The Great 3 Second Impression

On average a person forms a first impression in their mind within

3 seconds of visual contact.

With the current hot real estate market in Metro Vancouver (formerly known as GVRD), sellers seem to think that their houses will magically and instantly sell once the "For Sale" sign goes up. Though this might be true for some, largely it isn't so.
Humans are visual creatures. We are highly acute to the sensory that the eyes perceive. Hence you "see" the multitudes of billboards lining your local highways and billions of dollars spent on advertising. From TV ads to some banner towed by a GoodYear blimp during Superbowl companies strive to entice the public with their products and services.
Driven by internet technology, more and more house shoppers are searching for their future home via the web. Properties with visual impact will get the shoppers attention and in turn drive curiosity to investigate further that will lead to contacting the seller's agent. Put it simply, crappy images of a home will turn off potential buyers. I know this by our own experience while searching for our current home and also experiences of many other shoppers.

Here's an example that one typically come across in MLS or realtylink.org.

This shot is simply taken with likely a point-and-shoot camera using full on auto function. Naturally being indoors, the onboard flash fires.
Sadly the shot is washed out. The interior colour is dulled by the flash. In fact the illumination is so bad, some areas are darkened too.
The shot is grainy and also soft that results into a lazy attempt to capture the family room image. Next property please!








The second photo shows the same interior scene but set-up properly and thoughtfully to highlight the home interior quality.
As you can see, a big difference. Using a combination of flash capability and slower shutter speeds, this shot managed to display the true quality of the home interior.
Interior lights and fireplace were turned to provide a sense of warmth.
Along with careful post-processing, this image not only display the ambiance but also draws the viewer into the cozy family area.
Note the exterior greenery highlights. It is important to incorporate nice exterior views.


Despite having begun shooting events and weddings, for reasons like the above, I have started to provide professional photography to the real estate industry.
In the following posts, I will attempt to provide some simple and effective ways to photograph and deliver stunning visuals for home interiors. So stay tuned.