Comments on: Marketing Tip: Bypass The Agent and Market Photography to The Seller http://photographyforrealestate.net/2008/01/26/marketing-tip-bypass-the-agent-and-market-photography-to-the-seller/ Tips and Techniques for Real Estate Photography Tue, 16 Mar 2010 14:42:12 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: David Davis http://photographyforrealestate.net/2008/01/26/marketing-tip-bypass-the-agent-and-market-photography-to-the-seller/comment-page-1/#comment-3354 David Davis Sat, 16 Feb 2008 04:57:37 +0000 http://photographyforrealestate.net/2008/01/26/marketing-tip-bypass-the-agent-and-market-photography-to-the-seller/#comment-3354 Here's some helpful clarification from a real estate agent/photographer; me. I recently spoke with my Broker regarding contacting homeowner's who have inadequate or non-existing images on the MLS. He told me that as long as I am not soliciting the listing from a listed property, they are fair game for me as a photographer. As for marketing; I am currently trying the direct marketing approach and sidestepping the agent. I sent out a marketing piece after combing the MLS for the ever-present "bad photos". I target the $1,000,000 market primarily because high-end clients wouldn't turn their noses up at paying me $350 for the shoot, marketing post cards, and a nice dedicated website and VT. I will let you know how this pans out. BTW, I've noticed mostly Canon folks here. Hope y'all don't mind a Nikon D300 coming on board. Here’s some helpful clarification from a real estate agent/photographer; me. I recently spoke with my Broker regarding contacting homeowner’s who have inadequate or non-existing images on the MLS. He told me that as long as I am not soliciting the listing from a listed property, they are fair game for me as a photographer.

As for marketing; I am currently trying the direct marketing approach and sidestepping the agent. I sent out a marketing piece after combing the MLS for the ever-present “bad photos”. I target the $1,000,000 market primarily because high-end clients wouldn’t turn their noses up at paying me $350 for the shoot, marketing post cards, and a nice dedicated website and VT. I will let you know how this pans out. BTW, I’ve noticed mostly Canon folks here. Hope y’all don’t mind a Nikon D300 coming on board.

]]> By: Chad Jones http://photographyforrealestate.net/2008/01/26/marketing-tip-bypass-the-agent-and-market-photography-to-the-seller/comment-page-1/#comment-3020 Chad Jones Wed, 06 Feb 2008 16:29:20 +0000 http://photographyforrealestate.net/2008/01/26/marketing-tip-bypass-the-agent-and-market-photography-to-the-seller/#comment-3020 I forgot to mention. The Realtor can use these cards to hand out at open houses, door knocking and such on top of me leaving them at the home owners home. So this is a way of marketing to both the RE agent and the buyers and sellers that are in the market. Plus, business cards to print are so cheap, so the cost of this marketing will cover itself with just one referral. I forgot to mention. The Realtor can use these cards to hand out at open houses, door knocking and such on top of me leaving them at the home owners home. So this is a way of marketing to both the RE agent and the buyers and sellers that are in the market. Plus, business cards to print are so cheap, so the cost of this marketing will cover itself with just one referral.

]]> By: Chad Jones http://photographyforrealestate.net/2008/01/26/marketing-tip-bypass-the-agent-and-market-photography-to-the-seller/comment-page-1/#comment-3019 Chad Jones Wed, 06 Feb 2008 16:20:05 +0000 http://photographyforrealestate.net/2008/01/26/marketing-tip-bypass-the-agent-and-market-photography-to-the-seller/#comment-3019 One thing i notice about Realtors is they can really are horrible at online marketing and cross-marketing. I see that alot of realtors will pay hundreds of dollars for photos, websites, tours, fliers, newspaper ads and other print ads, but when they print up things for paper marketing they leave out everything or alot of what the have online, making whati believe to be a waste of your advertising dollar. I see that Realtors leave their business cards with the house when the visit. As well as title companies have flier box holders with business card slots that hold the property fliers up. So, what i have come up with is to print up business cards with my business contact information stating that this home has a Virtual tour and Property site and print the URL of the home on the card. Simple, Small and it gets in front of the market i want, other Realtors. The Realtor or Consumer brings up the property site and boom, right at the bottom is my business contact info and a link back to my site. I would not go directly to the sellers in my market i deal in. What do you think of my idea? Chad Jones www.goldcoastrealtours.com One thing i notice about Realtors is they can really are horrible at online marketing and cross-marketing. I see that alot of realtors will pay hundreds of dollars for photos, websites, tours, fliers, newspaper ads and other print ads, but when they print up things for paper marketing they leave out everything or alot of what the have online, making whati believe to be a waste of your advertising dollar. I see that Realtors leave their business cards with the house when the visit. As well as title companies have flier box holders with business card slots that hold the property fliers up. So, what i have come up with is to print up business cards with my business contact information stating that this home has a Virtual tour and Property site and print the URL of the home on the card. Simple, Small and it gets in front of the market i want, other Realtors. The Realtor or Consumer brings up the property site and boom, right at the bottom is my business contact info and a link back to my site.

