Point and click for real estate
- Thread starter Nuzik
- Start date
chris malcolm
Suspended / Banned
- Messages
- 1,369
- Name
- Chris
- Edit My Images
- Yes
For quick and easy P&S real estate you want something which has good in-camera HDR and a lens which can go pretty wide angle. I'd want something which went at least as wide in view angle as 15mm FF equiv, and preferably 12mm FF equiv, but my uneducated guess is that that will be difficult to find.
Jelster
Suspended / Banned
- Messages
- 9,986
- Name
- Steve
- Edit My Images
- Yes
Neil, my wife works for an estate agent, and they use either a specific guy who also does the EPC's & floor plans, he shot our house and used a D7200 Nikon, or they shoot it themselves with an X-T2 and 10-24. The point shoot images are obvious when you look at the online stuff. We've been looking at houses for months (just agreed a deal) and to be honest, anything with poor images never really got a look in, as we were looking to move over 100 miles, we had to rely on what we saw online.
HoppyUK
Suspended / Banned
- Messages
- 23,200
- Name
- Richard
- Edit My Images
- No
For most real estate photography, the camera doesn't matter much but a wide lens (16-20mm FF-equiv) is essential. You'll also need to use bounce flash and have a selection of blue sky/clouds images to strip in. Also in PP, lift shadows, correct barrel distortion, and straighten verticals. As mentioned, the photographer is often expected to do the floor plans too.
That's minimum for the regular stuff (which is very competitive and poorly paid) but for high-end properties, basically the sky's the limit. It can be technically very demanding and time consuming both at the picture-taking stage and in post processing.
That's minimum for the regular stuff (which is very competitive and poorly paid) but for high-end properties, basically the sky's the limit. It can be technically very demanding and time consuming both at the picture-taking stage and in post processing.
HoppyUK
Suspended / Banned
- Messages
- 23,200
- Name
- Richard
- Edit My Images
- No
Probably not the camera...
OP
Nuzik
Suspended / Banned
- Messages
- 1,363
- Name
- Neil
- Edit My Images
- No
Haha in this case it's the camera the main issue. I need to see what they are using but I think it maybe a poor phone
Jelster
Suspended / Banned
- Messages
- 9,986
- Name
- Steve
- Edit My Images
- Yes
I've shot some higher end stuff (£1M plus) but as I said, the agency does it themselves now, they just find they get exactly what they want, now they have a decent camera, and a guy who knows what he's doing.
Decent photographs just make so much difference when you're doing a lot of online browsing.
HoppyUK
Suspended / Banned
- Messages
- 23,200
- Name
- Richard
- Edit My Images
- No
Maybe, but the phrase peanuts and monkeys springs to mind
We're moving in a few weeks and have seen thousands of dire real estate photos over the last year or so. A few good photos is often the difference between booking a viewing and passing by (and a floor plan, preferably an accurate one
).IMHO the whole estate agent business needs a rethink. It's all moved on-line (eg Purple Bricks) and they should stop wasting money on expensive local offices and inefficient staff (under-paid and over-worked) and put it back where it matters to both buyers and sellers with some decent photography.
MatBin
Suspended / Banned
- Messages
- 5,334
- Name
- matt
- Edit My Images
- Yes
Can you be inefficient if you are over worked and underpaid?
Last edited:
HoppyUK
Suspended / Banned
- Messages
- 23,200
- Name
- Richard
- Edit My Images
- No
Definitely. You can be inefficient under any circumstances, even when under-worked and over-paid, eg solicitors.
- Messages
- 7,457
- Edit My Images
- No
Perhaps it might be something to do with the NTSC format they use in the USA if you think the video or still shots could look better? After all, I take it you are working in the USA by your use of the term 'real estate'? 
Last edited:
- Messages
- 18,695
- Name
- LongLensPhotography
- Edit My Images
- No
I think even if I loaned someone my kit they would still walk back with utter crap if they have no idea. You can make it as complicated as you fancy but even the basics are very demanding
OP
Nuzik
Suspended / Banned
- Messages
- 1,363
- Name
- Neil
- Edit My Images
- No
No real estate is a term the world over. Estate agency sounds crap lolPerhaps it might be something to do with the NTSC format they use in the USA if you think the video or still shots could look better? After all, I take it you are working in the USA by your use of the term 'real estate'?
gad-westy
Suspended / Banned
- Messages
- 6,527
- Name
- Graham
- Edit My Images
- No
Perhaps it might be something to do with the NTSC format they use in the USA if you think the video or still shots could look better? After all, I take it you are working in the USA by your use of the term 'real estate'?
I’m glad I’m not the only one. Although at least in this case it’s not referring to monitor size for once!
