As a real estate virtual assistant, I work with many hundreds of listing photos. Some agents hire professional photographers to shoot their listings and others take the pictures themselves. My job is to select the best and try to tell a story about the listing. Regrettably, when I am working with most amateur photographs, it can be an arduous task to portray the home in the best possible design. I have spent much time cropping and/or passing over what could have been a good listing photograph but ultimately deemed unusable. I just cannot always show the public the home at its very best.
I've come to a conclusion that very few agents can really take successful listing photographs. Some worse than others. Paulia Kennedy of the 'The Kennedy Team' is one such agent whose photographs shine above the rest and I don't say that because we work together. She simply has the 'knack'.
I've compiled a short list of Do's and Don'ts based upon my experience with agents who choose to take their own photographs. Simple, clean staging is really key.
- Use a good camera with a flash. Very simply, a camera phone won't work and most indoor photographs are grainy and unusable. If you can splurge on a wide lens, by all means do so. Good, wide exterior photos are hard to come by so a wide lens can be a blessing. Otherwise, I've worked with exterior photos taken from across the street, which allows the photographer to capture the width of the home but sacrifices nice exterior details. If you don't have a wide angle lens, photograph up-close in two sections and use a photo stitching program to bring the two parts together.
- When photographing the kitchen; one of the most important rooms in any listing, remove the garbage can. I cannot tell you how many times I have to 'crop out' the unsightly garbage can and this, in kitchens which feature stainless steel appliances and granite counter tops. The garbage is quite a distraction from even the most beautiful of kitchens.
- Let the countertops shine, which means, remove the clutter. The 'one appliance rule' seems to work best, so before taking the photograph, consider taking the time to unplug the blender, coffeemaker, microwave oven and move these items temporarily to another room. A clean countertop makes for a great photo even if the countertops are not the highlight of the kitchen.
- I often view virtual tours from other agents to see what the competition is doing. I cannot tell you how many times I see the agents' binders, cell phone, flyers, business cards and car keys in the photographs, particularly on the dining room table and kitchen countertops. The same rule applies…take away the clutter, don't add to it and put these accessories in another room for the photo shoot.
- I realize some rooms will never shine in any photograph; the paint might be too bold, the wall paper might be dated, the room may be small, but removing the laundry and making the bed really helps to improve the look of any bedroom.
- Try not to include the family pet in the shoot. I've worked with photographs where the family pet is using the cat litter box, walking on the kitchen countertops or sleeping on the living room couch. Again, this is another distraction and some buyers might be turned off just knowing that a 75 lb Labrador shares every inch of a home they might consider purchasing. If the house is being marketed as a pet-friendly home with its own doggie door, tiled floors and fenced in yard, then adding these items to the listing description is smart marketing but do leave the family pet photos out. You want to highlight the home itself and its best features. Some buyers don't appreciate pets. Good photographs should appeal to the masses.
- Bathrooms often don't photograph well because it is very difficult to get inside and position the camera at such an angle to capture the entire room. But if you are able to get a good shot of the bathroom, close the toilet seat and pull the shower curtain. The room will look much neater and a closed curtain acts as a nice background for small and under-decorated rooms. I've often suggested to my agents to carry a pleasant-looking, light shower curtain in their car if the bathroom doesn't have a nice one. It only takes a few minutes to attach but can really make a difference in an unappealing bathroom. One clean, unused bar of soap, one hand towel and a freshly folded bath towel are all that is needed to tidy up a small bathroom. I call that my 'agent bathroom staging kit'.
- Finally, take many, many pictures….as many as you can; at least 50 per listing. Turn the lights off, turn them on, move the door, photograph from all angles and not just from the main doorways. A nice trick Paulia uses is to stand in front of something decorative such as a fountain and have this item in the foreground while the home is in the background. I've seen her use this technique when a tree or bush is in full bloom so the flowering portion borders the photograph and the home is photographed featured in the background all in one frame. Even the least desirable looking homes can really shine if photographed this way.
Agents who pull up their sleeves and don't mind moving household items around are the ones who get the best photographs. The difference between good and bad photographs can make or break a deal. The attention to detail (or lack of) can be a good or a bad sign to a potential buyer whether to sign with a particular agent or not.
Janine Gregor
Real Estate Virtual Assistant to Paulia Kennedy
Happy 4th of July 2008! It's been some time since I've been on the blog as Jeff and I have been incredibly busy despite a slowing economy this past year. We've sold a little over $14.7 million thus far this year, which is almost double our sales volume for the year of 2007. We’re also thrilled to mention that we’re currently the leading agents in Hot Springs and Garland County, Arkansas.
