Property Photography Training
How will it improve your photos and your ability to attract the best houses
Estate agency has changed. Gone are the days when property photos were taken on a Polaroid then printed using something akin to a John Bull Printing Outfit.
In this day and age digital images can be displayed instantly around the world in glorious colour - except most agents' photos currently appearing on customers' 50 HD screens and on their mobiles are less than glorious. Look through the portals and you'll see my point.
And yet, the photos you as agents use to promote your properties create the first impression of the houses you're selling; so they really should be top-notch if they're to attract the interest of your best buyers. They will also help inform prospective clients (especially those with better-looking homes) whether you're the best agent for their home, or not. Who wants their £60k kitchen photographed with a compact camera by someone who has no idea how to use it
So, how do you take really good photos that will consistently attract the interest of the best buyers and potential vendors
The best thing about digital photography is that it is easy - it's certainly not rocket science. The worst thing about digital photography is that it is easy - almost everyone with a digital camera thinks they're good at photography when the evidence suggests otherwise.
And yet with even an entry-level SLR camera plus the will to learn, some training and help with Photoshop, I believe most estate agents have the ability to produce images like those below. Learn how to place the camera, what settings to use and how to compose a shot and stunning results will be achieved. Most agents find that a day's workshop is ample for them to understand what's going on behind the lens and how to think around the various problems they encounter on a regular basis. Simple settings changes like those made to the ISO (you'll learn what that is) will instantly improve the quality of your images. Remember, I was an agent myself for 37 years, so if I can do it, anyone can.
So - what makes photos good Firstly they have to be sharp, with correct exposure and colour, they shouldn't look distorted and they'll be well-composed. But the real test as to whether a photo is good or not is the way it makes you/and others feel. If your photos have the WOW-factor they'll help your properties and your brand stand out from the crowd.
Training in a day's workshop can help you achieve images with the WOW-factor. A day with Doctor Photo will show you exactly how to make outstanding images that'll make you feel great, your vendors feel good about you and your potential buyers feel great about your properties.
The most fundamental job you have as an estate agent is to get your properties NOTICED for the right reasons. Fail in that and you'll likely attract fewer viewings. Success will, though, reward you with more viewings, optimised prices AND optimised reputation as those with better-looking homes realise you're actually quite good at marketing property. :o)
Next time: The Drones are coming. Aerial and mast photography - changing perspective to get noticed.
John Durrant was a partner in an award-winning agency in Woking. He's been featured on the BBC and in the Sunday Telegraph. John wrote the 12,000-word Guidance on Property Photography for the RICS and today he photographs some of the finest homes in Surrey and West Sussex. Additionally his Doctor Photo business edits/optimises thousands of estate agents' own photos each month and he travels the UK teaching photography workshops to estate agents.
See: https://www.doctor-photo.co.uk/
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