HoppyUK
Suspended / Banned
- Messages
- 23,200
- Name
- Richard
- Edit My Images
- No
OP
Nuzik
Suspended / Banned
- Messages
- 1,363
- Name
- Neil
- Edit My Images
- No
Still alien to here
Realator?
OT I know but do the online agents sub out the photography or is it left to their representative ?Maybe, but the phrase peanuts and monkeys springs to mind
We're moving in a few weeks and have seen thousands of dire real estate photos over the last year or so. A few good photos is often the difference between booking a viewing and passing by (and a floor plan, preferably an accurate one
IMHO the whole estate agent business needs a rethink. It's all moved on-line (eg Purple Bricks) and they should stop wasting money on expensive local offices and inefficient staff (under-paid and over-worked) and put it back where it matters to both buyers and sellers with some decent photography.
- Messages
- 7,457
- Edit My Images
- No
And 'real estate' doesn't? 'Property' is the word commonly used in the UK (residential, commercial, retail, et al), so let's not use US terminology for stuff we already have a perfectly good noun for.
HoppyUK
Suspended / Banned
- Messages
- 23,200
- Name
- Richard
- Edit My Images
- No
On-line agencies sub it all out I think. AFAIK they do everything from a remote central office via phone and email etc, but they're very good at it and keep you promptly updated. Our recurring experience with numerous local agents is poor communication and they trade on local knowledge and things like accompanied viewings that are a costly waste of time unless the owner can't actually be there themselves.
With local agencies, some do the photography themselves, some sub it out, or a mixture of both often depending on the the property.
ps Check payment procedure. I don't know how this works with photography, but some subbed-out services are only paid when the property sells, and are not paid if the property fails to sell, or is withdrawn from the market, or is sold by a rival agent.
Last edited:
Box Brownie
Suspended / Banned
- Messages
- 17,645
- Edit My Images
- No
Realator?
You will have a job finding one of them across the pond........... AFAIK it is Realtor
~ I wonder did that term originate over there i.e. another (initially) uniquely American word like Color!!!
- Messages
- 7,457
- Edit My Images
- No
I believe (possibly incorrectly?) that only those who are members of the necessary professional body (or something like that) can use the name Realtor as a job title, anyone who isn't a qualifying member would have to answer to the name 'real estate agent'... which I suppose at least sets them apart from a pretend estate agent?!You will have a job finding one of them across the pond........... AFAIK it is Realtor
To me this sounds like a good enough reason to stick with our familiar UK job title of 'estate agent', and refer to the things they act as an agent for as property and land.
Last edited:
DemiLion
Suspended / Banned
- Messages
- 13,016
- Name
- Mark
- Edit My Images
- No
And 'real estate' doesn't? 'Property' is the word commonly used in the UK (residential, commercial, retail, et al), so let's not use US terminology for stuff we already have a perfectly good noun for.
Real Estate is very much an English word and comes from common law. It's not US terminology.
Every single qualified surveyor studies Estate Management. Not Property.
- Messages
- 7,457
- Edit My Images
- No
An important job, without it the estate agents wouldn't sell as many houses that's for sure.
Anyway, back to the original post. If I were a high-street estate agent then I'd be quite worried about the competition from internet-based agencies and I'd be looking for a strong, local, Unique Selling Point (USP) as a reason for people to use my local high-street based agency instead. Perhaps teaming up with a good, appropriately experienced, local photographer (who already has the right kit and knows how to use it well) and paying a fair price for some high-quality photos of the interior and exterior of the properties I wanted to sell might be just that local USP?
Are good photos important when selling something? Well, try listing a really nice condition item on eBay and include 1 out-of-focus and underexposed photo together with a really brief description of what it is; then list an identical item with five or six high-quality photos showing all sides of the item to their best, together with a brief, accurate and easy-to-read description of the item's age, condition, features, colour, etc.... and then see which listing sells first and fetches the most money?
As I see it, photos really are a key sales component these days, particularly as a lot of people will view these photos on a high-res or HD computer/laptop screen or smart TV. Pitch something like this right and you can always sell this concept as a premium (and non-refundable or transferable) service 'package' to the client, which should help offset the cost of the photographer, as well as maximising sales potential for yourselves and your clients.
On the other hand, you could suggest they buy a mid-range 'point and shoot' camera and send the office junior/trainee round to take some photos while they're measuring up for the particulars?
Last edited:
- Messages
- 7,457
- Edit My Images
- No
Yes, but not 'real estate' management!