In order to manage this huge increase in business, we added a few others to our team this year. . . Debi Jones - another great Sales Agent; John Watson – our very reliable runner/handyman/custom-sign maker; and then my wonderful real estate virtual assistant – Janine Gregor. Janine has really been a god-send, and has provided so MUCH to our services with her creative talents. She also plans to assist us in maintaining this blog so you will note that some of the entries will be from her own real estate virtual assistant perspective.
Hello! I'm so pleased to be on board with The Kennedy Team. An east coast gal myself, I've so enjoyed learning about the state of Arkansas and in particular, the unique real estate market of historic Hot Springs. I'll share what I've learned with Paulia's readers on her blog while I attempt to keep pace with Trademark Real Estate's Number One agents!
How fast have you signed a listing?
Last week, Paulia emailed me that the Kennedy Team had picked up a new listing on a stretch of Hot Springs' Highway 290. As I was jotting down the particulars to prepare to market the listing through http://www.Bestofhotsprings.com virtual tours, craigslist, mls and the likes, another email came through that the property had already been SOLD.
Now I have worked with a number of real estate clients from all over the country since I began my virtual assistance business over 2 years ago, whose properties have sold in days…usually weeks and recently months, but never in less than 24 hours or in this case, never in less than 2 hours!
I joked with Paulia that the "…ink hadn't even dried on the contract…" and then decided this might make for some interesting blog content. Wow! This Kennedy Team is good!
I asked Paulia to give me a play-by-play…
She wrote, "…as we began to get prepared to officially list the property…we first started with placing a "For Sale" on the fence, and had not even had time to take pictures of the property, nor begin marketing the property in the mls, online, etc. Within about 1 1/2 hours of placing the sign on the property, the buyer called and WANTED that property. He was very familiar with the property, and lived nearby, so he knew that it was the perfect property for him. Jeff then met him at the property for a quick look, and then to our office to write the contract. In less than 2 hours, we had an offer and an acceptance on the property."
Amazing!
Having worked with hundreds of listings throughout the years, I often check with my client-agents and brokers regarding the status of their listings as I am always interested in the outcome. (A bit of a listing-junkie, I find great satisfaction from assisting in marketing a listing and to see it through to the closing day.) If the property hasn't closed, I expect one of two answers: the deal is both moving along well and I'll have an anticipated closing date, OR, I will be the recipient of a lengthy 'venting' email from the agent explaining the usual snags which can hold up, or worse, yet, cancel the sale of a listing. (I've often thought the VA really stood for Venting Assistant instead of Virtual Assistant!)
But when a listing goes 'just right' in Olympic-style speed, it's all worth writing about. It's pure joy to share! This particular Kennedy transaction was truly a case of everything going just the right way at the right time. The Kennedys' had the right product; the buyer had all of the product knowledge needed to make a decision on the spot; and the seller knew exactly what price he wanted to complete the sale. It was a mutual meeting of the minds; the Yin and the Yang, the Ebb and Flow of the tide, Karma; you name it and everything went as planned and as it was designed to do.
Of course it helps that the sale was direct-to-the-seller's-agent, (which created a “dual agent” performance on Jeff’s part), and no attorneys were needed….factors which can alter the course of a good real estate transaction, and often rightfully so. Yes, this was a good, old fashioned, simple, sign-on-the-dotted-line sale.
Not only was I intrigued with the speed in signing this sale, but the listing-type was unique as well. This sale was for a property that had no other purpose than to house other homeowner's luxury vehicles and 'toys' as opposed to being a residential property or even a second-home listing.
Paulia explained, "Since the time of the sign going up, we've received about 3 calls per day on this property … purely from the sign (as we didn’t even have a chance to begin any marketing on this property). This property is one of those one-of-a-kind properties that is in great demand.... a nice, clean 5,000 square foot metal storage building/warehouse priced around $300,000 … complete with a 1,500 square foot heated/cooled apartment area which includes an office area, 3/4 bathroom, living room, and bedroom/ and about 3,500 square feet of heated storage space with electric roll-up doors on about 1.5 acres of cleared flat ground -- very secure with a full chain link fence with razor wire coiled along the top for extra security. It's in a well-lit area with a street light on the edge of the property, and conveniently located on Hwy 290 with easy access. With many homeowners in this resort area being second-home owners and it seems that many of these residents have lots of large toys such as boats, boat trailers, Sea-doos, four-wheelers, extra automobiles, etc.. However, their luxury waterfront homes do not have much extra space for storage of all of these toys. Needless to say, I wish we could find about ten more of these properties to sell.... there's lots of buyers out there that are looking for this kind of property."
