Its Real estate agents working with good real estate photographers that get houses sold — for the most money and quick.  But first, you’ve got homework to do - you want to have a charming and welcoming home to get the people interested in your house. 

Everything starts through the front door.  Font doors make a statement,  a fresh coat of paint or varnish can make it an eye-catching feature.  If you decide to repaint interiors, neutral tones work best.  Selling a home, starts at the sidewalk.  Curb appeal is an actual thing, it’s the first impression a buyer gets, sometimes it doesn’t work, home sellers don’t always do everything they should to get their homes ready to sell.  It’s the basics, you want everything to look good, smell good, to feel good in your home; to the buyers, it’s a house they want to make into their home.

MLS services usually require the front exterior picture to be the only required picture and the first one seen.  That won’t take you too far, potential buyers want to see everything; besides the front of the house, they want the entire tour, inside, upstairs and down in the basement and with a walk in the backyard.

Here are a few more suggestions to help you help your agent sell your house.  Always ask your agent if you have questions about any of this.

Spring time.  It’s the best time to arrange for a real estate photographer to photograph the exterior and interior of your home.  It’s a good time for decluttering your front and back yards, the trees and bushes are adding fresh leaves, flowers are blooming, the grass is getting greener every day and you’ll need to put out new mulch in your flower beds.  Remember, curb appeal is everything in real estate sales.  Any home improvements, like a fresh coat of paint, or house repairs should be completed sooner than waiting later.

Staging.  Impressions can mean very much, it shows that you’re the type of person who has taken care of this house you’re wanting someone to buy.  The interior staging is as important as your exterior staging.  Once people get inside your home, the insides need to be as impressive as you’ve gotten your front yard.  People want a nice, clean, well taken cared for home.  You want people feeling comfortable in your house.

A few ideas to keep in mind.  Neat and organized; remove the clutter, go overboard with the neatness.  Do a detailed dusting of the entire house!  Bedrooms should look great, beds made, curtains look neat, put away the kids toys.  You might place a few potted plants around inside and add a couple by your front door after you’ve freshened up the entry area.  Clean the kitchen stove, the oven. Remove fingerprints and smudges from the fridge, sweep and mop the floor, hide the trash cans.  Make sure your bathroom is Spotless! sinks, your tub or shower is sparkling - No Watermarks on the shower window doors - and make sure it smells clean.  Spend some time in the garage, remember neat and organized, and consider power washing your driveway.

Real Estate Photography is a main ingredient in your property marketing, know when your home will be photographed, the time of day your photography is scheduled is important, the sun falling on the front of your house makes for a very nice photograph and may very well make a difference if people want to see your property.

You’ll also want to check the front view of your property.  Are there any obstructions blocking the view to your house, tree branches, overgrown bushes that spoil the look. How do your windows look?  Does yard work need to be done?  All this can affect the composition you’ll end up with.  This is an area of personal taste but it’s an area where good composition can help bring out the character of your home, a few pictures, taken from a couple fresh angles can show the depth of front porches and make dormers stand out, gable roofs, front porch railings will benefit from a good composition.

While you’re at it, check your back yard, a covered patio, a nice fresh looking deck, gazebo, outdoor kitchen, pool or other special feature could help your property stand out against your competition. 

This is not everything that needs to be done, your agent will suggest other changes they think needs to be taken care of.  You can get a free copy of my Photographers List, its detailed, but will provide a lot of good information to help you get your property ready to sell.

Good luck.

Knoxville professional photographers have always had a variety of creative directions to go after, working photographers will have defined, developed and after a few hours of repeated practice, refined a specialty into what they consider their specialty.

Real estate photography is a specialty

Real estate photography differs some what from other photography specialities, the pieces that make-up the final image, the furniture, a couch, the bookshelves, will always be fixed in place, you can‘t move them about, but other pieces are moveable, chairs, small tables, small lamps can be moved to satisfy the composition and the real estate agent.

Tell Me Again, Why Do I Need A Real Estate Photographer?

Every year, real estate agents are wanting better photography for their listings, they are realizing cell phones aren’t the best for photographing anymore, in the last few years, there has been a reorganization in the industry towards better photography, and it seems to be becoming the model for the future of real estate photography.

“things in real estate are changing, to be sure.” - Jarred Kessler

Photographers have been specializing in providing better real estate photographs to their clients, and they’ve been providing fast, quality results, and at more reasonable prices.

