The Far-Away(?) Buffet

This photo caught my eye because the built-in Buffet looks positively miles away -- and it's in a home that has less than 1,400 finished square feet.

So, how far away is it really?

According to MLS, the Dining Room is 9' wide, and Living Room is 13' wide.

Total: 22 feet, or somewhat less than a mile.

Guess What This Is?

Broken Camera? Really Late Night?

Guess what you're looking at (above):

A. A water color painting whose colors bled as a result of water damage;
B. A simulation of how cataracts affect one's vision;
C. What the front of your house looks like after a very late night.
D. An actual photo of a bank-owned foreclosure on MLS.

Answer: D.

The home, in Minnetonka, is listed for $110,000 and came on the market yesterday.

So who cares if a lender-owned property is marketed so badly?

Given that the lender is Freddie Mac, now owned by taxpayers, we all should.

Now THAT's Staging

Want an example of a beautifully staged and photographed room?

You're looking at it!

The shot is from the entry at 2710 Mayflower (list price: $475k) in Minnetonka; Karen Antone from the Edina Realty City Lakes office has the listing.

S-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d Photos -- Exhibit A

Swimming Pool-Sized Pool Table?

Either the pool table pictured above is the size of a swimming pool -- or the photo is distorted (intentionally or not).

Given that the room's dimensions are 24' by 13' . . . my money's on the latter (don't know about intention, but I've got a guess).

Real Estate Photography

"OK" . . . "Better" . . . "Best"

Not all Realtors are created equal (or charge the same).

To give just one example of the difference between a mediocre Realtor and a stellar one, consider the following approaches to photography (I'm leaving off the rung below "OK" -- "Abysmal"):

"OK": takes their own shots with a decent digital camera, crops as needed.

"Better": hires a professional photographer to take the shots and edit them.

"Best": uses one of the best professional photographers in town; meets them at the property to point out high-priority shots; helps the photographer compose various shots by clearing Kitchen counters, re-positioning lamps, etc. as necessary; and even suggests especially flattering angles or perspectives.

Guess which category I'm in?

Snowy Shots in March -- What Gives?

Waiting on Leaves, Not Green Grass

Snowy exterior shots in July are definitely a no-no.

It either means the Realtor is out to lunch, the owner is -- or often, both.

However, snow shots in March --at least in Minnesota -- are another matter.

The holdup isn't that the (now uncovered) grass is brown; that can be colorized.

Rather, all the trees are still bare.

Even another week or two from here makes a big difference, which is why most Realtors (myself included) are waiting a bit longer to update their exterior shots.

(And no, the home pictured in the upper right isn't one of my listings!)

Not-So-Flattering Photos -- Exhibit A

"They're Asking How Much??"

Quick multiple choice:

The asking price for the Minneapolis home pictured above -- just re-listed today -- is:

A. $249k
B. $375k
C. $599k
D. $1.249M

Answer: D

And no, this exterior shot isn't going to help fetch that price . . .

Busy Real Estate Photographers

Snow Shots

The last day it was permissible to have exterior home shots showing brown -- or green -- grass was officially . . . . yesterday.

The banks selling foreclosed homes aren't going to bother to update their photos (assuming they have any).

However, it's a good idea for all other Twin Cities home Sellers to swap out their Fall (or Summer) photos for winter ones.

Not doing so gives the impression that the home is a short sale or foreclosure, which is: a) bad for the price; and b) bad for showings (which ultimately is the same thing).

P.S.: In fact, I just changed my web site, RossKaplan.com, to substitute snow flakes for Fall leaves. Check it out!

The Sideways Shot

The photo above is a good example of what I call "the sideways shot."

When done well, the angle shows off the building's size.

When done poorly . . . it leaves you disoriented, with no feel for the building at all.

Amateur Photography

"It's a Plane, it's a Bird, it's . . it's . ."

OK, so it's not quite as embarrassing as emerging from the restroom with a piece of toilet paper stuck to your shoe and not knowing it.

However, here's betting that that bright light in the top middle of the window (pictured above) isn't an extremely bright (and low-hanging) streetlight, or some other UFO.

Give up?

It's the flash from the Realtor's (or Realtor's assistant's) camera. (No, it's not my listing -- and to be fair, it's not exactly a $1M property.)

How do I know for sure?

Several other photos have the same "street light" effect, in the same location.

"Made 'Ya Look" Marketing

The Real Point of Online Photos

Real estate photography, as it's currently practiced, reminds me of the joke about two hikers who encounter a Grizzly in the woods.

The first hiker thinks he has to outrun the Grizzly. The second, smarter hiker realizes that his task is to . . . outrun his companion.

So, too, the object of online photos of a given property is not to get you to buy the property. Even at the peak of the housing market, in the hottest locales, very few people were buying, sight unseen, purely on the strength of online marketing materials (and 100% of those likely regretted it).

If the point of marketing photos isn't to sell a home, then what is it?

To get you in.

It's axiomatic that if you don't tour a property, you're not going to buy it. And if you don't see it in person, there's no chance for you to fall in love with the amazing built-in's, the cozy Kitchen nook, or the lovely gardens in back. (And no chance for the listing agent to engage with you -- or your Realtor -- about what you're looking for, your budget, time frame, etc.)

Unfortunately, simply getting prospects in to a home only to be disappointed once they get there is to win the battle, but lose the war.

In my experience, the single best way to sell a home is to exceed a Buyer's expectations.

Getting a prospect in to a home using borderline false pretenses is guaranteed to sow disappointment (if not anger).

That reaction is the opposite of the mindset that leads to a deal.