I would not go directly to the sellers in my market i deal in.

What do you think of my idea?

Chad Jones
http://www.goldcoastrealtours.com

]]> By: Orlando Real Estate http://photographyforrealestate.net/2008/01/26/marketing-tip-bypass-the-agent-and-market-photography-to-the-seller/comment-page-1/#comment-2868 Orlando Real Estate Fri, 01 Feb 2008 03:53:34 +0000 http://photographyforrealestate.net/2008/01/26/marketing-tip-bypass-the-agent-and-market-photography-to-the-seller/#comment-2868 I think it's a great idea to go directly to the client. As an agent I would have no problem with it. Better pictures need to be taken of homes to stand out in todays market. As long as you don't make me look bad in the process of trying to get your clients...have at it. I think it’s a great idea to go directly to the client. As an agent I would have no problem with it. Better pictures need to be taken of homes to stand out in todays market. As long as you don’t make me look bad in the process of trying to get your clients…have at it.

]]> By: Cherie Irwin http://photographyforrealestate.net/2008/01/26/marketing-tip-bypass-the-agent-and-market-photography-to-the-seller/comment-page-1/#comment-2784 Cherie Irwin Tue, 29 Jan 2008 03:36:49 +0000 http://photographyforrealestate.net/2008/01/26/marketing-tip-bypass-the-agent-and-market-photography-to-the-seller/#comment-2784 @Justin, I haven't read the rest of the posts, but I think you have it backwards with regard to who is more price sensitive. Agents, despite the commission, are nickeled and dimed at every turn. Agents that go to the trouble of hiring a professional photographer to come in and photograph their listings spend a lot of money and a lot of time to market their properties. Granted there are bad agents out there that don't spend money in the right places, or feel that their method of marketing works just fine. However, in the FSBO market, you are likely to make more if your offer a package that includes more than photos. If you provide well designed marketing packages to go with the photos, you can make a handsome amount of money. Agents, on the other hand, feel that they are already spending a lot of money to market their listings, plus their time is valuable too. They also give you tons of repeat business, but sellers aren't going to keep calling you week after week with a new listings to photograph. Thus, you can be paid well by marketing to homeowners, but you have to work much harder to find them. Keep in mind however, that if the homeowner hires you to photograph their home, they will want the right to provide the photos to their agent, and potentially more than one agent if they re-list their home after a period of time with another agent. Thus, you can't expect to keep getting paid by each agent utilizing your photos to market the home. So, be prepared for that. @Justin, I haven’t read the rest of the posts, but I think you have it backwards with regard to who is more price sensitive. Agents, despite the commission, are nickeled and dimed at every turn. Agents that go to the trouble of hiring a professional photographer to come in and photograph their listings spend a lot of money and a lot of time to market their properties. Granted there are bad agents out there that don’t spend money in the right places, or feel that their method of marketing works just fine.

However, in the FSBO market, you are likely to make more if your offer a package that includes more than photos. If you provide well designed marketing packages to go with the photos, you can make a handsome amount of money. Agents, on the other hand, feel that they are already spending a lot of money to market their listings, plus their time is valuable too. They also give you tons of repeat business, but sellers aren’t going to keep calling you week after week with a new listings to photograph. Thus, you can be paid well by marketing to homeowners, but you have to work much harder to find them. Keep in mind however, that if the homeowner hires you to photograph their home, they will want the right to provide the photos to their agent, and potentially more than one agent if they re-list their home after a period of time with another agent. Thus, you can’t expect to keep getting paid by each agent utilizing your photos to market the home. So, be prepared for that.

