A picture may be worth a mere 1,000 words in other circles, but in real estate, it enters the realm of deal or no deal.With an estimated 80% of home buyers starting their search on the Internet, photos are to home sales today what curb appeal used to be: the place where first impressions are made.
According to a National Assn. of Realtors survey of the Web features that buyers found "very useful," 83% mentioned photos, 81% liked detailed property information and 60% named virtual tours.
Every day, decisions about which homes to see — and which to skip — are made based on what a buyer sees online.
"If you can't get them in the door," said Coldwell Banker agent Kenny Bellini of Santa Monica, "you can't sell the house."
Bellini and his wife, Izumi Tanaka, generally shoot their listing photos themselves, as do many other realty agents. And, as he is quick to admit, photography skills aren't part of an agent's training — even though posting quality photos on the Web has now become one of the services an agent must offer clients to stay competitive.
