Tag: estateagents

Five common mistakes when photographing properties – and how to avoid them

Posted on by Callum Domigan

We are always waxing lyrical about your property photography and how it makes the difference in the speed and sale price of your listings. It isn’t a matter of rocking up and taking some pictures, you need to use your photographs to tell a story of the property, to let your viewer feel like they are walking through the house (potentially the one of their dreams) online before they decide to book a viewing.

We have plenty of articles and tips on how to take a good photo and what you need to do to get them just right on our blog. But it’s just as important to know what NOT to do when setting up and taking your photographs.

 

1.Wrong lighting.

Lighting really can make or break the look of a property – externally and internally.

For example, too much sun for external photos will give shadows or saturation and you will lose some of the details of the house. Internally if the photo is too dark it can make the room look small and gloomy and discolour walls, making things look dirty.

 

What can you do?

  • Take photos of the exterior on an overcast day or towards dusk and have all the lights on inside making it look warm and inviting
  • For interior images play with the lighting inside to make it bright but not stark – you may need to bring in some extra lamps.
  • With our brightness adjustment and shadow booster functionality on our property photography enhancing tool you can really level up your images in seconds.

 

2. Too much clutter.

Even if the current owners have cleaned and tidied for your arrival there can still be things lying around that will spoil the shot and look messy. If there is too much clutter it can make the room looked cramped and unappealing.

 

What can you do?

  • Walk around the property first to see if anything needs hidden or removed – It may only be a small thing but could take over the whole picture
  • Even things that should be there, such as cushions or a bold rug may look better if removed. Try to keep the decor neutral.
  • Our property photography enhancing tool will remove that cup on the kitchen counter that you missed. It can help clean up your image in seconds.

 

3. Composition & the wrong angles.

Taking your photograph at the wrong angle can make the difference to the look and feel of the room or even the front of the house. Changing the angle of your camera by just a few feet can completely change the quality of the photo.

 

What can you do?

  • You may have to adjust your height according to the furniture in the room. If the bed or coffee table is low to the ground, you’ll want to bring your height down so everything is straight. Between waist and cost height is often best.
  • Take note of the natural lines in the room and ensure to keep them straight in your photo. For example, turning your camera just a few degrees can make the whole room feel wonky.
  • Try to have only 2 walls showing in your photographs. Rooms can tend to look longer and/or narrower than they really are when you shoot down the length of the room showing three walls meeting.
  • If you do take images that are a little off and look wonky you can change this in seconds by uploading them to our photo enhancing tool with it’s vertical correction functionality

 

4. Poor quality.

The biggest mistake you can make is using poor quality images.  Especially with low-cost listings, many agents think it is ok to use less than good images. it’s not! Bad photogrpahy not only effects the time it will take to sell a property, but it will also reflect poorly on your brand. You need high quality images every time. This will go a long way to selling your property for a good price and in quick time. It will also level up your brands reputation and in turn bring in higher value properties for your books.

 

What can you do?

  • Read some of our blogs on setting up your rooms and exterior for a good shot
  • Take a few shots of the same room and angle so you can ensure there is one good one of each room
  • If your images don’t turn out as well as you hoped you can use our property photography enhancing tool to enhance your imagery to professional level. Giving your listings a boost and your business a solid reputation for quality property listings.

 

5. Too neutral.

We always advise to make the room as neutral as possible to appeal to the maximum numbers of buyers, we want them to imagine their style and furnishings in the entires home. However, we also won’t don’t rooms that lack warmth. Small pops of colour can have a big impact along with making the room look more inviting.

 

What can you do?

  • If the rooms are all white (or grey) you can add some flowers or bright cushions to add that pop of colour
  • Put the lights on in the room or bring some lamps into the picture to bring that warmth in.
  • Our property enhancing tool not only adjusts brightness but can also enhance the colour with the colour enhancing feature.

 

By using our fast and effective photo enhancement tool you can level your photography up without the high cost of money and time and give you consistently great photos each and every time. If you would like to see it for yourself check out our free trial….

Introducing the new, faster and more efficient way to create floor plans

Posted on by Callum Domigan

Let’s be honest: navigating tricky floor plan software probably isn’t the best part of your job.
Got your floor plan sketch? Now that’s all you need with our floor plan conversion tool.

Upload your sketch to PropertyBox and we’ll have a professional floor plan back to you in no time at all, giving you more time to focus on what you do best.

Learn more about our floor plan tool here

Creating Floor Plans

A finished professional-looking floor plan can appear incredibly simple at first glance but, if you’ve ever tried to create one, you know that representing even the most simple of homes in an accurate and easy to understand way is both difficult and time consuming.

There’s no denying floor plans are fundamental to an effective listing. A representation of the space helps buyers, sellers and renters to better understand and visualise what the property has to offer. In today’s market, savvy sellers always include floor plans with their property listings. Alongside beautiful property photography, the floor plan is one of the most valuable assets for agents to showcase properties to their maximum potential.