Photography is significant to the home buyer, they want to see the images of the properties they want to buy, and they expect these images to be shown to them, and in the fashion they expect.

Real estate has always been a photographic subject, and for a few recent years now, It‘s how home buyers expect to see the homes to buy, Photography is all around us, it on billboards, in magazines, television, the internet and social media sites every day of our lives.

It’s how home buyers, using smartphones, tablets and home computers will sit at home and decide if they want to go see a property.

“photographs have been an incredibly important part of the real estate industry, particularly since listings became readily available online through MLS and other private listing sites. Great photography is one of the cornerstones of a successful listing, and it helps buyers to make the right decision, too. From remarkably high resolutions on digital cameras to drone technology, the constant advancement in imaging capabilities that has occurred over the past couple decades is bound to continue.” - Jarred Kessler

Agents have to pay attention

Real estate agents need some education when they’re buying real estate photography. They need to know something about what goes into the work. They need to know what to ask for from the photographer they’ve hired, and what to expect from him or her. It would be good to know the time it takes for finishing the job, and the equipment needed to produce the quality photography that they should expect to get.

A real estate agents’ have-to

An internet on-line presence, with photography showing their listings is expected of real estate agents, in fact, its a have-to for sucess or their failure, its essential for generating new leads and clients for their business, and paying a lot of attention to SEO for their site is very important.

Agents should have their own website. Home buyers want to see photographs of listings. They’ll want information, a few funs facts, neighborhood statistics of areas they’re interested in, schools and shopping info. You’ll get higher conversion rates, increased sales and a lead-in to segway a introduction of your services. It‘s worth the time and money to set-up a professional website.

Finally

Todays home buyers are image motivated, baby boomers out number millennials; that‘s who you have to play to. Digital advantages has made it to easy to show real estate photography on your web site that your losing if you don’t. It takes just a couple seconds to make the impression you have to make, or buyers will move on to your neighbor if you don’t.

“Today’s real estate technology is essentially the primary vehicle investors use to gather information on a particular market.”   Than Merrill

www.mikeoneillphotography.com, Knoxville, TN

Smartphone cameras are useful to have. A camera right in your shirt pocket makes it easy for real estate agents to take their own property listing photos. Hiring a professional real estate photographer is an added expense, and, you’ll be much more successful!

According to Realtor.com, 92% of homebuyers begin their search on the internet when starting a new home search. Homebuyers will get their first real impression looking at listings. Good photography makes home buyers want to see the property.

Real Estate Agents and Professional Photography Working Together

Bad photography makes buyers move on to the next listing, you’ll decrease the value of your property by NOT using good photography, instead use an experienced professional real estate photographer, they know how to make the property view its best and motivates buyers to get in touch for a closer view.

A professional photographer will be well worth the price. Here are 5 reasons not to use your cell phone for taking pictures. 

Your home will sell faster and for more money 

Listings that use professional photography will sell 32% faster than those that do not. And, listings that use high-quality photography receive 47% higher asking price per square foot. 

A real estate photographer understands composition

A good photo needs composition, much as a painting does. It’s not only about what’s included in the frame, but what’s excluded. A pro will know how to frame a photo to draw a buyer’s eye to the selling features while keeping their attention away from anything less than desirable. 

Photo editing is important

A professional photographer will know how to enhance colors, remove unwanted elements, scuffs on the walls, or the owner’s chihuahua who wandered into the shot. 

Lighting can make or break a photo

It takes years for a real estate photographer to develop an eye for lighting placement. Placing the right lights in the right place at the right time makes a ho-hum house view like a grand palace and catch the eye of a buyer scrolling through listings photos

 
Professional photography makes YOU look good

The real estate agents who use professionals come across more professional and are way ahead of their competition; they know it’s not all about selling a home, it’s more about selling more homes and getting more referrals and they know they must take the best care of their clients.

 
Knoxville real estate agents know to put away there iPhone and hire a professional real estate photographer. they know it’s an investment that is well worth the money!

www.mikeoneillphotography.com 

Referral marketing or Word of Mouth advertising is one of the best ways to build-up your business for new clients, the Real estate industry has always urged clients to suggest them to their friends and neighbors to support their real estate services. 

I work with real estate agents as a professional real estate photographer; we work as a team when one of my Knoxville agents receives a referral, it may mean I will also get work, client referrals is one of the best marketing tools available for us, not to mention, most business owners.