OP
Nuzik
Suspended / Banned
- Messages
- 1,363
- Name
- Neil
- Edit My Images
- No
Currently I think they are using a phone! Which is why I was trying to get the level of photos up
We have used a friend of my wife's cousin up in the north east to sell my wife's parental home; he gets a high number of views from his videography which he films using a Canon 70D I think it is. Anyway, the kit wasn't the point- the point is his edited films are bringing in the punters. He doesn't do the editing. We had 12 viewings within a week. Look him up: Noel Harris estate agent. I would be interested to hear what you think.
I have just looked on his website myself again; click on MORE - Video Tours.
I have just looked on his website myself again; click on MORE - Video Tours.
Last edited:
- Messages
- 7,457
- Edit My Images
- No
I can believe it, and fair play to you for trying to be pro-active and improve things. When I sold my previous house (12 years ago) the chap who came round to measure up took the photos with a good quality (for the time) compact type digital camera and the photos really did look pretty grotty (poor exterior angle taken into direct sunlight, and no exterior detail - a nice garden - visible through the large living room bay window due to no fill-in flash being used to compensate the differing light levels), so much so that I re-did them the following day put them on a CD and delivered it to their office.
I explained the situation and suggested they used my shots instead. They looked at them there and then and agreed that they were a big improvement (particularly the main front exterior shot) and swapped them over straight away and printed a new sales card out, which I noticed had been put on display in their window by the time I drove past from work that evening.
Within 5 days I'd had two viewings and agreed a sale at full asking price that weekend to the second person to view, who told me they'd been looking in the local estate agents' windows and spotted my house which they thought looked lovely and was exactly what they were after. Perhaps it was just good fortune, but I doubt they'd have thought it looked lovely if they'd seen the agent's original photo of it, and given the poor quality original shot, would it have even been put in the agent's window for the buyer to see in the first place?!
DemiLion
Suspended / Banned
- Messages
- 13,016
- Name
- Mark
- Edit My Images
- No
- Messages
- 7,457
- Edit My Images
- No
For the benefit of those who aren't you... what was the title of your degree course? Was it 'Real Estate Management' or was it 'Estate Management'?
- Messages
- 7,457
- Edit My Images
- No
No thank you, from where I'm standing you seem to be doing a good enough job of digging yourself a big hole without any help from me.Would you like to borrow one of these?
Last edited:
- Messages
- 7,457
- Edit My Images
- No
Thank you for answering my question.
HoppyUK
Suspended / Banned
- Messages
- 23,200
- Name
- Richard
- Edit My Images
- No
That's an old business model. The way houses are bought and sold these days is through Zoopla and RightMove that list full details of every property from every estate agent. You can search the entire country with a mouse click. Local Estate Agents are all the same, and their local services don't actually add any value but increase costs substantially. So sellers go for the much cheaper deals on-line, potentially saving a few grand. And agents don't receive a penny until the property is sold and the move has taken place. Everything is done on the phone and via email.
I have never visited any estate agent's actual office for either buying or selling. I don't care where it is, or who they are, but all the local ones shower us with endless emails of completely unsuitable properties we've already seen on-line, and often don't follow up questions or return calls. Purple Bricks (on-line) stand out as better to deal with and much cheaper.
HoppyUK
Suspended / Banned
- Messages
- 23,200
- Name
- Richard
- Edit My Images
- No
Just to be clear, I'm not particularly advocating Purple Bricks, although we almost bought a house through them and had a good experience, but on-line estate agents are better at doing what matters (in our experience) and far better value. Local agents with expensive offices and staff for accompanied viewings do not add thousands of pounds worth of value to most sellers and can only do accompanied viewings during work hours anyway (most viewings of our house, sold through a local agent, have been evenings and weekends).
Last time we bought and sold, many years ago, it was a different pre-internet era. Back then, the routine was to register with local agents and scour the local paper - local estate agents owned the whole process, but like so many things, the internet has changed all that.
ps While I'm on, it's taken over a year to buy and sell. During that time, we've 'sold' our house five times and almost bought three others. Not the agent's fault nor ours, but through chains breaking and, frankly, buyers just messing about and occasionally behaving very badly. Buying is easy, selling isn't too hard either if you're realistic, but getting a chain that holds together (I think we're almost there now) really needs some legal teeth to make it work. As is the case in Scotland.
Last edited:
If you really want to economise and are prepared to take your own pics and do the floor plan then doorsteps.co.uk offer a £99 service. However to get it listed on Rightmove is £400 extra. I guess not all the world is ready for online quite yet otherwise the high street agents would be disappearing fast. I hint that in the longer term estate agents will go the way of high street booksellers. A few quality ones offering something different will still be about.
Coming back on topic I totally agree better photos will definitely get more people into a viewing and ultimately that sells houses
Coming back on topic I totally agree better photos will definitely get more people into a viewing and ultimately that sells houses