A picture may be worth a mere 1,000 words in other circles, but in real estate, it enters the realm of deal or no deal.
With an estimated 80% of home buyers starting their search on the Internet, photos are to home sales today what curb appeal used to be: the place where first impressions are made.
According to a National Assn. of Realtors survey of the Web features that buyers found "very useful," 83% mentioned photos, 81% liked detailed property information and 60% named virtual tours.
Every day, decisions about which homes to see -- and which to skip -- are made based on what a buyer sees online.
"If you can't get them in the door," said Coldwell Banker agent Kenny Bellini of Santa Monica, "you can't sell the house."
Bellini and his wife, Izumi Tanaka, generally shoot their listing photos themselves, as do many other realty agents. And, as he is quick to admit, photography skills aren't part of an agent's training -- even though posting quality photos on the Web has now become one of the services an agent must offer clients to stay competitive.
Increasingly, agents and sellers are turning to professional photographers to do what they themselves cannot: Take those jaw-dropping glamour shots even when the home isn't a mansion or an architectural gem. When a professional photographer is brought in, it's most often the realty agent who pays for the service as part of the marketing plan.
The rates in Los Angeles start at about $350 and can climb steeply depending on whom you hire, how many photos are shot and whether the photographer sets up an exclusive domain website for the home.
Is there any way to get better photos, short of hiring a pro?
For an answer to that question, The Times asked three of Los Angeles' top high-end real estate photographers for tips on how home sellers and listing agents could improve their own photos.
Santa Monica-based Nick Springett has more than 20 years' experience shooting listings up to $70 million. His work has appeared on the covers of Unique Homes and Leading Estates of the World magazines. Among his suggestions:
* Make the room look inviting. Set the dining room table with fresh flowers, complete place settings and ironed linens.
* Leave no detail unattended. Tape the folds of the dining room tablecloth so it doesn't pucker out. Position chairs uniformly (about 1 foot) from the table's edge.
* When possible, use the chandelier above the table to create a warmer glow.
