By Todd Clark (Broker/Sales Coach) 503-524-9494
Every fisherman knows that the
fish we catch get bigger and
bigger every time we tell the story of our day out on the river or the
lake.
But, how does this apply to real estate? I learned a long time ago that
the
same little fish can look real big if you take the picture right. So,
why can’t
that apply to a living room, family room or master bedroom?
This is my dad's prize catch of the day
This is the same fish close up, see looks much bigger!
So remember, it isn’t the size of the fish that matters, but maybe the camera angle you use does. Because every picture does tell a story about a house, what are your pictures saying?
Todd Clark - Broker / Sales Coach
All Brokers Real Estate
Phone: (503)524-9494
Fax: (503)622-8739
Tigard Oregon Homes for Sale, Tigard OR homes for sale, homes for sale in zip code, 97223,97224, Tigard Oregon Realtor, Tigard OR Realtor, Tigard Oregon MLS Search, Tigard OR MLS Search, 1st time home buying expert, short sale expert, avoiding foreclosure in Tigard, helping families home, LivingBeaverton, Townhomes for sale, home for sale, house for sale, Bull Mountain North, Bull Mountain South, King City, Mountainview, Greenburg, Summer Lake Neighborhood, Summerfield neighborhood, Tigard neighborhood, Walnut Grove Neighborhood. Tigard Oregon Real Estate, Tigard OR real estate, Todd Clark, (503)524-9494, WWW.LivingTigard.com, www.IFoundYourNewHome.com, www.SavingyouFromForeclosure.com
©2010 Todd Clark - Originally posted at My dad taught me something the other day… It isn’t the size of the fish that matters, but how you tell the story.
Todd Clark and the Friendly Home Team
Knipe Realty
Todd@IFoundYourNewHome.com
Phone: (503)524-9494
Fax: (503)746-9573
I am a licensed Realtor who specializes in Washington County, Oregon and also work in both Clackamas and Multnomah Counties including the cities of Aloha, Beaverton, Canby, Clackamas, Gladstone, Gresham, Happy Valley, Hillsboro, Milwaukie, Oregon City, Sherwood and Tigard. All information contained in these posts are copyrighted and cannot be used without prior written approval authorization from the author me Todd Clark. If you are looking for an outstanding agent please give me a call I would love to help you with all your real estate needs.
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Yes, but a tiny fish doesn't fill the belly no matter how you look at it.
Todd - My clients hope I use a fish-eye lens on all pictures, to make the most of what they have. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Bad pics are the result of a bad eye. Bad fish smell bad :) Love the post
Great analogy Todd!
You hit the nail on the head with this one.
Great post, Todd. Even better to have gone fishing with dad!
Nice comparison Todd! I actually had a client tell me the other day after wanting me to hire a professional photographer for his house, which I was more than willing to do, after I got done taking the photos, he said not to worry about the professional because I could become a professional photographer based on the photos he had seen. I was flattered, and grateful, for my new Nikon 5000.
Todd, I agree with you hook, line and sinker!
Practice with your camera can be a great asset in our business.
Todd,
Great way to show off your fish and your real estate. Even for my high end leases I take or have taken a ton of pictures with a wide angle - it's amazing how one angle can show off the room a lot better.
Pictures sell, sell it well.
All the best, Michelle
Todd - Love it! First impressions are everything and pictures are usually the first thing a buyer sees, so they have to tell the best story possible.
Todd:
Excellent photographs can and do make a huge difference. Just to play devils advocate... Pictures and descriptions should be depicted of what actually is... photo-shop, can remove stains on a driveway, roof, blemishes, etc. Truth In Advertising. Using the right light, lens... I'm In!
Did you hear the one about the "one-armed" fisherman?
The difference between a good fisherman and a great fisherman is the length of their arms. Often times the difference between an agent who lists and one who gets it sold is their skill with a camera.
Great post!
Todd,
Today's market expects sooo much more from practitioners.
Steve
Hi Todd... It looks like you are making excellent use of your new camera! The point you make in this post is totally on target!
I had mixed feelings the day I spoke to an agent who'd shown one of my listings and he said "It looked better in the pictures". I'm using a Nikon DX40 for my photos.
That is really funny. And to think the camera lens for wide angle is called a fisheye.
