FOMO & CLICKS
I have been a Realtor for a long time now. When I started I used a great little Olympus camera that took excellent photos. After about a year and a half I found a photographer. Then I was using a handheld camcorder for video. I was one of the first agents in the area to use Matterport photography (which creates the dollhouse rendering that you can walk through on a computer. I was the first to use drone videography. The methods and technologies available to Real Estate Agents and marketing Real Estate Listings have changed and evolved over the years and allowed Agents to showcase a home in amazing ways that we couldn’t before. Why are Sellers accepting cell phone photos of their homes on the MLS???
Cell Phone Photos?
I cannot for the life of me understand why a large portion of Real Estate Agents are still taking photos with their cell phones or some cheap camera. Why? Because it costs money for professional photography? Because you have to plan ahead and schedule a photographer?
The other thing I don’t understand is why a Seller would accept such a terrible presentation of their home. When a Seller looks up their listing on Realtor.ca, do they not feel upset that their photos look so bad? or that there are so few of them? And no floorplan? Or drone video? Or video at all? Does a Seller not realize that these services should be provided by an Agent?
And most of all – Does the Agent or Seller understand the negative consequences of having crappy photos?
Professional Photos = People & Appointments
1 – ATTRACT ATTENTION – Think about when you are walking through a mall. What catches your eye? Drab, dark clothes in a dusty window? No. Messy looking, boring displays? No.
Buyers search online for properties first. If they see a good looking photo of a house – they click on it. If the photo is crappy – they don’t click. And even if they do – the crappy photo gives the impression that the house must not be great if the Agent did not even want to spend money on professional photos. So that house will not be top of their list even if the do click on it.
The first step in Marketing a home for sale is -ATTRACTING ATTENTION AND INTEREST!
2 – CLICK ON LISTING – Professional Photography compels a Buyer to Click on the Listing to see ALL the photos. If the potential Buyer loves the first photo, they click to open the listing and we want to wow them with the rest of the pictures. We want the Buyer to see all the photos, get excited and pick up the phone.
3 – APPOINTMENT BOOKED – A series of Professional Photos of your home compels a Buyer to book an appointment to see your house with their (or your) agent.
People & Appointments = Traffic
4) Buyer Visits – These Professional Photos attract attention and motivate a Buyer to Visit your home. (Nice photos make a house look bright & cared for). Fabulous photos excite a Buyer and the Buyer wants more information and wants to see your house in person.
And guess what – so did another 4 or 5 people who have made appointments. And the interesting thing about that – is that other than the very first visitor – all the agents after the first one know other agents have made appointments, and sometimes the buyers know (after the first one) that other buyers have visited and might be interested in the home. This creates a sense of urgency.
5) – TRAFFIC – Of course, traffic is the goal of photos. Fabulous photos don’t just attract one person. The goal is to attract lots of potential Buyers to visit your home. If you do not have TRAFFIC at a listing, you will never have a sale.
TRAFFIC = FOMO
6) – FOMO – The more traffic you create – the more Buyers will feel they need to make a decision fast, so they don’t lose out. FOMO – Fear Of Missing Out -. When Buyer realizes there are other potential Buyers interested – they will be motivated to act fast. FOMO is a great way to sell a home fast and for top dollar – and even sometimes create multiple offers.
However, you can’t get from Step One to Step Six without fantastic Photos. In fact, you will likely never get past Step one – and if you do, it will not be quick and likely not for the highest price you could have captured.
FOMO is a great atmosphere a Realtor can create to get a home sold fast and for a good price. Professional Photography helps to create the atmosphere along with several other crucial steps that round out the entire package (and before the house is put on the market).
Get in touch if you’d like more information about how to create and prepare a FOMO atmosphere.
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