]]> By: James Northen http://photographyforrealestate.net/2008/01/26/marketing-tip-bypass-the-agent-and-market-photography-to-the-seller/comment-page-1/#comment-2779 James Northen Mon, 28 Jan 2008 21:05:43 +0000 http://photographyforrealestate.net/2008/01/26/marketing-tip-bypass-the-agent-and-market-photography-to-the-seller/#comment-2779 I would tread lightly with potentially forcing agents to pay for something they were not willing to pay for in the beginning. I am starting to see an acknowledgment from companies that with the strength the internet has gained as far a starting point - the photography needs to be good or your listing is one click away from passed over. I won't say that agents like the prices and there is not a flood of agents looking for good photographers. In fact it has prompted some of them to purchase SLR's and a Flash - thinking that is all it is going to take. This is a business that builds slowly but does build. You only need to work with a few heavy hitters and BAM - your busy time to raise rate. Illustrating to agents that using pro photography and using good looking promotional materials also works for getting the next listing. I know of an agent that was suddenly not getting listings in the ultra pricey, guard gated, golf & Beach community she had sold homes in for years. Instead the other person was ..... other person was using me and just grabbed like 10 listings in a month. Original person was informed by a friend why she did not get at least one of the listings. Original person now using me regularly but might have retained more business had she stopped using the her own - photographic style. Unrecoverable Poo. I got somewhat of the track there..... long and the short of it is you will find yourself working with agents eventually - even if the homeowner hires you and having tee'd off agents won't be good. In this town I could be black balled over a cocktails and dinner. M. James I would tread lightly with potentially forcing agents to pay for something they were not willing to pay for in the beginning. I am starting to see an acknowledgment from companies that with the strength the internet has gained as far a starting point – the photography needs to be good or your listing is one click away from passed over. I won’t say that agents like the prices and there is not a flood of agents looking for good photographers. In fact it has prompted some of them to purchase SLR’s and a Flash – thinking that is all it is going to take. This is a business that builds slowly but does build. You only need to work with a few heavy hitters and BAM – your busy time to raise rate.

Illustrating to agents that using pro photography and using good looking promotional materials also works for getting the next listing. I know of an agent that was suddenly not getting listings in the ultra pricey, guard gated, golf & Beach community she had sold homes in for years. Instead the other person was ….. other person was using me and just grabbed like 10 listings in a month. Original person was informed by a friend why she did not get at least one of the listings. Original person now using me regularly but might have retained more business had she stopped using the her own – photographic style. Unrecoverable Poo.

I got somewhat of the track there….. long and the short of it is you will find yourself working with agents eventually – even if the homeowner hires you and having tee’d off agents won’t be good. In this town I could be black balled over a cocktails and dinner.

M. James

]]> By: Mike Martin http://photographyforrealestate.net/2008/01/26/marketing-tip-bypass-the-agent-and-market-photography-to-the-seller/comment-page-1/#comment-2767 Mike Martin Mon, 28 Jan 2008 06:29:51 +0000 http://photographyforrealestate.net/2008/01/26/marketing-tip-bypass-the-agent-and-market-photography-to-the-seller/#comment-2767 Larry, The topic of copyright involving MLS probably needs a separate discussion with some legal types help. I'd like to know our rights or the lack there of. Maybe we should be putting our copyright notice in the bottom corner of each photo? Larry,
The topic of copyright involving MLS probably needs a separate discussion with some legal types help. I’d like to know our rights or the lack there of. Maybe we should be putting our copyright notice in the bottom corner of each photo?

]]> By: Michael http://photographyforrealestate.net/2008/01/26/marketing-tip-bypass-the-agent-and-market-photography-to-the-seller/comment-page-1/#comment-2764 Michael Mon, 28 Jan 2008 05:07:17 +0000 http://photographyforrealestate.net/2008/01/26/marketing-tip-bypass-the-agent-and-market-photography-to-the-seller/#comment-2764 MLS can give any notice they want. Copyright is at the Photographer. MLS can give any notice they want. Copyright is at the Photographer.

]]> By: John Sembrot http://photographyforrealestate.net/2008/01/26/marketing-tip-bypass-the-agent-and-market-photography-to-the-seller/comment-page-1/#comment-2756 John Sembrot Sun, 27 Jan 2008 23:17:27 +0000 http://photographyforrealestate.net/2008/01/26/marketing-tip-bypass-the-agent-and-market-photography-to-the-seller/#comment-2756 I am surprised that this has not been discussed on these pages before. I would think that creating some kind of buz with homeowners would definitely increase the number of tours for all providers. I am not sure that an advertisement for Joe's Tours will directly feed all business to Joe. The homeowner may say " Hey I want one of those" and voila the agent gives him his own slideshow (sarcasm here, I am from the Northeast, perhaps a touch of cynicism as well for being a Newenglander), or they look in the phonebook for a virtual tour company but Joe does not have a listing. Then there is the cost, a small photo advt in our Sunday paper is almost $300 for a 3 in by 2 in advertisement. To get real saturation and make a push I think the cost would be too high. Would a National VT Association be able to maintain standards, certify and advertise enough to make advertising directly to the homeowner doable? Perhaps but it is a far way from an advertisement every other week. Back to the licensing, most MLS's require that the agent give up all licensing on the photos they submit. Once it is on the MLS they are up for anyone to copy. Any photographer that is an agent should be well advised to have someone else make the phone calls to the homeowners of active listings. A Realtor is only able to communicate with principal of an active listing upon solicitation by that individual. I am surprised that this has not been discussed on these pages before. I would think that creating some kind of buz with homeowners would definitely increase the number of tours for all providers. I am not sure that an advertisement for Joe’s Tours will directly feed all business to Joe. The homeowner may say ” Hey I want one of those” and voila the agent gives him his own slideshow (sarcasm here, I am from the Northeast, perhaps a touch of cynicism as well for being a Newenglander), or they look in the phonebook for a virtual tour company but Joe does not have a listing. Then there is the cost, a small photo advt in our Sunday paper is almost $300 for a 3 in by 2 in advertisement. To get real saturation and make a push I think the cost would be too high. Would a National VT Association be able to maintain standards, certify and advertise enough to make advertising directly to the homeowner doable? Perhaps but it is a far way from an advertisement every other week.

