Sally Ann Smith tells us why little things can make such a huge difference.
“Day in and day out I carry out checks on the internet and compare properties prior to carrying out any rental valuations. One thing that has really shocked me recently is how poor some of the images that are being used by other Agents. “
“This is not just specific to cheaper or student properties, but can include some very high end properties listed at over £1500pcm. Landlords will be paying similar fees to those at Philip James, if not more in many cases. This part of the process is so vitally important, but so often overlooked or ignored by many other letting agents. Simply put, the better the images, the quicker the phone rings with potential tenants wishing to view your property. People make a quick decision based on how the property is visually presented. That’s why we let properties so quickly and maximise rents for our landlords.”
“We invested in a Digital wide angle SLR camera sometime ago and have been trained to take the standard of photo’s you would normally associate with the sale of a property.”
“Historically less emphasis was put on taking great photos to be used on lettings listings. Photos were often taken quickly, using sub-standard equipment. Now, when we compare the level of quality of the photos we use now to those we used to use (and which many other lettings agents still continue using), the impact has been huge. Bottom line, it means less void periods and raising rents.”
Here are just a few problems I see time and time again on the internet:
- Poorly lit rooms and blinds or curtains closed
- Cluttered and untidy rooms
- Part room shots not giving a full view, this is what happens when you use a cheaper digital camera.
- Pixelated and blurred images
- No Images at all. Worse still an image of the Agents premises, promoting them and not your property!
How It Shouldn’t Be Done….
A Typical “BEFORE” Shot Most Letting Agents Use
So What Do Philip James Do Differently?
- Take ONLY quality, high resolution professional images. We aim to get fantastic photos that show the whole room rather than a tiny portion of the space.
- Advise Landlords to prepare for our visit. They need to clear the rooms and clean down before we arrive, replace bulbs if necessary to get the room bright and light.
- Take several photos when we get an instruction BUT only use the best to market the property.
- Take new images for our “Let Only” clients if necessary to refresh the marketing.
- If any improvements have been made to the property we’ll call again to update the images.
- We will even come back to retake external shots of a property if the weather is bad. (This happens more often than not with the UK weather!)
- We regularly review our marketing to ensure your investment is presented in the best way possible.
The Same Kitchen as The First Image BUT with a professionally taken photo
Benefits of improving the marketing of your property using Philip James…
- This should generate more interest from prospective tenants.
- You are probably already paying similar or higher fees with another Agent, why settle for second best?
- Your property will stand out on property portals such as Rightmove, Zoopla and Findaproperty, against other properties which are in your area.
- All of this in turn should mean more viewings.
- More viewings potentially equal more offers.
- More offers potentially means quicker lets and achieving the agreed marketing figure.
Here’s A Real Life Case Study of a Recent Instruction to prove the point…
“We were approached by a prospective landlord last month who had become disgruntled with their existing Letting Agent. The property had been empty for a number of weeks and had generated very little interest when marketed by them; this was rare during the busiest time of year as it was a popular development in a popular location.”
“The landlord asked us to try and market the property. I suggested the current marketing figure seemed low. After carrying out my research we listed the property at £120 per month more than the existing agent. Within four days we had let the property and at the higher rental figure.”
How Did We Do It?
“We took professional photos, booked viewings and let the property quickly. The client was delighted, not only how quick we turned things around and found them a new tenant but also in the significant rent increase that they achieved.”
“Was it down to great photos??…..maybe, maybe not…..but it certainly generated significant interest in the property as soon as we put it online.”
Today’s Reality…Make Sure You Are Doing Things the Right Way Too
“The reality of how people tend to search online these days is heavily reliant on images. They will look initially online and short list a few potential properties to view. I believe professional quality images in conjunction with proactive marketing will find tenants more easily. It’s not rocket-science, but it still amazes me how many other Agents simply skip these critical steps.”
To make sure you’re getting the best out of your portfolio, or if all of your properties are not already looked after by Philip James, then feel free to get in touch for a FREE Rental Valuation.
