We have employed the services of photography-guru Doug Thomson with OBEO for many years now. If memory serves correct, back to 2006 or so. What he brings to the table is consistent, crisp hi-res photography that really allows a home to show its absolute best online. Considering the vast (ie: 90% +/-) majority of people are searching for and looking at homes online, the quality of the photography really is crucial.
Unfortunately not everyone gets that in our business. There really are far too many listings out there with what can only be described as hilariously bad photography. Bathroom photos on their side with the lid up. Dining rooms so dark that they may also be a cold cellar. Bedrooms where all you can see is the corner of the bed, a bit of the dresser and some of the window. Overall, not great. In fact, overall, borderline embarrassing for the profession. But, enough of that for now.
What I am writing about today is that the buyer (a.k.a. general public) often has different interpretations of the same photo. Some will say they are beautiful, others will say they’re misleading. Some feel the house looks far better in photos while the next person will say it looks much better in person. It really comes down to the Ice-Cream-Theory. That is why they make chocolate and vanilla. What some like, others will not.
We have heard some say that the photos make the space look much larger than it is in real life. The challenge is with so many homes in our area, it is not easy to get a photo of an 11’ x 10’ room without getting a wide lens to capture the whole space. Otherwise you are back to the corner of the bed, a bit of the dresser and some of the window scenario mentioned above.
Bottom line: there is only one way to determine if a home is going to work for you and that is getting out and seeing it. Take the photos as merely an introduction to the home and what it offers. Add to that the text, dimensions and overall presentation but ultimately, getting in the front door is where you will see the real picture.
Thanks for visiting!
THEbTEAM.