Over a third of buyers said that they were less likely to enquire about a property without a floor plan.

However, creating a floor plan is easier said than done. With so many options for software and services in the marketplace, even knowing where to start can be a challenge, never mind getting to grips with the nuances of each tool and the time it takes to draw, refine, brand and colour each one.

Here at PropertyBox we’re all about saving estate agents time and money, while showing every property to its best potential. Our brand new floor plan tool allows you to hand sketch the floor plan, upload it to the PropertyBox app and, in a matter of hours, we’ll send you back a professional, listing-ready floorplan. It couldn’t be easier!

There’s no longer the need to learn how to use complicated CAD tools or wait days for floor plans to be drawn, just sketch it, upload and add your preferences… we’ll do the rest. 

With our latest tool you could even sketch and upload the floor plan while you’re at the property, allowing you to get listings online faster and giving you more time to focus on what you do best.

OK, so we’ve covered how professional floor plans can help create quality listings that increase sales and how our tool can save you time while giving great results… we’ve saved one of the best features ‘til last though… the price. 

Try it for yourself and see how our new floor plan software can help you and your property business!

Now every agent can benefit from great visual content in seconds

Posted on by focaladmin

We know from our customer research that being able to showcase the property that looks the best it can online is the key to winning more instructions, getting more interest from buyers and selling property faster, for a better price. That’s why our innovation team have been hard at work developing PropertyBox, so all estate agents, whatever their size, can have access to professionally enhanced photos, returned in seconds so they can be instantly uploaded to websites and across your social media platforms for immediate impact.

 

 

AI Technology

 

We use leading digital technology, including AI, to provide vertical correction, brightness adjustment, colour enhancement, shadow boosting and blue-sky replacement, all the visual elements that win the all-important click. Finished photos are back in the agent’s inbox within seconds and the service costs half the price of solutions that take hours and are often returned at times when you’re not doing your admin work, wasting precious marketing time and frustrating your customers who want to get serious buyers through the door quickly.

 

Customer Privacy

 

We know how important it is to protect your customer’s privacy so as well as creating far superior images, each one is also fully GDPR compliant with personal photographs blurred and car number plates obscured.

 

No Manual Editing

 

Using an instant photo enhancement service means no more hours wasted manually enhancing photos yourself – each one can simply be uploaded from a phone and instantly processed at any time of day or night. That means amazing photography on all your listings in seconds, freeing up your time to carry out valuations and win more instructions in this highly competitive market.

 

Scale-up listings faster with professional photos edited in seconds

 

Professional-looking visuals could be what tip the scales in your favour, encouraging vendors to come to you rather than one of your rivals. Those who market properties the best will always win the listing and in the current supply shortage, agents can’t afford to miss out. The best way for agents to compete to win valuations, successfully converting them to instructions, is to stand out with professional-looking photography and floorplan, add 360 tours and you will show the seller you’re serious about marketing their property.

 

We find when estate agents start to use visual content, they change their position from, “Is this something I really need?” to, “This is helping me show customers just how much better I am as an agent and how much more I can do for them,” and that’s helping them win greater market share.

 

Businesses across the world who are invested in high quality visual content recognise its power and, if done well, the difference it can make to the bottom line. According to AirBnB, colour is the most important component affecting demand for its properties. Their research shows that improving colour attributes by one standard deviation could bring extra revenue of almost £5,000 a year for a single rental property. Quite simply, improving photo quality has a direct economic impact. That’s something to celebrate and now the tools are literally at your fingertips.

 

This article was first published by Estate Agent Today.

The picture-perfect way to sell homes faster

Posted on by focaladmin

A picture is worth a thousand words’ sums up just how crucial great photography is to selling a property. 

 

Your listings photos are the first thing potential buyers see and can result in double the amount of leads and swifter sales – more than 30% faster, in fact. 

 

Properties with outstanding pictures get potential buyers clicking and research reveals they sell over 30% faster! Quick sales equate to more enquiries and instructions – treat the task with the respect and effort it deserves, and you’ll reap the rewards. We all know that time is money, but get this bit right and you will soon be clocking-up the sales and welcoming fresh enquiries. 

 

We know that most DIY agents rely on their smartphones, but that doesn’t mean your shots can’t be picture-perfect. Here’s how to ensure your listings are the best they can be. 

 

First impressions count 

 

Never, ever be tempted to list a property without any pictures. Hard to believe, but it does happen! An ‘images coming soon’ message just doesn’t cut the mustard. Don’t compromise – when you have all the shots you want, you are ready to go live and not before. Bear in mind that you only get around seven seconds to make a great first impression and you won’t get a second chance. In general, online listings receive most views in their first fortnight online and property alerts mean th ey’re instantly visible, so get it right first time and you’re in pole position. 

