Shared: 5 HOME TRENDS OUR PHOTOGRAPHERS ARE SEEING

It is no secret that COVID has changed the way we live in our homes. As a result, we are reshaping our homes to accommodate our new normal, and our photographers have taken note. Throughout the many homes they shoot, these are the five biggest trends they are now seeing.

1. Home offices / teaching areas with Zoom-friendly backgrounds

As the world went into quarantine, many people had to scramble to figure out how to work remotely and help their children learn from home. As such, our photographers are seeing a ton of home offices and home learning spaces.

2. Wellness and relaxation spaces (candles, diffusers, yoga mats, etc.)

Likely to combat this stressful time, our team has noticed that a lot of homeowners have set up relaxation and self care areas in their own homes. 

3. New outdoor furniture, gardens, grills, and firepits (lavish outdoor spaces)

With public gatherings discouraged, homeowners appear to be putting more time and energy into making their slice of the outdoors as comfortable and relaxing as possible. 

4. Garages converted into gyms

With gyms closed, our photographers have been noticing a lot more home workout equipment. They have, also, noticed a ton of garages converted into well-appointed home gyms.

5. Bold colors and prints

Many of the homes we have photographed recently are decorated with bold colors and patterns. Whether a design trend or homeowners’ attempts to give a fun facelift to the space they have been stuck in for so long, we love seeing all the interesting ways people are decorating their homes.

It’s probable that many of these trends are fueled by the shifts that have occurred due to COVID, but many appear to be here to stay. Whatever the cause, these interesting trends seem to be everywhere. Take a look at them by visiting our Facebook page. For additional information on real estate photography, a full list of our services, and to book your next appointment, please visit our website.

Have you noticed any trends that we didn’t note here? Let us know in the comments!

Shared: WHAT SHOULD YOU HIGHLIGHT ABOUT YOUR LISTING DURING/AFTER COVID?

Virtually overnight, COVID drastically changed the way that most people live, work, and recreate. While some of those changes are sure to trend back to pre-COVID norms, many things are surely here to stay.

Most importantly to the housing market, an increase in remote working is likely permanent. This shift was already on its way, but the pandemic pushed up the timetable of when many workers would have been transitioned to work from home. As a result of this change, how people relate to and use their homes has undergone a major shift.

Market Changes

These changes are expected to add a large number of new buyers into the housing market. With the ability to work from home, commute times are less important. That means that many workers can leave their rentals in the high-priced cities in which they work in order to move into the lower priced areas surrounding them. Research from Zillow indicates that this fact alone is expected to add close to two million new buyers to the housing market. 

In addition to the new buyers, current owners are expected to move at a higher than normal rate. How both of these groups of people see their current homes, and the things that they need in a home, have fundamentally changed. According to Realtor.com, people are looking for more space, more distinction of spaces, larger and better appointed outdoor spaces, and proximity to places where they can recreate away from large crowds. 

What to Highlight

As such, the way that homes for sale are presented in marketing should change as well. Providing high-quality marketing materials is of obvious importance, but what home features are highlighted should be adjusted to fit current market trends. 

Consider staging a spare bedroom or living area as a home office, rather than presenting it as a guest room. With so many people working from home, separate home office space has never been more attractive to buyers, so make sure it is noted.

Make sure that outdoor spaces are shown in detail. Great landscaping is more important than ever, and some simple and inexpensive decorations can go a long way to making a deck, patio, or porch feel much more luxurious. 

It is still important to describe the convenience of the location of the listing, but more time than has been should be dedicated to calling out the type of spaces for which people are currently looking. Homes in suburban areas are of increased demand, so it is helpful to communicate a suburban feel. However, rather than solely focusing on commute times to population centers or shopping, place additional focus in your marketing on proximity to parks, recreation areas, and the like. 

We Can Help 

Things have changed for sure, and many of those changes are here to stay. The good news is that many of them are going to fuel a new demand for housing. These additional factors are sure to have a positive impact on the already strong housing market. However, to make sure that the most is being made of it, some simple changes should be made to how homes are presented to buyers.

