Progress of the property photo

Most of us process buying or renting a property as a visual experience and today’s home movers rely heavily on photographs in their decision-making process. It’s therefore hard to image property details limited to just one image.

In the 1920s and 1930s, it was quite common for property adverts to feature a black and white artist’s illustration of a property, especially if a housebuilder was promoting its new homes. It was only from the 1940s onwards that an exterior photograph became the ‘norm’ in marketing but anything in colour was yet to materialise.

The 1990s saw photographs really gain momentum. Prior to that, an estate agent had to send a professionally-taken photo to a printer or a newspaper, which was expensive and time consuming. Alternatively, they had to take their own photos, have them developed from a film and stick the printed image to a piece of paper ready for distribution by Royal Mail.

The digital revolution was seismic for estate agents. Not only did the internet allow photos to be emailed to potential buyers and tenants, more eye-catching details were made possible due to the prevalence of desktop publishing. The digital camera also allowed agents to go out and take their own images for instant use.

Soon, a simple exterior photograph wasn’t enough. The restriction of a small newspaper advert or A4 sheet of paper was lifted, as portals allowed agents to upload as many digital images as they liked. Websites and online magazines also permitted a wider range of images to be used and before long, social media came calling and photo, then video, content became king.

Today, property marketing has progressed far beyond those crude black and white photos. The art of capturing a property has become so sophisticated that it is taking up increasing amounts of an agent’s time. The demands prompted Viewber to create a choice of photography services for estate and letting agents, property auctioneers and social housing landlords.

We have developed our network of Viewbers so they are trained and capable of delivering a number of photography and additional visual marketing services. As with Viewber visits and viewings, our photography is available seven days a week. We can also collect keys and return them after, allowing property professionals to receive a complete suite of visual marketing assets without leaving their desk.

Don’t forget, as well as a set of attractive images for marketing purposes, our photographs and videos can also form part of property reports and condition inspections.

Viewber’s core photography services include:

• Basic ‘point and shoot’: this is a good option if you need a ‘holding’ set of photographs, want to populate an online listing quickly or if you want to get an idea of a home’s condition but the property is out of your geographical catchment. A Viewber will spend around 30 minutes in the property, resulting in 12 photographs.
• Basic photography + enhancements: exactly as above but with a set of industry-standard edits, such as blue skies.
• Professional-level photography: using a high-end camera, a Viewber will spend two to three hours in a property capturing the very best elements and angles. The result will be a set of 12 or 24 premium photographs, as required.

As well as still images, Viewbers can also produce:

• Video walkthroughs: a Viewber will film what they see as they walk from room-to-room in any given property, documenting both inside and out.
• 360° virtual tour: using a special camera, a Viewber will capture an entire property. The result is the next best thing to visiting the property in person, with the 360° virtual tour immersive and engaging, especially when used as part of an online listing
• Floorplans: the visiting Viewber will measure each room for precise and professional floorplans

When ‘creative’ becomes fraudulent

Many of us are familiar with Photoshop and other editing software, and sometimes there is a temptation to make rooms look bigger and better than they are with a little digital tinker.

There is, however, a fine and legal line between fair edits, such as brightening up grey skies and removing puddles, and misrepresentation. The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (known as the CPRs) governs descriptions used by agents and auctioneers, and it is a criminal offence to breach them. The regulations prohibit ‘misleading actions’ and this encompasses photographs that have been deliberately altered to deceive.

If a buyer or tenant relied on unfairly edited photographs when deciding whether or not to purchase a property or enter into a rental agreement, and it turns out they were misled, they may have grounds to claim compensation. This is due to ‘fraudulent misrepresentation’ under the Misrepresentation Act 1967.

5 pre-photography essentials

A little advance planning will ensure any investment in photography has the desired results.

1. Issue the occupant with a pre-photo checklist that covers decluttering, cleaning, basic maintenance and DIY, kerb appeal and garden tidying.
2. Ensure the property is well lit by turning on the lights, opening all blinds and curtains, and even opening windows and doors to let natural light flood in.
3. Use a compass when planning appointments as a property’s aspect will affect the quality of the photos. For east-facing properties, morning is best, while west-facing properties should be shot in the afternoon. Book photos for between 10:00 and 14:00 if the property faces north, while south-facing properties look best when photographed either first thing in the morning or last thing in the day.
4. As the exterior is usually the ‘hero’ photo, ensure it’s looking smart. Ask for vehicles to be parked elsewhere, skips and rubbish to be removed, and bins and recycling boxes hidden out of shot.
5. Ensure everyone knows that pets and people – especially children – are generally not required to appear in the photos

Delegate digital assets to us

If you would like a Viewber to take property photographs, create floorplans and film videos on your behalf, please contact us today.