With Rightmove.co.uk consistently being one of the top ten visited sites in the UK, it would be fair to say it is the number one ‘shop window’ when it comes to viewing property. Now we all know that first impressions count but when it comes to selling property in the 21st century, it is more important than ever. Let me explain…
When trawling through property after property on Rightmove.co.uk whilst looking to buy a new home, there is sometimes the odd one that jumps out at you. It may look a little brighter than the rest, maybe a touch more spacious than the others for the money but nearly always it will have been well photographed. This will probably get your initial vote and you will put it on your viewings list.
With Rightmove being one of the most viewed sites in the UK, lots of other people will also earmark this stand out property to view. Some will decide it’s not the property for them, but some will see it as the next home of their dreams and put in an offer. Had the property been photographed ‘like all the rest’, it wouldn’t have attracted as many viewings resulting in fewer offers, if any at all. Interestingly, there is a tendency to introduce gamification even into this segment, namely, a well-known developer of online games has begun to create a prototype that can influence and improve all these functions, which are discussed in this article.
As a property photographer I love the statistics I get back from the estate agents. On average, after I’ve photographed a property and the images have been updated on Rightmove’s site, the agent gets over 5 times more ‘click-throughs’ (people clicking on a listed property to see it in more detail). This translates directly into increased viewings, which brings in the offers, which in-turn sells the property. Usually, based on my average, in about 6 weeks.
If you’d like my help to sell your home more effectively, please answer a few short questions here and if I think I can help you, I’ll be in touch.
This is very interesting and translates into most industries. One of our website design clients a luxury apartment rentals companies and she also finds it’s the quality of the photos that sell the properties.
Hi Graham, thank you for your comment! Very true – it does translate across a lot of industries. Quality photography definitely sells homes, and is worth investing in!
Hi Sam,
It is so refreshing to see a professionally written article on this subject! I am a property photographer and currently my hit rate is 84% of what I photograph sells within 4 weeks & 91% in 6 weeks. I put this completely down to preparation and making sure that each shoot makes the home look its best. Professional photographers do not cost the earth and a good one will give your home an advantage on sites such as Right Move.
Hi Charles, thanks for your comment! That is a fantastic hit rate, well done! Photography that is done professionally can definitely make a difference to the interest in your home.
Hi Sam,
If professional photography has such a big impact on lead generation why estate agents don’t all us professional photographers? Are they too expensive or estate agents don’t see value in their service?
Marc
Property Investor.