Heres a few referrals marketing techniques you might adopt to pick up more real estate leads and new clients.

Just Ask

Asking your friends to refer you to their family members or their friends, ask, “If you have liked my services, please consider recommending me to your friends who may need real estate services.” Being yourself when you request referrals will help. It will surprise you how many will help you. Another place to ask is on your website, your blogs, marketing flyers, even on a business card.

Gifts in return

If an agent will refer you to another agent for work, show them how much you appreciate it, either a thank-you card or better — a thank-you card and gift or leaving a thank-you card and a gift; appreciation can be golden and could lead to the referrals your wanting.

Emails

A monthly Newsletter is an excellent way to stay connected with your clients, helpful informative articles can be priceless and may get them to refer their special agent to their friends who need help selling their home.

Client Rewards

Another great way to stay connected with your clients might be to offer future discounts for your services, a money card, even a gift certificate to a local shop to thank them for referring you to someone you ended up helping.

Contest Giveaways

A contest is always a fun way to increase attention for your social media post, awarding a gift card to a local restaurant or an Amazon.com money card can provide incentives and shows your appreciation.

Facebook Post

You can create a “referral culture” by posting thank-you post on how new clients get rewards for referral help, show appreciation for the help.

Referral marketing is the oldest and the most productive form of marketing, it’s the widest technique used because it works, people appreciate hearing how well a product or service has worked, from someone they know.

Additional info is available

https://www.referralcandy.com/blog/referral-marketing-awesome-infographic/

I’ve worked as a photographer for a good part of my life. I’ve been in Knoxville, TN since 2007 with my real estate photography and commercial photography business, I’m always eager to suggest someone who can be of help to someone who needs it. If you need a commercial photographer or real estate photographer services or if you know someone who does, please call me I will appreciate it.

Mike O’Neill Photography at 865-292-3865.

OK...so you’ve been wondering, “How AM I doing with SEO?” (it’s been in all the Knoxville, Tn newspapers) and why should I care?

Well, if you are wondering...real quick...Search engine optimization (SEO) is the practice of increasing the quantity and quality of traffic to your website through organic search engine results.

Ok, so...What happens when I get more traffic to my website? Easy. The answer is Attention!

When more people are looking at what you’re doing, chances are some of these lookers might have a notion to give you a call and want your services, maybe you’re exactly what they’re surfing for, You’ll get to make some $$$.

...and if you’re wondering why this question is even being asked. Well, if you’ve gotten this far reading this, maybe your one of those lost souls who missed that class on why SEO is so important. You may need to catch up.

You might already know how much influence that Google group, and a couple others, have on the inter web. These days you can hardly surf the web without them knowing all about who you are, what you like to look at while you sit with your iPhone, your iPad and we can’t leave out your desktop computer. With all that knowledge flying about, about almost every one of us, it only makes sense that we should care about how we can put that information to work for us. Yep, here’s where that SEO stuff comes back into our conversation.

SEO is a way to help connect. Real Estate agents want to connect with home buyers, they want home sellers to connect with them, the marketing guys want you to see what they’re trying to sell this week. Your business should orbit around SEO it’s how people find you and you find them. There is, of course, much more to this SEO stuff than what I can jot down here, you’ll just have to do some digging to find out, it’s well worth your effort, maybe I’ll get around to writing a little more later.

I provide professional real estate photography for real estate agents and commercial photography for commercial marketers in Knoxville, good photography provides them a platform to show off from, I provide that platform.

This is one way I’ve used SEO to connect with you, the reader, I hope you’ll contact me if I can help you out with your real estate photography needs, or if you need help marketing your commercial services or a product you’re trying to sell or even if you have a question about whatever, I’ll try to help. I have a good reputation and I give a 110% guarantee. Give Me a Call Today! Smiles.
Mike ONeill Photography  865 292-3865

A few truths about SEO to help get you started.

https://ppmag.com/news/5-seo-truths

1. SEO is not a marketing plan

SEO is a small piece of marketing. Good SEO practices can gradually build up website traffic from interested prospects. However, SEO is not a stand-alone substitute for good marketing.

2. SEO is a long-term play

If you’re banking on a quick fix to acquire new clients, SEO isn’t the tool you’re looking for. On average, it takes 3.4 months for a targeted piece of content to appear in search results.Consider paid advertising through social media or Google AdWords if you want faster results

3. SEO is a competition

There isn’t necessarily a standard benchmark for SEO. Yes, there are best practices, but the ultimate goal is to do enough to outrank your competition.

