If your photos are letting you down, here are some tips to help you out.

It’s not a great way to start a series of articles but there really is no point in pulling punches so I’ll just say it… The fact is that a very high percentage of house photos taken by estate agents lack the quality that their properties deserve.

The other day it was reported that as of now there isn’t a town in the UK with an average house price that is less than £100,000. Yet the standard of photography used to sell these homes wouldn’t be up to promoting a packet of cornflakes let alone someone’s most prized asset; take a look through Rightmove if you don’t believe me. Despite their importance to the marketing process - photos are usually the very first thing that most potential buyers will look at when deciding which houses to spend their precious time viewing - it’s truly amazing how few agents give any thought to their photography or are even aware of what they are missing out on in terms of how excellence in photography helps attract new business.

You’ll see from these opening paragraphs that I’m not writing these articles to win friends and influence people, that’s not what I’m about; my mission is to help those agents who care enough about their housing stock and their own company image, to improve the way they present their homes to the market. Agents who improve their photography will help enhance the way they are perceived as professional marketing people (which is what estate agents are, partly) as well as their chances of improving their instruction levels. Let’s face it, until a client has used you, the most tangible difference for them to make their choice between other agents and you is the quality of your property marketing details and advertising. Cracking photography really can help you stand out against the competition and it will help improve sales as well!

In a series of 6 articles I’m going to share with you tips, tricks and techniques that I discovered over thirty-seven years as an agent, and latterly as a professional photographer specialising in interiors, exteriors and mast photography; and if you read and use them I genuinely believe they will help improve your business.

The first of the six starts soon and takes a look at the best equipment to use, followed by Knobs and Dials, then by Prepping the Client, then looks at Exteriors, and winds up with Interiors and Lighting. Read these, take them to your heart and put them into practise and you’ll see an upturn in your business; I’m certain of it.