American Real Estate Media works with our clients to make sure that the marketing materials they receive are exactly what they need to most effectively market their homes given current housing trends. To see the latest examples of our work and some galleries of our favorite shoots, please take a look at our Facebook page. For additional information on real estate photography, a full list of our services, and to book your next appointment, please visit our website.

Sources:

1. https://magazine.realtor/daily-news/2020/09/25/top-perk-of-remote-work-no-commute

2. https://www.realtor.com/advice/sell/improvements-upgrades-to-help-sell-your-home-during-pandemic/

3. https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/urban-versus-suburban-home-demand-coronavirus/

4. https://www.zillow.com/research/telecommute-2-million-buyers-27866/

Shared: Museum Matterport Tours

During the pandemic, public access to all types of spaces has been closed or severely restricted to help control the virus’ spread. Nearly every type of public area and private business have been affected by these measures in some way, and museums are no different. The stream of people who would ordinarily learn and recreate in such places are, in many cases, homebound. However, these collections are meant to be enjoyed, and, fortunately, many museums and exhibits have been opened to the public in a very interesting way: virtual tours.

American Real Estate Media provides virtual tours to our clients using a technology called Matterport. This powerful tool generates an interactive 3D tour of a space; viewers can then virtually move through and look around the mapped area. Matterport Virtual Tours are a huge asset when used in real estate advertising, but we are now using this exact same tool to generate virtual tours of museums. 

The resulting detail-rich tours are a great way for museums to share their collections with a public who, in these trying times, are in desperate need of innovative ways to entertain themselves. Educational and engaging, these virtual tours are sure to make a lasting impression on those who take them, and are expected to help renew public interest in museums. As such, both smaller museums and those who have among the largest collections in the world are taking similar steps to showcase their exhibits to the public. Take a look at this tour we recently produced for the Joel and Lila Harnett Museum of Art at the University of Richmond. 

To see the latest examples of our work and some galleries of our favorite shoots, please take a look at our Facebook page. For additional information on real estate photography, a full list of our services, and to book your next appointment, please visit our website.

Shared: Do Professional Photos Still Matter?

The current real estate market is hot. Inventory is down, purchases are up, and properties in all conditions are moving fast. In this kind of seller’s market, is it still worth it to invest time and money in professionally taken real estate photography? The simple answer is yes.

Some of the reasons are similar to why it still makes sense for sellers to use a professional real estate agent, rather than going FSBO. When selling a home, it isn’t just about getting it sold. It is about getting it sold correctly, quickly, and for top dollar. Agents can accomplish that more easily than an owner/seller, because they have the know-how and experience that comes with being a dedicated professional.

Professional real estate photography is similarly useful. When the market is moving quickly, it is more important than ever to get your listing in front of as many people as possible, as quickly as possible. When houses are selling within days, is it better to attract a few buyers per day and accept from a sparse but quick set of offers, or is it better to attract a dozen per day and pick the best terms from a crowded multiple offer environment? Compelling real estate photos, video walkthroughs, aerial photos, and professionally made marketing materials are the easiest and most efficient way to drive more buyers per day to your listing. 

With low housing inventory, competition for listings increases, and FSBO becomes more appealing to many sellers. When marketing yourself, a portfolio of listings that are universally represented with high-quality marketing materials will make you stand out. You are more likely to win a seller's business if you can show them that you consistently invest in your marketing and provide the highest quality services to all of your clients. Using professional real estate media helps your future business as much as your current listing.

American Real Estate Media has a team of dedicated photographers, editors, and support staff who provide a quality and value that is unmatched in the industry. In addition to our unbeatable photos, we provide video walkthroughs, Matterport Virtual Tours, drone photo and video, advanced editing, and a suite of managed marketing services. Check out our website for a full breakdown of our services and pricing, and book your appointment today.