So I ask, "How fast have you closed?" Share your story with us!
Happy 4th of July!
Regards,
Janine Gregor for Paulia Kennedy
Exceptionally Gracious!
• 4,800 sq. ft., 4 bath, 4 bdrm 2 story - 
MLS® $1,699,000 - Million Dollar View!
Dogwood Haven, Hot Springs - This handsome waterfront estate takes on some of the characteristics of Frank Lloyd Wright's "Prairie" Style architecture. Frank Lloyd Wright is credited with creating a uniquely American style of house. This organic style of architecture is defined by clean lines, natural materials & a high degree of craftsmanship. Note the low-slung horizontal perspective that is broadcast from the view in the front. Its smooth-finish exterior consists of a combination of brick, natural stone and stucco, which works subconsciously to suggest the concept of balance & clean lines.
Here is a summary of some of the home's striking features. The back yard setting looks like something you'd see featured in a magazine spread of a movie star's home--it is a tapestry of elements that will make you think you are on vacation at a resort. There are covered and exposed outdoor living areas, with multi-level balconies extending the full length of the home--all of it built around the central focus of the breath-taking views of Lake Hamilton, the mountain range, and the city lights of downtown Hot Springs.
Stone paths, smooth rocks and beautiful landscaping make for a nice stroll down to the shoreline, with several places to stop and relax with natural stone benches along the pathway. Near the shoreline, you'll find a cedar arbor & swing with beautiful flowering vines entwined along its wooden slats. As you walk a little further, you'll find another nice sitting area on the other side of its boat house, with beautiful flagstone rock as its foundation & a great place for your iron patio furniture & hammock for a leisure day of relaxation.
If you love boating, you'll love its great two-stall boat house, and new custom-built single-stall covered boat dock, complete with a boat lift & two seadoo pads. You'll have plenty of space to store your over-sized Cruiser and party barge, & still have room for your guests to park their boat, when they arrive by water.
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Prime Location!
• lot / land "Lake Access" - MLS® $44,000 - Lake Access
Driftwood Point, Hot Springs - Prime Location: Realistic Price! This great wooded corner lot is located in the exclusive Driftwood Point community with Lake Hamilton across the street. Great neighborhood with lake access.
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![HotSprings64499A[1]](http://media.point2.com/p2a/listing/a975/80cc/2e31/6b8551e9c641ed82d6d9/w475h356.jpg)
Exclusive Neighborhood
• lot / land "Lake Access" - MLS® $49,000 - Lake View & Lake Access
Driftwood Point, Hot Springs - DRIFTWOOD POINT LOT ON HILLSIDE with view of Lake Hamilton. Beautiful lot in exclusive area with lake access and boat ramp. Area of million dollar homes!
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Sound Choice
• lot / land "Waterfront Property" - $349,000 - Be Choosy!
Bayview Estates, Hot Springs
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Elaborate Estate for Entertaining
• 5,000 sq. ft., 3 bath, 4 bdrm 2 story "Mediterranean" - $1,899,000 - Not Just for Show
Driftwood Estates, Hot Springs - Inspired by seaside Renaissance-era villas, Mediterranean home plans take their primary design cues from romantic Italian and Spanish architecture. A perennial favorite in Florida and California, Mediterranean homes with a Tuscan sensibility have comfortably settled into open rolling landscapes found here in Arkansas.
This stunning Mediterranean estate is situated on the beautiful Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs. Its lovely balconies with concrete railings give this home an exotic feel, while large windows allow the brilliance of nature to shine in. Its open floor plan is the perfect setting for party guests to circulate freely between gracious rooms that open onto its beautiful veranda with lush gardens and fountains, with stunning views of Lake Hamilton.
You will also give high marks to the floorplan and the placement of rooms. The large master bedroom is on the main floor of the house, and the three secondary bedrooms are all on the second floor, along with another family room and partial kitchen to offer separate living for guests with plenty of privacy.
Its stuccoed facing is accented with beautiful imported clay tile roofing and highlighted with several bell towers or "campanarios". It then features several charming arches, arched windows, and ornate door surrounds. This home has a warm sense of hospitality that never goes out of style.