Todd, Anytime I can connect Real Estate with fishing I'm hooked. Great blog.
Todd,
pictures are extremely important to get a listing sold as people are very visual. intermet buyers, especially, judge a house by its pictures.
Todd,
That is great! Good visual and spending quality time with dad! Thanks for sharing this with us!
Todd, I like the visuals and the analogy, great points and post!
The camera angle is a huge deal... And so are lights and blinds! I don't have any idea what is wrong with folks these days and their picture taking but I see some horrible pics online!
Hi Todd, great fish story (and analogy). I assume the tax man has been taken care of.
HaHa. I am always apologizing to clients that think they have seen their dream home on the internet but when I open the door it's like some place in the gheto. They always want to know how that picture could be this house. They think I have taken them to the wrong address. I must point out the angle and show where the window or doorway matches up with the one in the photo. It becomes a little harder when all the furnishings have been removed months ago and the agent is just using the photos from when it was previously listed with someone else.
Great example of what a picture can do for a listing. I love the fish example. It is a real attention getter!!
Todd, I agree with Gregory. Its very awkward for us and our clients since the same home looks very smaller & different between pictures and true size of the home. Being reasonable is better than too over promising pictures.
Tell your dad congrats on the sardine! Great point that is so true. Present things truthfully in the best possible light.
Todd,
I never thought that this post would be about staging and photography but was pleasantly surprised. Homes that are presented nice on MLS make the phone ring! And you can't sell it if the Buyers don't show up!
Thanks for your post!
Marianne
Todd:
Photos in property listings can often be misleading which is why I do my previews and take my own photos and videos for my clients. But, as a listing broker, you absolutely have to put your best foot forward and take good photos of the property inside and out or you are doing a disservice to your seller.
Todd, it is amazing some of the pictures agents post in the mls. Great analogy in your post!
Hi Todd, perfect analogy! The better the photos, the better chances of a buyer wanting to see that home.
"Figures lie, and liars figure!" --- an old tail!
Take the example in St. Louis of University City Schools which are terrible and even had two fights a week ago in one day!
Near University City is Clayton and Ladue Schools which are highly sought after.
A realtor on his listing of a University City home stated 'NEAR SOUGHT AFTER QUALITY SCHOOLS! His fish was a smelly sour fish that he had made a beautiful striped bass.
Figures lie, and liars figure"
Jan 29th 2004
From The Economist print edition
FIGURES lie, as everyone knows, and liars figure.
you better have an iron clad buyer's agreement if you use deciept.
Truth will win!
"Figures lie, and liars figure!" --- an old tail!
Take the example in St. Louis of University City Schools which are terrible and even had two fights a week ago in one day!
Near University City is Clayton and Ladue Schools which are highly sought after.
A realtor on his listing of a University City home stated 'NEAR SOUGHT AFTER QUALITY SCHOOLS! His fish was a smelly sour fish that he had made a beautiful striped bass.
Figures lie, and liars figure"
Jan 29th 2004
From The Economist print edition
FIGURES lie, as everyone knows, and liars figure.
you better have an iron clad buyer's agreement if you use deciept.
Truth will win!
That's the same fish, huh. Perspective matters in everything. Good thing you didn't have a ruler next to it.
Great description and if you ever get the chance, see the movie "Big Fish"
And that's why I always caution my buyers. Don't rule out a good house because of bad pictures and don't fall in love with good pictures that lea you to a house not their equal.
Not to be too cynical but their are some big fish stories on blog post. My dad could spin a yarn just like you said, and I do have some special pictures like that from years ago. Thanks for the memories.
Cute post. My Dad always tells big whopper fish stories!
funny....i am not a fisherman but a realtor that struggles sometimes with how to get a good picture of a room or how not to look like a furniture salesman. great :)
As Mick Jagger once said...."Every picture tells a story!".....GREAT analogy!
Hi Todd - good analogy and sales pitch for Staging, but even as a professional Stager won't Stage to hide a hole in the floor, you don't want listing photos to exaggerate the size of a house! Julie
Todd.....fishing and Real Estate with a word of wisdom from dad? Whats not to love. By contrast......Bad photos and poor or no captions produces the 2 day old fish smell every time. Moral...dont let your Real Estate sound fishy? Thank you
I love this comparison in pictures. As they say a picture is worth a 1000 words and more dollars when it's a home for sale.