Back to the licensing, most MLS’s require that the agent give up all licensing on the photos they submit. Once it is on the MLS they are up for anyone to copy. Any photographer that is an agent should be well advised to have someone else make the phone calls to the homeowners of active listings. A Realtor is only able to communicate with principal of an active listing upon solicitation by that individual.

]]> By: Jon http://photographyforrealestate.net/2008/01/26/marketing-tip-bypass-the-agent-and-market-photography-to-the-seller/comment-page-1/#comment-2754 Jon Sun, 27 Jan 2008 22:52:44 +0000 http://photographyforrealestate.net/2008/01/26/marketing-tip-bypass-the-agent-and-market-photography-to-the-seller/#comment-2754 This approach may work well in my area where agents regularly recoup the cost of pro photography from the owner. So there is little chance of the agent being stung in the hip pocket, although the agent's creative pride might take a minor hit. Dealing with the owner directly also would also allow creative licensing as Roberto has suggested (fantastic idea Roberto). Here the owner EXPECTS a copy of the photos supplied to the agent and EXPECTS to use them in any way they like - after all, (in their mind) they (the owner) has paid for them right? I've just begun to specify licensing terms but I feel I have to license to agent AND owner, for the purpose of marketing the property, in order to fit in with local custom. If I treated the owner as an 'additional use' and tried to charge them extra, or tell the agent he cannot give the owner a copy, then I'd be out of business. Dealing directly with owners would enable me to educate on the whole concept of licensing, and I think, define more watertight usage terms compared the 'potentially leaky' route the photos currently take...from agent to owner. I'll bet the agent doesn't bother to outline usage terms to the owner on my behalf! It might flow better the other way. I shot a home recently and the resident (owner's mom) told me that photos would be very useful to help her son (the builder) market his business. I tactfully (and nervously - I'm new at this) explained that the reason this shoot was costing so little was that the photos were for one purpose - selling the house - and that her notion would involve additional cost. She was fine with that (whew)...although I'm going to keep an eye on Junior's web site! And the potential for ongoing work with Junior hasn't escaped me :-) This approach may work well in my area where agents regularly recoup the cost of pro photography from the owner. So there is little chance of the agent being stung in the hip pocket, although the agent’s creative pride might take a minor hit. Dealing with the owner directly also would also allow creative licensing as Roberto has suggested (fantastic idea Roberto). Here the owner EXPECTS a copy of the photos supplied to the agent and EXPECTS to use them in any way they like – after all, (in their mind) they (the owner) has paid for them right? I’ve just begun to specify licensing terms but I feel I have to license to agent AND owner, for the purpose of marketing the property, in order to fit in with local custom. If I treated the owner as an ‘additional use’ and tried to charge them extra, or tell the agent he cannot give the owner a copy, then I’d be out of business. Dealing directly with owners would enable me to educate on the whole concept of licensing, and I think, define more watertight usage terms compared the ‘potentially leaky’ route the photos currently take…from agent to owner. I’ll bet the agent doesn’t bother to outline usage terms to the owner on my behalf! It might flow better the other way.
I shot a home recently and the resident (owner’s mom) told me that photos would be very useful to help her son (the builder) market his business. I tactfully (and nervously – I’m new at this) explained that the reason this shoot was costing so little was that the photos were for one purpose – selling the house – and that her notion would involve additional cost. She was fine with that (whew)…although I’m going to keep an eye on Junior’s web site! And the potential for ongoing work with Junior hasn’t escaped me :-)

]]>