be getting sick of me now! I really would have thought estate agents would at least have the rite sort of kit to take decent pics!
 
It beggars belief that some Estate Agents can't be bothered to invest a few quid on a decent SLR and lens... not to mention learning how to hold the sodding thing straight! It's a bit like a butcher not bothering to buy decent knives and trying to cut meat with a blunt penknife. Good images are the Estate Agents' prime tool for getting a property noticed amongst the crowd and going on to sell it for goodness sake! :bang:

I'm a holiday property letting agent and it's not a huge leap of the imagination for me to grasp that if I take better pictures then I'm going to get more business. I'm convinced that my investment in my equipment has paid for itself many times over.
 
I like the way the estate agent's pics have managed to convey the fact that your house is on a slope :lol:

Even with such awful pics you can see it is a really nice house, but imagine how much easier it would be to sell with some quality pics.

This might give you a bit of inspiration :)
 
My first comment may have been a touch cold, but, do people really buy a house based on a few photographs , that could of been 'touched up'
a wide angle lens will make a room look twice the size it is
if you dont like your agent, or your house isnt selling , find another excuse........
try the current economic situation
if you want to sell a house use an estate agent, if you want to show case it
use a photographer
easy , innit
 
I've got to be honest....they don't look too bad to me.
No, they are not technically perfect and one (in particular) is badly blurred, but the rest of them would get my interest if I were seriously considering purchasing a house like yours at the moment.
They show me enough of the inside of your place to give me an idea of what to expect.
 
And by the way, seeing as 20+ people will have viewed your house online, the estate agent will be more than happy with the number of hits it has had on the website, so won't think there is anything wrong with the photos. In fact they will be wildly optimistic about selling the place. Might be worth advising them that you have sent everyone at work a link, so they should expect higher than average hits...............
 
With the housing market in steep decline at the moment estate agents cannot afford to give bad customer service. Insist on better quality images.

Take some images yourself and ask him to use them.;)
 
I might be wrong, but I thought EA's were not allowed to use wangles...........?
 
JumboBeef said:
I might be wrong, but I thought EA's were not allowed to use wangles...........?
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I'd heard that too, but a quick google finds an Estate Agent in Battersea (Acquire) who says:
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]We use a Canon Digital SLR, with a 10mm-20mm wide-angle lens for maximum impact [/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
And a lens supplier who says:
[/FONT]
Our top seller, particularly to estate agents is the wide angle Sigma 10-20mm lens which offers superb wide angle views without distortion
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So I'm guessing it's an urban myth... :shrug:
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]

[/FONT]
 
glock339 said:
Anyone got anything constructive for me such as what camera/lens etc I'd need to get some decent interior shots?
Click to expand...
glock339 said:
I'm a complete photography novice!
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Pretty much the minimum requirement would be an entry-level DSLR, an ultra-wide-angle lens, and a tripod. You wouldn't get any change from £500 even buying used.

But it's not just about the gear, it's about technique. How do you get the walls to look the right colour? How do you balance artificial and natural light? How do you get the maximum amount of the picture in focus? You could buy the gear but with all due respect you wouldn't be able to use it properly from day one. There's a big learning curve.

I'd suggest that, if you really want better pictures of your house, you should get a not-novice photographer to take them. That might be somebody at the EA, or somebody at a different EA, or a mate, or a local pro.
 
At the end of the day the pictures are just there to give an idea of what the property looks like which they do, nobody will buy a house without viewing it first.

If I were looking for a ex salvation army hall as a house looking at a slightly wonky picture wouldn't put me off going to view it.

I don't think the estate agent would allow you to take your own photographs as photo's provided by you may have been manipulated on a PC, if they use your pictures and you remove a tree or alter the image in some way they could be sued if someone buys the house then notices a tree that wasn't in the estate agents pictures
 
JumboBeef said:
I might be wrong, but I thought EA's were not allowed to use wangles...........?
Click to expand...

They are, but not as wide as we all would - I seem to remember mine saying 18mm was their limit (and he was using a crop sensor too)

And the comment about manipulation is spot on too - i.e. you can't 'correct' or remove anything material

That said, my EA went on to say they could use my images with a disclaimer to the fact, but we didn't bother anyway as timing meant it dropped £20,000 pretty much as soon as they listed it; and has dropped more since apparently

Funny how such news made their board fall down and blow itself into a dark place out of sight behind one of the garages :D

DD
 
wack61 said:
At the end of the day the pictures are just there to give an idea of what the property looks like which they do, nobody will buy a house without viewing it first.
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You're absolutely right, Wack. But as I read it, the OP's point isn't about completing the sale, it's about the marketing and getting people to notice it in the first place so that they DO come and view. Surely good images will bump the percentage chance of the right buyer having his attention grabbed for a moment longer so he'll stop to look instead of passing over it to the next one in the window.
 