Pro tip: Try to post evergreen content that will stand the test of time and drive traffic to your website over a long period.

4. SEO is an investment

To be successful at SEO, you need to invest either time or money. Working with an SEO consultant or agency could run $500 to $1,000 per month and you’ll need at least six months’ worth of help. To do it yourself, be prepared to dig in. Greer estimates that he spent more than 400 hours on SEO work for his own website before he started seeing results.

Pro tip: When creating content for your site, go for quality over quantity. It’s better to create one amazing blog post with in-depth info than to blog every day with less engaging content.

5. SEO relies on good content

Ultimately, Google and the other search engines want to deliver good results to users. So your web pages need to serve the content that those users are looking for. It needs to be well written, relevant, unique and updated frequently. Blogging isn’t mandatory to produce good content for SEO. Search engines reward you for any content updates to your site.

So many people feel that if they buy a DSLR camera and watch a few YouTube demonstrations, they’re ready to take professional grade pictures of their home. Everyone wants quality photographs to sell their home at the best price, but often amateur photography falls short and the seller ends up settling for a lower listing price as a result or their home remains on the market longer. No one wants to see their home languish on the real estate market for weeks or even months.
 
DSLR cameras are awesome, but even though these cameras are noted for taking HD clear high-quality images, that doesn’t necessarily mean the shots are going to instantly be “professional.”

What makes a photograph truly professional?
Professional photographs have a way of drawing you in. They’re brighter and have a bit of character to them. The main thing is they draw the buyer’s eye to the home or object featured in the photograph.

Composition and Space
A professional photographer maps out the floor plan in his mind before a shoot. He takes time to learn how the rooms connect with one another. He visualizes the lines that run through a photograph and the objects therein. He wants to lead the buyer’s eye through the room in the shot. Viewing these pictures, the buyer will see how the home is laid out. This requires a mastery of composition.

Professional photographers focus on the space, not just on the granite countertop. You can tell when a real estate agent has photographed a home. You’ll see a close-up shot of a granite countertop or fancy backsplash. Or the farmhouse sink may be the focal point of the kitchen photograph. This shows the buyer nothing about the kitchen space itself as a whole and doesn’t give any semblance of context. A professional photograph will show where the kitchen is in relation to the living room and hallway. Is it an open floor plan? Is the kitchen a small “one-butt” kitchen or is it one with a huge island? This is something a professional photographer would show-and-tell in a shot.

Avoid Mistakes
Also, professional real estate photographers know how to avoid silly mistakes such as closed doors in a room shot. If the doors of the room are closed, how will the potential buyer be able to see how the room is connected to other rooms? Other noticeable mistakes that amateurs make are capturing themselves in the reflection of mirrors, taking shots with pets included, photographing small, crowded spaces, and not turning on the lights or opening the blinds.

Professional Camera and Lighting Equipment
A professional photographer will use the right equipment and be well-versed in various photographic techniques to capture photos that attract the buyer’s eye. Professional photographers like Mike ONeill Photography use high-quality cameras and wide-angle lens. Why is wide angle lens important? A lens above 20 mm allows the photographer to show how the rooms are connected. Now, that doesn’t mean you should make a room look larger than it really is. A professional grade photographer will capture the rooms of a home just as you would see them in person. Otherwise, the picture will seem manipulated and therefore the potential buyer may feel deceived. Honest photography is always best.
Natural light is best when shooting interior shots, but sometimes a flash is necessary. Having appropriate flash and lighting equipment is essential in real estate and commercial photography.

Hiring a professional real estate photographer is well worth the fee because quality photos capture a buyer’s eye and can bring about the first call of action—a request to see the home. That’s invaluable to anyone trying to sell their home.

Mike O’Neill Real Estate Photography has been serving the Knoxville area since 2007. Professional grade real estate photography can help you sell your home weeks earlier and at a higher listing price.

Call Mike today at (865) 292-3865 to schedule a session.

Many home sellers feel that a budding photographer in their family can take decent photographs of their home for the Knoxville, TN MLS listings. Unfortunately, many of these sellers end up facing longer stints on the market and possibly an expired listing. Poor or amateur photography can delay the sale of your home and leave you with far less profit.

