"What is he talking about now?"
That is likely the question after seeing the confusing title...
Over the last couple of years, I have done sporadic surveys of how many listings have the maximum number of pictures allowed by our local MLS... Currently the maximum is 20. It has been as low as 8, just a few years ago.
The opposite of 86.97% is 13.03%...
And 13.03% is how many of the listings that have come on the market in the last 7 days that have the maximum number of pictures. There are a few things to keep in mind...
- Placing these pictures is FREE... There is no "per picture" charge for the MLS. No pictures, 7 or 20, doesn't make a difference.
- The average listing gets MOST of the buyer traffic in the first week after being put on the MLS.
- Most of the traffic in ht e first week is in the first couple of days...
- Buyers have their initial contact with a home on the internet about 7 times more often than all other media combined...
So that means that 86.97% of the listings that have come on the market in Gwinnett County, GA, over the last 7 days have room for improvement in the number of pictures they have. In fact, only about 1 in 4 listings has more than 15 pictures.
The REALLY sad part is that almost 17% have no pictures at all. In fact, more than 1 in 4 listings have 1 or fewer pictures. The median is only 10 pictures. Half of the listings have 10 or more pictures, and half have 9 or less pictures.
Honestly, I'm actually MUCH more annoyed by the listings with 1-10 pictures than I am with the listings with no pictures. The listings where the agent has uploaded pictures are unlikely to get more... At least some of the ones without pictures WILL have pictures later in the week. Not all, but some. And homes that only have a few pictures are less likely to draw interest from buyers.
Just a few years ago...
I had a conversation with an agent that doesn't like to use pictures not that long ago. Her rationalization was that the listings without pictures made buyers curious. That might have been the case when homes were flying off the market and buyers weren't in control. But now, there are several times more listings. Buyers ARE in control. If they aren't grabbed by the listing, they move on. They want to know what the house is like BEFORE they take the time to visit.
Pictures, videos and virtual tours are tools that buyers use to filter the homes they are going to look at... There are some listings that WILL draw buyers in for a look without pictures. Those are listings that are pricve WAY under market.
Just to get statistical for a moment, this represents a sample of the 353 most recent listings.
If...
If you are looking to sell YOUR home, you NEED pictures in order to properly market it to its fullest potential. You NEED and agent that doesn't test the market to see how little she can do to sell your home... you need an agent that puts together a marketing campaign at the outset.
Call me.
I added three new listings to my mls yesterday. Max photos on all of them. When I went to print the data sheets for our in house duty agent book (you know the one we'd use just in case of a power failure) I called up all the new listings for the day. There were 4 others besides my 3. I bet you'd never guess how many photos there were on all 4 listings. Well maybe you would... BIG FAT ZERO.
I just don't get how you think you are going to get agents to come show your property if we don't have ANYTHING to show our clients.
Lane,
The agent who said "No pictures make buyers curious" should not be a real estate agent. The only thing no pictures make people is MAD. Very MAD!
I even put 20 pictures in for lease listings or OMG have a virtual tour of 50 pictures - for every home listing at ANY pricepoint and even for some LEASES!
Obviously, you hit my hot button!
All the best, Michelle
Our MLS increased from a max of 25 to UNLIMITED! I have never understood either the POOR photos and the lack of photos. REOs are notorious for having just 1 photo. I go for it with gusto, and my listings really stand out.
The agent who told you listings with no pictures make shoppers curious was right. Listings with no pictures make shoppers curious as to what a piece of trash the property is if the agent is afraid to show it. What is on the front page of the appraisal for the lender to see? Right in the middle is a big fat photo. Then there are at least a handful of photos of the property, exterior, interior and street views, inside. Oh, and pictures of comparables, too.
You are correct I need to put more pictures on, i am guilty
Hi Lane,
The number that I found most ASTOUNDING was that a full 17% have NO PHOTOS!!!!????? Our MLS requires at least one photo within 24 hours or there is a penalty. So its rare that I see a listing with nothing. Our MLS now allows 30 photos. I find 30 photos - even its just a 1 BR cooperative, there are common areas to shoot, there are neighborhood shots - if its walking distance to the train - I shoot the station. In other words - people need to use their creativity. Even if its a 3-room listing - you can find enough pictures to give buyers a better picture of the home/unit and neighborhood.
Thank you all for the comments... And there are plenty of things to shoot... And that just gave me an idea...