Shared: Fall Photoshoot Considerations

When scheduling a photoshoot, there are certain considerations that should always be taken by an agent advising a client. It is obviously advantageous for a home to be cleaned and looking nice, for curtains and blinds to be open to allow for natural light, etc. However, with each season, there are additional factors to consider that are unique to that time of year. With autumn coming up, let's take a moment to review a few considerations to make the most of your appointments. 

Fall is one of the greatest times of the year for home decorations: warm color schemes, pumpkin everything, seasonal imagery of leaves and apples, and spooky Halloween decorations. It makes you want to throw on a sweater and grab a mug of cider just thinking about it. However, it is important to make sure that seasonal decorations are kept tasteful and minimal while a home is being photographed. Exterior decorations, especially, should be kept to a minimum. While a spooky graveyard scene in the front yard may attract trick-or-treaters, it is likely to be distracting in photos or video. 

It is always important for sellers to maintain a home through your photography session and the selling process, but it is especially important given the additional outdoor tasks of the fall. A tree that has leaves alight with the colors of autumn is sure to make a yard feel inviting, but bushes that need pruning, mulch that needs topping, and gutters full of leaves are not as welcoming. Fall comes with a lot of home maintenance tasks, and it is important for sellers to stay on top of them as the seasons change.

When scheduling your appointment, it is important to recognize that with autumn comes shorter days. While our photographers will work with you to capture the best possible photos of a property, there are certain considerations that must be taken with regard to the shorter days. During the fall, peak light comes later in the day and light levels fall faster through the afternoon, so slightly longer shadows should be expected from appointments at the end of the daily booking availability.

Along with considering the results of less light hours for your photos, sellers and agents should consider that there is also less light for buyers to use when looking. That means that they can look at less houses per day, so it is even more important to attract them to your listing. One way to drive more traffic is by providing additional, detail-rich marketing material. Virtual tours, drone photos, Matterport Virtual Tours, etc. are great ways to attract buyers. They also serve as resources for buyers to review if, for example, they see your listing at a time of day when the lighting makes the details of the home harder to discern.

To see the latest examples of our work and some galleries of our favorite shoots, please take a look at our Facebook page. For additional information on real estate photography, a full list of our services, and to book your next appointment, please visit our website.

Shared from American Real Estate Media

Automation to Improve Your Social Media Presence

Consistently posting engaging content is the most important factor in building your social media presence. However, it can be difficult to find the time to actually manage all of your social media channels and regularly post quality content. That is where using third-party services to automate sharing comes in handy.

Some social media platforms, such as Facebook, allow users to make posts and schedule when they will be shared. This feature is great if you only use Facebook, but what about Twitter and Instagram? Coordinating posting on multiple platforms, while providing quality content and consistent branding, is very time consuming. Fortunately, there are options and tools to make the process much easier. Third-party tools, such as Hootsuite, allow you to build an inventory of posts and manage their sharing from a central location. You simply select what to post, where, and when; then, the program takes care of the rest for you.

Another option is to outsource the management of your web presence to a company specializing in social media management for businesses. Companies offering these services, such as American Real Estate Media, will develop on-brand posts, share them across your chosen social media platforms, provide insight and data on your posts performance, and take the stress out of finding the time or tools to manage your online presence yourself. As they are specialists in the field, social media managers can help you quickly grow your online audience and build your community influence.

Social media is an indispensable tool to modern marketing efforts, but making sure you are using it in an optimized way is important. The tools and services touched on above are a great way to automate or outsource the effort required to effectively manage your social media presence.

The Power Of Your Social Media Presence

Today, most home searches begin on the internet. There are a plethora of sites and tools that are specific to real estate, but it is hard to beat social media for the amount of exposure it can provide to your personal brand and your listings. As useful as social media can be, it is important to use it effectively to build an engaged audience. Fortunately, doing so isn’t hard with the right approach. 