Some real estate agents offer to take the photographs themselves using their iPhones, or they’ve taken photography at the local community college in the hopes of adding more value to their services. This is noble of them to try and help you save money, however, many times their efforts fall short and you end up losing in the end.

Professional photographers are career photographers, not real estate agents with a hobby. Below, are some points to keep in mind when you consider hiring a real estate photographer for your listing.

Photography as a First Impression
Listings that are accompanied by professional photographs sell for more money and they sell quicker. According to REALTOR.com, 92 percent of home buyers search for their homes online. So, listing photographs play a critical role in selling your home to these buyers. 

This doesn’t just go for upscale homes selling above $1 million. This applies to all homes selling on the market for more than $200,000. A great photograph can entice a homebuyer over the threshold of your home. The photographs are the first impression buyers receive of your home, so you’ll want to make sure it’s a good one. Photographs can also affect the homebuyer’s perception of the home before they even see it.

Photographs Trigger Emotions
A professional photograph of a home can set a positive emotion that the buyer associates with the home. It’s often said in the realtor field that emotion is the number one trigger of the luxury home buyer. Placement of props is important, too, so you’ll want to make sure that you hire a professional stager to “set the stage” so to speak. A professional photographer will be able to select the correct lighting and angle to give your home the best presentation possible. 
So, how can you tell a professional grade photograph from an amateur one?

Great Team
When photographing a home for sale, a professional photographer usually takes around 10 to 15 interior and several exterior photographs. There’s no point in taking 200 photographs.

A good art director can help make sure the photographer captures images of the rooms they feel would best represent the home. 

Teaming up with a Home Staging Professional
A professional photographer knows the value of working with a professional staging expert. If you don’t want to hire an art director and home stager, that’s okay, too. I’ve worked with many clients who chose to stage their own homes and were highly successful in doing so. 

A staged home will be easier to photograph and capture the right images to make the home stand out from the other listings on MLS. Photographing an empty home is difficult because the home does not give off any emotion. A poorly furnished home gives a negative impression. That’s why it’s a good idea to team a staging expert with a professional real estate photographer.

The stager will be able to set a stage that will feed the imagination of a potential buyer. That’s why home buying shows like the ones you see on HGTV are so popular. The viewer imagines themselves living in the featured homes. If the home is already furnished, the photographer and a home stylist can rearrange items to create a spectacular shot. If you’re not going to hire a home staging expert, make sure you remove personal items because this can distract a potential buyer from imagining the home as their own. And if your home is empty, please consider hiring a home stager. Empty homes sell for considerably less. As a professional real estate photographer in Knoxville, TN, I know and have worked with the best staging professionals in the area.

The Right Angle
You’ve probably heard people say that when it comes to photography, it’s all about the lighting and angles. It’s true. A professional real estate photographer highlights the best features of a home by using the right angles and lighting. They often use a tripod and sometimes add light to certain areas of the home to make sure each room looks desirable.

Preparation or “Scouting”
A professional photographer often visits the home a few days before a shoot, to scout the property. Sometimes an art director is hired to assist the photographer in selecting the best rooms for the photo shoot. During this scouting time, the photographer will sometimes take sample photos and analyze the light exposure inside the home. This allows the photographer to determine what composition he wants and which tools to bring to the photo shoot. 

Perfect Composition
Photographers use straight lines and curves to guide the homebuyer’s eye along the image and to make the home more appealing. A photographer will decide how best to fill the space, where to focus, and where to create vertical and horizontal lines. The lines should fall in such a way that they lead the potential buyer through the structural elements of the room. This is very important when photographing homes.

Enhancing Photos in Post-Production
Choosing the right photos that best represent the home’s finest features and enhancing those photos is what happens in post-production. Once the photographer artfully selects the best photos, he enhances the color and edits the photos to ensure that the brown patches of grass are removed, the home’s paintjob is impeccably presented, and the sky is bright and clear. This sounds easy, but it’s not. It takes quite a bit of expertise to lengthen and clone certain sections of a photograph.

These are just a few of reasons why a real estate photographer can make the difference in helping you sell your home quicker and for more money. With most home buyers turning to the Internet for their home search, professional photos are powerful tools in making a good first impression and promoting a call to action. 

Mike ONeill Real Estate Photography has been serving the Knoxville, TN area since 2007. Professional real estate photography can help you sell your home weeks earlier and at a higher listing price.
Call Mike today at (865) 292-3865 to schedule a session.