Make the Most of Your Outdoor Photos

In our last post we covered how the MLS limits the listing description to 512 characters of text. The MLS has a similar limitation in place for photos: all listings are limited to a max of 25 pictures.

For many properties, 25 photos is more than sufficient to show the entire home. But for some properties, 25 is not enough. For example, consider the home that sits on a wonderfully-landscaped lot with a variety of perennials in bloom throughout the seasons. One great way to market this home is to show buyers the beauty of the yard in the Spring, Summer and Fall. A proactive listing agent will hire a photographer to produce dozens of high-quality exterior photos, so when the home is ready to list all of the exterior photos are ready for publication.

Another example is the home that sits next to a park or protected conservancy space. Once again, a listing agent can capture the beauty of the setting by hiring a photographer to produce dozens of outdoor photos.

Enhancing your Listing with Extra Photos

Let's suppose you have a property that sits next to a protected conservancy space and you want to convey the beauty of the setting in your marketing. Your listing agent has already obtained dozens of high-quality outdoor photos. Now, how do you make the photos available to the real estate consumer? Your agent could create a simple photo blog or custom website. Your agent could also load the photos onto a digital photo frame and display the frame at your property for all showings and open houses.

The Nixplay 15 Inch Digital Photo Frame

Our real estate team is currently using a Nixplay 15 inch digital photo frame at our new listing in Ice Age Falls. This high-resolution display is motion-activated, so it automatically goes into slide show mode whenever someone approaches the frame. For a price of $140, it's an excellent investment. The frame allows us to display many images of the yard and natural prairie space that surround the home. 

Below are some photos that show a few of the images loaded onto the display. These IPhone photos don't do the display justice. In person each high resolution picture is big, beautiful and crisp. 

Here's a photo that shows the view from the back yard deck. 

This image shows a close-up of the adjacent prairie space. 

This picture shows the walking path situated next to the home. 

More Creative Outdoor Photo Ideas

You and your real estate agent can also work proactively to include images from the surrounding community. For example, the Downtown Madison, Downtown Middleton, Monroe Street, and Hilldale Mall areas all offer a ton of great subject matter. If you live near one of these neighborhoods, your agent can hire a photographer to take pictures of the many restaurants and local establishments within walking distance of your home. Then all of these images can be loaded onto your photo frame to create a slide show about your location.

Preparation is Key

If you're thinking of selling your home later this year or even in 2016, now is the time to start preparing for a top-notch listing. Take advantage of the summer weather by capturing your exterior photos now. Your planning and preparation will pay off when your home is listed for sale. If you have questions, feel free to contact me for a complimentary consultation. Share your goals with me, and I'll offer you solutions to help you achieve them.