Consistently posting and engaging with your audience helps to foster a sense of community. Someone who only pops up long enough to give a marketing pitch is easy for people to ignore. However, if you are an active part of peoples online communities, then it is much more likely that they will engage with you and share your posts or information. This will amplify your brand's voice, increase your reach, and help you to organically grow your online presence.

Every share puts you in front of a new audience. While there is often overlap between friend or follower lists, it is very unlikely that a share does not put you in front of new people. Getting shares or reposts from your audience and, in-turn, their audiences will dramatically increase the reach of your posts, pictures, or information. This could mean the difference between getting a few hundred clicks on your listing or getting many thousands of views from people who you wouldn’t otherwise reach.

Using polished and professional looking marketing materials will also bolster your image. Hampton Roads Real Estate Photography makes that easy with our unbeatable services and our Total Marketing Kit. In this kit we provide a range of customizable templates for you to use throughout your listing’s sales cycle. Using them on any of your social media platforms will give your posts a high-quality feel.

Taking these important steps will increase the power of your online presence and dramatically increase the exposure any of your posts have. That means more clicks, more traffic, and more offers.

Service Spotlight: The Perfect Marketing Package

Hampton Roads Real Estate Photography offers our clients a wide array of services: high quality photos, drone video, virtual tours, advanced editing, and many more. All of these options are available as stand alone or a la carte services, but we offer many of our most popular services bundled together in packages.

Offering these services as part of a package allows us to provide clients with all the tools they will need for their specific marketing strategy, without the stress or expense of having to pick out each item themselves. We currently offer three such packages: Quick & Easy Package, Property Spotlight Package, and Perfect Marketing Package.

Our Perfect Marketing Package is our most comprehensive package, and it is perfect for a luxury listing. It includes 50 of our unbeatable listing photos, advanced photo editing, aerial photos and video, your choice of a walkthrough video or Zillow 3D tour, a Matterport 3D virtual tour, and the Total Marketing Kit. The Kit is a handy collection of specialized links, premade flyers, and teaser videos. All of these tools together meet most every modern real estate marketing need.

This extensive package is available for the incredible value of $300. Any of our packages will get you the unbeatable service, high-quality products, and next day turnaround for which Hampton Roads Real Estate Photography is known. 

Take your marketing to the next level by booking an appointment with us today.

Service Spotlight: The Spotlight Package

Hampton Roads Real Estate Photography offers our clients a wide array of services: high quality photos, drone video, virtual tours, advanced editing, and many more. All of these options are available as stand alone or a la carte services, but we offer many of our most popular services bundled together in packages.

By offering these services as part of a package, our clients end up with all the tools they will need for their specific marketing strategy, without the stress or expense of having to pick out each item themselves. We currently offer three such packages: Quick & Easy Package, Property Spotlight Package, and Perfect Marketing Package.

The Property Spotlight is, by far, our most popular package. It includes 32 or 50 of our unbeatable listing photos, advanced editing, drone photos and video, your choice of a walkthrough video or Zillow 3D tour, and the Total Marketing Kit. The Kit is a handy collection of specialized links, premade flyers, and teaser videos. Together, all of these tools meet most every modern real estate marketing need.

This package is an incredible value, starting at just $150 for the 32 photo option. As always, selecting any of our packages will get you the high-quality products and next day turnaround for which Hampton Roads Real Estate Photography is known. 

Take your marketing to the next level by booking an appointment with us today.

Service Spotlight: The Quick & Easy Package

Hampton Roads Real Estate Photography offers our clients a wide array of services: high quality photos, drone video, virtual tours, advanced editing, and many more. All of these options are available as stand alone or a la carte services, but we offer many of our most popular services bundled together in packages.

By offering these services as part of a package, our clients end up with all the tools they need for their specific marketing strategy. We currently offer three such packages: Quick & Easy Package, Property Spotlight Package, and Perfect Marketing Package.

Our Quick & Easy Package is perfect for a modest home or condo that doesn’t need some of our more advanced services. It includes 32 or 50 simplified listing photos, basic photo editing, and the Total Marketing Kit. The Kit is a handy collection of specialized links, premade flyers, and teaser videos. Popular add-ons to this package include drone photos and video walkthroughs.

