Your goal with advertising to buyers is to create a favorable image and differentiation. But be careful because most consumers choose an agent based on a personal referral rather than a bus bench or billboard. Especially if that billboard looks like this:
With specific advertising, you are trying to stimulate activity on a specific property. Therefore, once a property is listed, it’s time to get to work finding a buyer.
The A.I.D.A.Approach toAdvertising
The A.I.D.A. approach to advertising dates back many years, and is a useful guide for anyone who needs to write a sales ad, especially agents with little or no ad-writing experience.
Attention: Write a headline that describes the number one feature of the property to sell them on reading the ad
Headlines
Word combinations
Typefaces and layouts
Color
Interest: Once you get their attention you need to cultivate interest
Connect the opening line to the headline; get to the point of the headline immediately
Use short sentences, and punchy words
Don’t lead with numbers; the decision comes from the heart
Don’t talk about special offers or discounts at this point
Desire: Create excitement by appealing to the senses
List a benefit for every feature
Use clear and concise language
Build mental images
Establish the credibility of your claims
Action: Convince them to make a purchase
Be convincing without being pushy
Call to action — Be clear about the step to take
The TV pros offer a special price and place a time-limit on it to get them to act NOW!
Follow these rules for effective advertising and you will be selling more homes in no time.
About Larson Educational Services:
Utilizing 30 years of real estate training and professional education experience, Florida real estate school Larson Educational Services is the premier provider of Florida real estate licensing, exam preparation, post-licensing, CAM licensing, mortgage loan originator licensing, and continuing education in Southwest Florida. Classes are available in Fort Myers, Naples, Sarasota, and online.
Check out part 1 of our Real Estate Photography Tips here: Part 1
8 Key Strategies for Effective Photography Part 2
5. When possible use a wide angle lens.
This type of lens will allow you to bring more of the room into the picture and produce an interesting shot. For exterior shots a wide lens allows you to get closer to the facade without cutting the ends of the house out of the picture. Never take a shot that does not include the entire facade of the house.
This is a wide angle lens shot that captures the entire room.
6. When possible use a tripod.
Using a tripod forces the photographer to think more about composition and allows the use of slower shutter speeds for shots with existing light. Using a tripod allows the camera to be placed at better angles, such as in a tight corner, or up high shooting down both produce more aesthetic, interesting photos.
Yeah, this guy wishes he were using a tripod.
Zoom in on the details.
Include close up shots of fine woodwork, high end fixtures, or beautiful surfaces such as granite, tile or marble. These shots complete the image of quality you are trying to portray of your listing.
This close-up shows off the stellar granite countertops.
8. Consider photo editing software to touch up your photographs before posting.
There are many free, and affordable software packages that will allow you to adjust exposure, crop your image, or adjust color saturation and hue for a more pleasing picture.
Color saturation is amped up in this photo to make the landscaping pop.
Follow these rules for effective real estate photography and you too can make homes sparkle!
About Larson Educational Services:
Utilizing 30 years of real estate training and professional education experience, Florida real estate school Larson Educational Services is the premier provider of Florida real estate licensing, exam preparation, post-licensing, CAM licensing, mortgage loan originator licensing, and continuing education in Southwest Florida. Classes are available in Fort Myers, Naples, Sarasota, and online.
Those are pretty bad. But you also don’t want to spend an arm and a leg getting them done professionally. We understand. That’s why we have compiled…
8 Key Strategies for Effective Photography (Part 1)
1. Use the “Golden Hours”
Use the hour just after sunrise and the hour just before sunset to capture exterior
images in their best light. The sun at lower angles has a warmer more pleasing
light and casts shadows that add depth and dimension to your photograph.
The early morning shadows make the home look warm and inviting.
2. Pay attention to the orientation of the front facade of the house.
Any house with an easterly facing facade will have the best light and be best
photographed in the morning with the rising sun (like the one above). Houses with a westerly facing facade are best shot in late afternoon. The most challenging shots are due north and south facades. For these shots, wait for a cloudy day or shoot in early evening and take advantage of the home’s exterior lighting to create an interesting mood.
The impending storm in the background turns this home into a beacon of safety.
3. Avoid flash for interior shots when possible.
The camera flash produces an intense white light that causes bright reflection and
harsh shadows. Instead, try setting up your camera on a tripod and using existing lights and a longer shutter speed. Another technique when flash is required is to bounce the flash off the ceiling (provided you are using an adjustable flash head). This diffused, reflected light fills the room in a more pleasing way.
Remove all the kids’ drawings from the fridge. Take all appliances from kitchen
counter tops, and remove most, if not all, of the homeowners “personal” decorations such as trophies, figurines, etc. Consider removing furniture such as occasional chairs or end tables from the shot to simplify the scene. Ash trays,TVremotes, dog toys, and nick-nackshave no place in professional real estate photos.
Yes, even pigs count as clutter–get them out of the photos!
Follow these rules for effective real estate photography and you can make homes sparkle!
Check back soon for part 2!
About Larson Educational Services:
Utilizing 30 years of real estate training and professional education experience, Florida real estate school Larson Educational Services is the premier provider of Florida real estate licensing, exam preparation, post-licensing, CAM licensing, mortgage loan originator licensing, and continuing education in Southwest Florida. Classes are available in Fort Myers, Naples, Sarasota, and online.