DiddyDave said:
They are, but not as wide as we all would - I seem to remember mine saying 18mm was their limit (and he was using a crop sensor too)
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Somebody had better tell Acquire in Battersea! Unless they only use their 10-20 at 18-20! :lol:
 
Arent they useful enough? They get the job done, although not to a high spec.
What worries me more is the £185,000 price tag. i paid £20,000 more than that for alot less house. Grrrr
 
Flashman said:
Somebody had better tell Acquire in Battersea! Unless they only use their 10-20 at 18-20! :lol:
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Hmmm - maybe then it's only those who are part of the NAEA (whom I've had extensive dealings with)

:thinking:

DD
 
I really don't understand why people still use Estate Agents, it's doddle to market and sell your own house these days, print off your own pictures slap them on an internet site and make your own board, save yourself a bundle.
 
sprog said:
I really don't understand why people still use Estate Agents, it's doddle to market and sell your own house these days, print off your own pictures slap them on an internet site and make your own board, save yourself a bundle.
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Is that comment from your own experience?

To many, dealing with a chain of vendors and trying to find out where everyone's at can be very time consuming and unbelievably annoying - I think that's the main reason for using EAs

Again from dealing with the NAEA, the board is often the biggest selling point as people do drive around an area to see what it's like and note details from boards as they go - so if all goes smoothly, then I guess you're right it can be easy & certainly cheaper

DD
 
as-i-said said:
My first comment may have been a touch cold, but, do people really buy a house based on a few photographs , that could of been 'touched up'
a wide angle lens will make a room look twice the size it is
if you dont like your agent, or your house isnt selling , find another excuse........
try the current economic situation
if you want to sell a house use an estate agent, if you want to show case it
use a photographer
easy , innit
Click to expand...

This is exactly why companies like Sony, Ford and MacDonalds use people from the office to take photos to advertise their products.

I'm not saying the pictures will sell the house but they will get people interested, then the estate agent can do their bit.

Just ask any good marketing manager.

"easy, innit"

Choccy...
 
Jesus wept, the house is gorgeous and those photos SUCK. Is it just me, or are a few of them actually 'creatively tilted' (yeah, ********) to one side?

Christ on a bike. I'd get some more taken mate, by someone who can work a camera, because those let the property down so much.
 
Wow, I wasnt expecting this many replies, didnt realise the forum was so busy!

To many to reply to all but thanks to everyone who has offered me advice and info, much appreciated! I think all of my questions have been answered.

I think I do need better photos to grab peoples attention in order to make them think its worth the money and want a viewing. I know 185,000 isnt a lot compared to the rest of the country, but in Durham thats top dollar for what is classed as a 3 bed detatched (even if it is MUCH larger than your average 3 bed new build).

Anyway I'm going to try and get some better photos sorted somehow or eventually go for a new EA.

Thanks everyone!
 
The second row down in the middle, should that even be allowed? terrible pic lol.
I guess they get the job done but most of them have alot of noise.
 
JumboBeef said:
I might be wrong, but I thought EA's were not allowed to use wangles...........?
Click to expand...

Close enough to be true. An estate agent may NOT misdescribe a property which they are marketing. That includes using misleading photographs. See Property Misdescriptions Act. I would not like, professionally, to get involved about particular agents having, shall we say, a "loose" interpretation of the law.

I've known viewers complain about photos taken with a wide angle lens as creating a false illusion about the size of the room etc.
 
Flashman said:
It beggars belief that some Estate Agents can't be bothered to invest a few quid on a decent SLR and lens... not to mention learning how to hold the sodding thing straight! It's a bit like a butcher not bothering to buy decent knives and trying to cut meat with a blunt penknife. Good images are the Estate Agents' prime tool for getting a property noticed amongst the crowd and going on to sell it for goodness sake! :bang:

I'm a holiday property letting agent and it's not a huge leap of the imagination for me to grasp that if I take better pictures then I'm going to get more business. I'm convinced that my investment in my equipment has paid for itself many times over.
Click to expand...

But you know that some agents simply don't invest in good photography. As in every industry, practice varies from good to indifferent, or worse. It's a shame that so many "business people" don't know how to run a business.:thumbsdown:
 
as-i-said said:
the market is totally flat, dont think the pics will make that much difference, lloks pretty std, looks like it will prolly be damp
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Hmm. Let's consider the facts:
1. The market is flat.
The better agents who will look for every ounce of advantage in marketing, sales negotiating and closing will succeed over the indifferent and downright bad. When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

2. Will the pics make a difference?
A good agent will always try everything to make a difference and will always work from the basis that customer satisfaction is vital.

3. looks like it will prolly be damp
On what evidence do you suggest this? Can you see damp patches, efflorescence? Perhaps you're a building surveyor?
 
yep, they're not good.

Having good photos that show your home at its best is vital these days. So many people search for houses online and from brochures. If the photos are crap people often wont bother looking any further. If it catches their eye, however, then its a different story and people go to visit the house with a positive outlook on it already.

We don't charge massive amounts for the photography by any means, if anything we undersell at about £14 per image.

Where are you geographically?
 
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