 

The magic number 

 

Obviously, the shots you need will depend on the house you’re photographing but aim to end up with 15-20 usable images. This means you will have sufficient in the bag to upload to Zoopla, Rightmove etc, while retaining enough in reserve to refresh your listing in future, if you need to. As a rule of thumb, the number of shots required per listing is between five and nine but, again, it depends on the property – and only you can be the judge of that. 

 

Based on merit, take one or two pictures of each room, plus front and rear externals and garden. If your property has notable extras, then flaunt them. Home office, en-suite, conservatory, balcony, patio, gym, cellar, summer-house – if they’re fabulous, they need to be in the spotlight. 

 

Remember not to have too many, though, as it can be overwhelming – stick to a maximum of 20. 

 

Here’s the plan 

 

Never, ever stint on the preparation, otherwise you’ll find yourself walking away without the shots you need to market online and an additional visit to take more photos comes across as incompetent and unprofessional. 

 

You need a clear plan of action for a successful shoot, so you get the right number and type of shots to attract maximum viewings plus impress your vendor and maximise your chance of referral. Have a list to ensure you get all the right pictures, allow enough time to take them and have all you need with you to prevent any hitches. It really is all in the planning. 

 

The ability to edit photos after you’ve taken them gives flexibility with the timing of photoshoots but the general rule is that it is easier to fix photos that are too dark, than it is those that are over-exposed, so less bright times of the day are best for interior and exterior photos. 

 

The holy grail 

 

When you get to this point, all you need is PropertyBox. This super-innovative instant photo enhancement app removes all the time implications of self-editing by offering a truly affordable alternative – first-rate images are with you within seconds. 

 

Everything’s dealt with in one fell swoop – sky replacement, vertical correction, brightness, colour and shadow adjustments. And PropertyBox blurs personal photos, car registration plates and so on to comply with data protection (GDPR) requirements. 

 

We’ll have you picture-perfect in the blink of an eye! 

A picture is worth a thousand words’ sums up just how crucial great photography is to selling a property. 

 

Your listings photos are the first thing potential buyers see and can result in double the amount of leads and swifter sales – more than 30% faster, in fact. 

 

Properties with outstanding pictures get potential buyers clicking and research reveals they sell over 30% faster! Quick sales equate to more enquiries and instructions – treat the task with the respect and effort it deserves, and you’ll reap the rewards. We all know that time is money, but get this bit right and you will soon be clocking-up the sales and welcoming fresh enquiries. 

 

We know that most DIY agents rely on their smartphones, but that doesn’t mean your shots can’t be picture-perfect. Here’s how to ensure your listings are the best they can be. 

 

First impressions count 

 

Never, ever be tempted to list a property without any pictures. Hard to believe, but it does happen! An ‘images coming soon’ message just doesn’t cut the mustard. Don’t compromise – when you have all the shots you want, you are ready to go live and not before. Bear in mind that you only get around seven seconds to make a great first impression and you won’t get a second chance. In general, online listings receive most views in their first fortnight online and property alerts mean th ey’re instantly visible, so get it right first time and you’re in pole position. 

 

The magic number 

 

Obviously, the shots you need will depend on the house you’re photographing but aim to end up with 15-20 usable images. This means you will have sufficient in the bag to upload to Zoopla, Rightmove etc, while retaining enough in reserve to refresh your listing in future, if you need to. As a rule of thumb, the number of shots required per listing is between five and nine but, again, it depends on the property – and only you can be the judge of that. 

 

Based on merit, take one or two pictures of each room, plus front and rear externals and garden. If your property has notable extras, then flaunt them. Home office, en-suite, conservatory, balcony, patio, gym, cellar, summer-house – if they’re fabulous, they need to be in the spotlight. 

 

Remember not to have too many, though, as it can be overwhelming – stick to a maximum of 20. 

 

Here’s the plan 

 

Never, ever stint on the preparation, otherwise you’ll find yourself walking away without the shots you need to market online and an additional visit to take more photos comes across as incompetent and unprofessional. 

 

You need a clear plan of action for a successful shoot, so you get the right number and type of shots to attract maximum viewings plus impress your vendor and maximise your chance of referral. Have a list to ensure you get all the right pictures, allow enough time to take them and have all you need with you to prevent any hitches. It really is all in the planning. 

 

The ability to edit photos after you’ve taken them gives flexibility with the timing of photoshoots but the general rule is that it is easier to fix photos that are too dark, than it is those that are over-exposed, so less bright times of the day are best for interior and exterior photos. 

 

The holy grail 

 

When you get to this point, all you need is PropertyBox. This super-innovative instant photo enhancement app removes all the time implications of self-editing by offering a truly affordable alternative – first-rate images are with you within seconds. 

 

Everything’s dealt with in one fell swoop – sky replacement, vertical correction, brightness, colour and shadow adjustments. And PropertyBox blurs personal photos, car registration plates and so on to comply with data protection (GDPR) requirements. 

 

We’ll have you picture-perfect in the blink of an eye! 

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