This budget-friendly package is available to you starting at $85 for the 32 photo option. Selecting any of our packages will get you the high-quality service and next day turnaround for which Hampton Roads Real Estate Photography is known. 

Take your marketing to the next level by booking an appointment with us today.

5 Easy Pre-Appointment Tips for Real Estate Photography

At Hampton Roads Real Estate Photography, we pride ourselves on the ease with which appointments can be scheduled, carried out, and quality products delivered. However, there are a few simple steps that a homeowner can take to prepare a listing for photography that will really help set it apart from the competition, and make the appointment go butter-smooth. 

Remove cars from the driveway- this will help provide a clean exterior image of your listing. The driveway and street in front of the house should be clear of any cars or debris.

Fix all blinds and window treatments- making sure these look good inside and out can make a huge difference in the overall appearance of a home. The goal is to have every shade or blind in the house look the same.

Replace dead light bulbs and fix lighting- this simple step will help make the home look well lit, well kept, and more inviting to prospective buyers. Try not to mix lighting colors too much - keep everything either on the yellow side or white side.

Open and close doors- as appropriate for each space, opening and closing interior and exterior doors, closet doors, cabinets, etc. will help a home look well laid out and organized.

Declutter and consolidate- perhaps the most impactful point of the list, this will help lookers get a better understanding of the features of the space, and it will help them visualize the space as theirs. If you have an excess of “stuff,” use this time to consolidate everything into one area that can be skipped, or consider renting a storage unit for the month to help with your move.

These simple steps take very little time to accomplish, but the impact that they have on the reception of your listing to interested buyers cannot be overstated. For more information on real estate photography and to book your appointment, please visit hrhomepics.com!

Real Estate Listing Photos

Hi, this is Jordan of Hampton Roads Real Estate Photography, and in this video I'd like to take a look at the heart of our service offerings, photos!

Our two standard packages, the property spotlight and quick and easy package both include a standard set of your choice between 32 , 40, 50, and 65 photos that are done in 1 of 2 different styles.

In our instance, simply saying you get this many photos doesn’t tell the whole story, so lets take a deeper dive and discover what makes Hampton Roads Real Estate Photography stand out as the #1 real estate media service in the area.

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This company was founded in response to a poor shopping experience I had years ago when looking for a new home. Everything that was in the ball park looked terrible online but surprisingly was a lot better in person. This made the search much harder as the primary method of looking was on the computer. You couldn’t tell if that carpet looked dirty because it WAS dirty, or it just wasn’t lit up properly. Take that issue and apply it to every other aspect of a house, and you can quickly see the issue I was facing. Wanting a change in careers anyways, that gave me the motivation to start Hampton Roads Real Estate Photography and raise the bar.

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As mentioned before, we shoot 2 differing styles of photos, which both are of an amazing quality and can work for any listing, but some people may have a preference to one versus the other. In this first example, I will demonstrate our fusion technique which combines multiple natural light photos in to one finished shot that takes a little bit from each and makes the most of it. This relies on the natural light of the house to provide both the base illumination as well as the ambiance. This is the technique used for our Quick and Easy Package.

Next is the more advanced technique used in our Property Spotlight and Hollywood Packages, uses a studio strobe light for the base illumination and a second shot using the natural light to provide the ambiance. This results in more perfect colors and even lighting.

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Hampton Roads Real Estate Photography is proud to be the only local real estate media company to provide these two techniques at the same time in our standard packages, as well as bundling walkthrough videos, aerial photos and video, and the virtual twilight photo in our most popular Property Spotlight Package. Thousands of homes worth of experience and great consistency between all of our photographers means you are getting the best possible service from Hampton Roads Real Estate Photography.

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If you have any questions or would like to discuss ordering these amazing photos for your next listing, feel free to use the contact page on HRHomePics.com or call 757-665-8656 and we will be glad to help.