Dear Seller: Let’s talk about the weather and your photos
An example of a seasonally inappropriate photo for July
It’s July 1 today.
I’m not raising this point because I’m concerned you’ll otherwise miss out on the celebrations of the day. I bring it up because there’s about a ten percent chance that your listing is still being promoted with photos showing snow if it was listed between the first of January and the end of April. Even though winter is long gone and spring is now behind us, I managed yesterday to find nearly forty listings that are still being displayed in a prairie winter wonderland setting. Some of them are showing quite a lot of snow.
Anyone who lives in Saskatoon is accustomed to snow, but snow in July is still a crazy idea, one which buyers just won’t understand. It not only looks stupid but it is probably robbing you of any chance that you might have to bag an offer before the snow flies again. If you do get an offer, the buyer will surely feel justified in coming in very low since your home has been for sale for what seems like forever.
It’s not your fault, but clearly this problem won’t be addressed unless you’re prepared to do something about it. Please check your listing online to see if the photos are seasonally appropriate.
I’m always happy to answer your Saskatoon real estate questions. All of my contact info is here. Please feel free to call or email.
Our Saskatoon home search tool offers MLS listings represented by all real estate brands, presented with more detail than you’ll find anywhere else. Check it out here.
Norm Fisher
Royal LePage Saskatoon Real Estate
10 comments so far. We'd love to hear your thoughts.
July 2nd, 2010 at 10:19 AM
Norm, do you think some of your colleagues will hate you because you’ll probably become the reason they have to work harder?
.
July 2nd, 2010 at 10:36 AM
Cindy,
Perhaps, but I hadn’t really considered taking a photo to be hard work.
I think this is a message that 97% of active agents would wholeheartedly agree with. The other 3% could take the hint and consider the post to be positive. With a little freshening up, they might actually get an offer on that stale listing. At the very least people won’t be looking at a pile of snow next to their name on the listing through the summer.
July 2nd, 2010 at 10:37 AM
10% would mean about 140 properties. If I had a realtor that was too lazy to update pictures, I’d be pretty upset. In the spring of 08 we listed our first home and our realtor came 2 times to update the pictures of the outside. And this was done without us mentioning anything about that. It’s the little things that count that made it a great experience. We will definitely use him again if we upgrade.
July 2nd, 2010 at 10:59 AM
Doug,
“ten percent chance that your listing is still being promoted with photos showing snow if it was listed between the first of January and the end of April.”
There are about 400 of those right now.
“our realtor came 2 times to update the pictures of the outside. And this was done without us mentioning anything about that.”
Imagine that. I expect it would come as a surprise to nobody that photos containing snow in July is just a bad idea. Probably a sign that everyone has given up, including the seller.
July 2nd, 2010 at 8:42 PM
So pretty tough to sell the whole canceled and quickly relisted scam when your picture has snow on it! Hilarious, if listing says since June ___ and then picture is clearly of a house, with for sale sign, covered in snow. Just another knock against dishonesty.
Norm is this a real house for sale? Think you’ll get in trouble for making fun of someone else’s actual listing?
July 3rd, 2010 at 10:23 AM
realitycheck,
The photo is of a home that we actually marketed and sold back in the winter. It is not one of the forty-ish homes currently for sale, and to be fair, it is far more snowy that most of those.
July 15th, 2010 at 3:41 PM
Excellent report. Even here “where it’s always green”, I often see outdated photos (as in trees without leaves in the Summer) but I have to say that I like to run colourful summer photos until well into the fall. Yes, lazy real estate agents, they are everywhere. Then, why not hire somebody who specializes in professional real estate photography?
July 16th, 2010 at 6:34 AM
Hey Menno,
Thanks for the visit and the comment.
I’ve always felt that there’s much to be said for the work standards of an agent who has taken the time to take nice images. Typically, that attention to detail extends broadly across all of their work, and I think, delivers a return for the seller. I popped by your site too. You have some beautiful images. Well done.
July 17th, 2010 at 10:51 AM
Hi Norm, when I’m hunting for investment properties with a motivated vendor, those with no pictures or pics of the wrong season almost automatically make my list. Lazy vendors often mean lower prices. I’d say on the average property, bad pictures (and all that go along with them) mean a $10-20,000 discount in Edmonton right now.
July 17th, 2010 at 12:08 PM
Wow. That’s great information Chris. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.