Do you think the quality of agents photos affects viewings?

[Goodluckcharlielover]

Everyone in our area is saying things are very quiet with few to no viewings. Agent says it will pick up but everyone I know who's selling says it's dead in our area. I'm sure it's nothing to do with agents photos and just general state of market in our area, but do you think poor quality photos would put someone off viewing?

Ok so the list is:-
Olive Tree gone - check!
Photo of back garden - looking shit hot ;)
de clutter kitchen and bathroom
plants on the flat roof

then get photos re-done! Thanks all - Mumsnet to the rescue again.

Oh and maybe downsize to a kingsize or double bed until we sell!

One big thing for me isn't really the photos (although does make downstairs look dark) but the lack of floor plan. It allows you to visualise the house and plan in your head what the house is like. It also makes up for rubbishy photos.

Just my t'penny

Just to reiterate good photos are a must I redid ours for both houses we were selling last time as the EAs ones were so awful and dull .... We got loads more viewings after .... Always light photos , side / table lights and ceiling lights - automatically makes the place warmer.... This is someone I knows flat and it's all about presentation www.sandersonyoung.co.uk/property/view/highbury_22312 as otherwise it's just an expensive tiny flat

I agree a floorplan really helps you see how the house runs.

Is that a breakfast bar or a table in the kitchen ? I'd take it out if a table and declutter a lot. The other rooms just need better photos - I'm sure its not as small or dark as the photos look

Are floorplans fairly standard then - think only one agent in our area does them?

oh and thanks Orange!

yes.

deffo a floorplan. And some good tips above re photos. We will be putting our flat on the market soon so this kind of thing is v. interesting to read!

yes

floorplans essential imo - wouldnt use an estate agent who didnt do them

New photos coming soon for you to critique! Can i post them directly on here or do I need to set up some sort of flikr doodah?

Oh, you live just around the corner from my mum! And if we could find my DH a sodding job in South Wales I would definitely be looking at your house - I think it's lovely and in a nice area for families.
Good luck with move

the move should I say, I have a 3 year old helping me type!

Please get your EA to do a floorplan. When I'm looking that is what I pore over as photos can only give an impression and I need to see that the rooms are a decent size and where they are in realtion to each other. Some estate agents put in a floor plan and then make it so it is too small to view properly which is irritating. I don't take much notice of the photographs except to give me an idea of what the outside of the house looks like and a rough idea of whether the kitchen or bathroom need replacement. If you have a really nice garden or fireplace or beamed ceiling etc. a goo photo of that can make the difference between getting a viewing or not.

Definitely makes a difference, my Parents had their place up for sale a few years ago, the photos were beyond a joke & no surprise they got no viewings bar one local property company offering £50 grand less

Due to poor lighting & rain the front of the house looked like Amytiville & I still can't believe they came in early & took photos BEFORE my brother had arranged clearance of the furniture they left behind & put the photo up - complete with piled up furniture

I pulled the photos of the site, photoshopped them a bit - ie changed grey sky to blue & brightened up Amytiville - they had viewings & a sensible offer within the week - some estate agents need a rocket up their bum, in these days of digital photography, there is no excuse

Haven't looked at your property yet - just answering your title question - YES!!!

Our estate agent's pics were bloody awful - we didn't get a single viewing the first week we were on the market (this was ages ago, when houses were selling quickly and easily) and so we took our own and got the estate agent to replace theirs with ours...10 viewings in the next 14 days!

I know someone who's estate agent came round three times to take the photos, so as to get sun coming into each room. And this wasn't a mansion, by any means!

I would take a straight on view of the front. The angle gives the house an odd perspective. Ditto the dark photos of downstairs. The photo of your dds? Room looks fab though.

Floor plan if you can.

Are bedrooms 3 & 4 really teeny? If not maybe have photos of them because I would think that's why they're not up there.

Yes the downstairs looks really dark and the bathroom photo is just a bit odd.

I much prefer listings with a floorplan.

Ok photos are done and with agent to upload. They should go on tonight. Agent says they don have the software to do plans. Most houses in our area don't have them by looks of it so mayb local market don't demand it. If you were re-locating would absence of floor plans matter if 99% of the properties you liked the look of didn't have them. Getting them would mean paying a 3rd party or swapping agents to the only one who does them, but the newest and least known agent!

Bad photos definitley put me off.

Floorplans matter a lot to me as well with proper dimensions.

@ mrsd - thanks where's your mum, we may know her!
@ grendelsmum, can we have that agent please!
@so very lucky, thanks so much. We like it too but the current photos don't do it justice. My friend said the other day that when she walks in she think wow but the agents photos only an oh!
@everyone else. Thanks so much for taking the time to post. All new ideas will be taken on board. May ask neiboughr opposite if we can stand on their wall to take exterior front photo!

Well agent has put most of the new photos up but they still look awful. We have deduced that they have fiddled with the resolution as their site cannot deal with lots of high res photos on their site. Checked out all their properties and most seem to be awful photos. Checked out another agents site and whilst some could have been captured at better times of day they are all really clear. Gonna speak to agent tomorrow but may have to change agents. :(

Well, they're not the best photos in the world, but the house looks lovely! Very clean, light and well maintained.