What are Property Buyers looking for?

Every buyer is different. Every property is different. Whether buying or renting, people’s needs are many and varied. Matching property to people is very much like dating. There needs to be a connection, and an attraction.

How do we get that connection and attraction? There are some obvious factors, like location and price. People tend to search in an area and price range. After that they may add various items to their ‘wish list’ e.g. garage, number of bedrooms, garden, parking, views etc. Each buyer or renter will have their own set of wishes.

Assuming your property is in the right locality and approximately the right price range, the next thing to do is make the property look as appealing as possible. And then take photographs (and maybe a video) of it, looking as attractive as it can be, in order to pique the interest of a potential buyer or renter.

Many online viewers are scanning lots of properties, quite quickly, so yours needs to stand out. I, personally, have been looking to move and my own experience of property-hunting has been mainly disappointing. Poor photography, scant details, no video often mean that I scroll right past. Good photography, with well-lit rooms and lots of detail (all the rooms, the spaces between the rooms, the exteriors, the garden, the driveway, the locality etc.) all help to build the picture for the viewer. If the combination of the images, video, location, price etc. add up, I may then arrange a viewing. It’s unlikely that properties will ever be sold or rented without a viewing or two taking place first, so tempting the prospective buyer or renter to organise a viewing is the primary objective.

Good photography really makes a property stand out. The photos must show what the property really looks like, and great photography will start the process of helping the prospective buyer or renter to imagine what life might be like for them in that property.

A video my also help to show the flow between the rooms, how they link to each other and how the property fits into the location, and the approach. Buyers will want to try and imagine themselves living there, and it’s the job of the imagery to help them do that.

Many agents try to save money but scrimping on the photography. The clever ones don’t. They invest in great images. Be clever.

Property videos can really enhance your offer. Giving the prospective buyer or renter the chance to really see around your property is a real advantage. Videos help to show the relationship between rooms and can really show off the exterior and any adjoining land. For larger properties, and those with the ‘wow’ factor, a video is a must.

At Property Image Services we have made lots of property videos, some of which can be seen on our Property Videos page. Agents often have a preferred style, which we can adopt. If no style is suggested we will film and edit the resulting video as we think fit to show off the property at its best. How much are property videos? Well, obviously that depends on how long the video is, if you want drone footage too etc. Budget should be somewhere between £175 and £500 depending on number of rooms, video duration etc. Why not get in touch and let us know what you’d like?

Here are some examples…

What does a professional photographer do differently? Good question. Firstly, just having a professional photographer turn up immediately shows that your agency cares about the quality of their work. The seller will be impressed with the time and effort that a photographer takes to portray their property in its best light. When the photographer arrives, they will look round each room to see if everything is in the best place. It may mean some or all of the following; removing some items, tidying up wires, removing family photos, adding lifestyle items, rearranging furniture, straightening curtains etc. etc.) Then the photographer will choose the best angle to take the photograph from. He or she will look at the lighting to see if it’s best to add lighting or rely on natural light. Then the photographer will make sure everything is level and that the right amount of the room is in the picture. The photographer may take several pictures at once (to merge later), or may take pictures from different angles. He or she will move around the house, doing the same activity in each room, each time, making sure that the room is going to look its best, its most appealing for a potential buyer.

Externally, the photographer will look at all the angles, and other external features which may enhance the picture further. Once again, this may mean removing items like bins, pet-related items, garden tools, etc.

Once the photos have been completed, the photographer will then spend hours editing them to bring out the best in the property. This may mean merging pictures to get a wider range of tones. Some photos may need to have items removed that were not obvious during the shoot, or that could not be physically removed. The photos may need to be cropped, shadows lowered, highlights edited etc etc. Then the photos will need to be compared to each other so they have a consistent look. Then they will need to be exported and sized correctly for use online. Eventually the photos will be ready to be used.

It’s actually quite a lot of work. But it’s worth it. Anything less, is underselling the property and the seller (your client).

And when you look at our rates, you’ll see that it’s great value. Contact Property Image Services today and start improving the quality of your pictures – and sell more properties.