I love it! Having a dad who used to take me fishing all the time - I'm familiar with the 'size of the story'! Good analogy.
Hello:
This is a terrific use of an analogy to make a great point in your blog post. And the story was captivating enough for me to keep reading till you got to the point.
I do appreciate that.
Wise man your Dad! How true everything you said in your post is, great stuff!
I completely agree with you, the talent of the photographer and the lens being used certainly makes a difference. Looking at some photos of homes, I would actually think the furniture was for sale instead of the home!
But as much as photographs can make smaller rooms look larger and brighter, we as Realtors still need to be careful to not overexagerate the feel of some homes. When buyers show up, more often than not they can't believe the home they are looking at is the same one they saw in those photos.
I love analogies; they make points so clear. I love your photos and your story here!
Hey this all sounds a little fishy !!!!!!!!!!! (*L*) Good analogy !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Todd - I find some photos very deceitful and it makes me angry when I waste my time showing a property that has overly doctored photos. However, I love fish stories... and this was a good one. What did you catch?
Pictures sell homes. Whatever it takes to get it sold. RIGHT?
Staging and good photography are definitely my 2 best tools. We just sold a house in 80 days after staging, repainting and landscaping. It was previously on the market for ONE YEAR with no activity. When we took the listing after the staging was complete, the house looked like a million bucks and we increased the price to cover the seller's investment of the staging, etc. In 80 days, we had 3 2nd showings and 2 offers, one of which sealed the deal.
Todd - This is a terrific point! I have always thought that pictures are a big piece of the puzzle when it comes to selling a home. Good stuff, my man!
Todd, loved this post. I have much to learn about staging and taking great pictures. thanks for inspiring me to new heights.
Cal
As more agents become adept with photo editing tools it seems like more photos are not truly representative of the home. I'm ok with editing out a dumpster on a new construction site, or the car left in the driveway when the photog was there. But when agents add scenic views through windows that cannot possibly be seen, or massive flowering rose bushes on an arbor that doesn't exist, I feel deceived. Also bad is the company that offers to stage the photos but not the house. Worse of all are the photos that show the "new flooring" or the "removed paneling" that a credit would provide. If I see hardwood floors in the photo on the MLS I expect to see it in the house!
I don't like wide angle shots very much. When a room is staged properly it WILL look better in the photos, wide angle or not. I prefer more intimate shots that don't distort reality. Getting the right angle and perspective is key!
#55...what a difference a bed makes and light makes! No longer a corner like every other neutral colored corner. I'm sold
Great illustration! I love the photos, they really prove your point!
Todd, This was great! Your points are short and sweet. What kind of fish is that?
Great post. I love the analogy
The camera can make things look bigger than they really are. The camera can also make things look like they really are.
I love my wide angle lens
I wholeheartedly agree about proper photos and the benefit of staging. The poor quality of presentation in the photos of such a large percentage of homes for sale really amazes me. I see FSBO listings with better photography.
I can take pretty good photos myself but 98% of the time I will use a professional photographer. The quality of the photographer's equipment and skill of composition is well worth the cost. The few times i do not use the professional is on tiny homes/condos where no photo is actually better than a picture of a wall!
Nice post - I'm going to check out some wide angle lenses and see what a difference it can make in my work.
Great post, your pictures were in fact worth a thousand words.
Did you know that the man with only one arm claims to have caught the biggest fish ever. He held out his one hand and claimed "It was that big".
Todd, great analogy ~ being an English Lit major, I also love analogies. Haven't used them in my blog yet, but you've got me thinking.
Wonderful...
Now I'm craving sardines on saltines :)
TLW...ROAR!
I always knew it..now you have confirmed it! It is all about presentation!
Love it Todd! Thanks for providing an easy to understand reason why staging is important.
Oh, my gosh. This is so great. All about perspective.
Thanks for taking my brain down that path.
As they say, "a picture's worth a thousand words!" So true, you have to show the very best photo to get the prospective buyer inside to see it. A lousy picture can ruin a potential showing, thus....a potential sale.
Good post for sure.
Patricia