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Sound Choice
• 1,065 sq. ft., 2 bath, 2 bdrm single story "Lower Level" - $209,900 - Panoramic Lake Views
Chesswood, Hot Springs - Only a Few Feet from Lake Hamilton. This charming waterfront condo is situated perfectly to enjoy unbelievable, panoramic views of Lake Hamilton. Walk right out onto your patio and grassy area nearby, or enjoy the evening in a nice swing that's only a few steps away. This lovely condo has been completely remodeled with new paint, new tile, new stainless steel appliances, new light fixtures, and new carpet in the bedrooms.
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Enjoy the Benefits of Condo Living!
• 1,007 sq. ft., 2 bath, 2 bdrm single story "Lower Level Unit" - MLS® #79414 $91,500 - Easy to Own
Willowbrook Terrace, Hot Springs - Like a private park? Rolling green lawns, shade trees, & walking trails are part of the beautiful setting at Willowbrook Terrace condominiums. Tucked away at the end of the street, this serene & peaceful community offers much relaxation with a natural woody area bordering the backyard. This fashionable condo has its own private patio, where you can relax and watch the wildlife nearby. You'll also enjoy the community pool, where you can keep slim & trim. It's the perfect package for just about anyone, and even has a single-car, covered parking spot.
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Scenic Setting!
• 1,160 sq. ft., 2 bath, 2 bdrm single story "On the 3rd & Top Floor" - MLS® #79124 $239,900 - Cool Lake Breezes
Harbor South, Hot Springs - It doesn't get any better! Its charming family room with a wood-burning fireplace and sliding glass doors opens to a great balcony, with stunning panoramic views of the main channel of Lake Hamilton. Its combination dining & family room also has a wonderful wet-bar with a granite tile countertop, and an open window or "hand-thru" to the kitchen. Its efficiently designed kitchen with ample storage and counter space has recently been updated with the same beautiful granite tile countertops, a new stove & dishwasher. Its tranquil master bedroom offers a personal retreat with stunning views of the lake, while resting in bed. This is the perfect little get-away on Lake Hamilton.
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Private, Peaceful, and Perfect!
• 1,320 sq. ft., 2 bath, 2 bdrm single story "Top Level - 2nd Floor" - $179,900 - A Lot for a Little
South Shore, Hot Springs - Great condo tucked away for privacy with a beautiful view of the mountains. . . and a beautiful view of the swimming pool & tennis courts below. Very spacious floor plan is perfect for the average size family. Complete with a cozy fireplace in the family room, which opens to an oversized covered balcony with plenty of shade -- great place to enjoy your morning coffee. Private, cozy & comfortable is definately the feel!
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Biker Events Are Headed To Hot Springs
It is always scores of fun for spectators and Riders Alike !
May 26th- Make Plans To Attend.
Survivors Clean & Sober Group's 10th Annual "Freedom
Run" which Benefits The Cindy Huff Cancer Fund.Starts at 5590 Central Avenue. Registration is 9:30 a.m. is only $10.00. The Donation Also Includes A Meal.
For More Information Call (501) 627-8656 Ask For "Goose".
Good Meal Included !
May 25th-28th 10th Annual Backwoods Boogie Comes To Town !Live Entertainment Including Classic Roc,Blues and Tribute To Janis Joplin.Also Enjoy Parade,Games,Vendors,Merchandise and more !
Directions: I-30 To Malvern, Take Exit 171 for 1/2 Mile To The "Boogie Site" Can't Miss It ! For More Information
Call : Jimmy @ (501) 844-5150 Or Sonny @ (501) 337-4733
• 1,325 sq. ft., 2 bath, 2 bdrm single story - $244,900
South Shore, Hot Springs
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• 1,482 sq. ft., 2 bath, 2 bdrm single story "Lower level unit" - $299,900
Stoneridge, Hot Springs
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Private, Peaceful, and Perfect!
• 1,320 sq. ft., 2 bath, 2 bdrm single story - $184,900 - A Lot for a Little
South Shore, Hot Springs - Great condo tucked away for privacy with a beautiful view of the mountains. . . and a beautiful view of the swimming pool & tennis courts below. Very spacious floor plan is perfect for the average size family. Complete with a cozy fireplace in the family room, which opens to an oversized covered balcony with plenty of shade -- great place to enjoy your morning coffee. Private, cozy & comfortable is definately the feel!
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