What makes a good estate agent snap?

Pressure does funny things to people.

Some grow, some shrink, some growl and some shriek.

Being in front of a camera also does strange things to people.

Some freeze, some pout, some glare and some hide.

I’ve seen cameraphobia a fair bit during my career as a journalist and now as a PR man.

I had a London buses moment last week. Just when you’ve waited ages for a client to ask about the power of good photography three come along all at once.

For various reasons, web profiles, business cards and a news release.

Getting good photography on your website, business cards, email signatures and marketing materials is a BIG step forward in improving your agency’s image and the way people perceive you.

You want to look professional yet personable. Cheap, badly thought out photography will put people off you and your agency. In this age of people making snap decisions a decision to cut corners on your snaps is a bad one.

Below are some simple pointers using the Clint Eastwood method.

Good

Think SAS – Smart and Smiling.

Look at the camera. Feels more sincere.

Relax – A good, experienced photographer will know how to get you to relax, – a bad one won’t.

Bad

Take your hand from underneath your chin – you ain’t David Brent.

Take the phone away from your ear – staged pics look staged and fake.

Don’t stare mystically away from the camera into the distance like a poet musing over their next verse.

Ugly

Male or female – don’t pout – Save that sexy stuff for Facebook / instagram / Tinder (notice I didn’t mention Linkedin – prospects who are social media savvy will often check your profile on there – ensure you have a good snap on LinkedIn).

Don’t look too cool for school – it puts people off. Ditch the pic of you sat behind a massive desk, leaning back in your chair etc.

The worst of all – the selfie or cheapie. You’ve spent thousands on your website then won’t invest a few more quid in getting a professional photographer in to take shots of the team, your office, local area.

I’ll leave you with this line from a photographer I was working with when I was a junior reporter.

We’d been sent to interview and photograph a local councillor who was, to use a journalistic term – an absolute eejit and lovingly known in our office ‘as the big rude fatty’.

So while the snapper is taking Councillor Charm – Less’ photo he barks an instruction: “Make me look slimmer in these photos.”

The photographer, never known for his diplomacy and an equally grumpy pumpkin, reply still echoes in my ears.

“I’m a photographer not a bleeding magician.”

Thanks for reading and here’s to your next instruction.

Jerry

PS: I’ve come up with a bundle of estate agency canvassing letters and content for sales brochures and guides.

If you are interested in being the first in your area to hear about it just ping me an email saying ‘Bundle!!!!’

PPS: I’ve plenty more tips but they’re for my retained clients. You could be one to – to have a chat about this email me – Jerry@propertyprexpert.co.uk

PPPS: The pic accompanying this blog is a ‘staged’ example of a crap snap.

You May Also Enjoy

Estate Agent Talk

Judy Garland’s Home: She Bought It the Same Year She Was Signed To Star in ‘The Wizard of Oz’

One of LA’s classic celebrity homes has just come on the market. The Bel-Air home that Judy Garland bought in 1938 – the same year she was signed to star in The Wizard of Oz – is for sale at $11.5 million. Built by architect-to-the-stars Wallace Neff, who also designed homes for Mary Pickford and…
Read More
Breaking News

Breaking Property News – 18/03/24

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   x+why revolutionise sustainable workspace design with launch of whydesign  Press Release London, 18th March 2024: Leading flexible workspace specialist x+why is launching a new in-house award-winning design team, whydesign, focused on customising sustainable and design-led office spaces. whydesign will support businesses in the optimisation of workspaces to…
Read More
Home and Living

Cultivating Space For A Workshop: A Handy Mini-Guide

There are all manner of reasons to purchase a commercial space or to renovate part of your home into a production environment, but the requirements for disparate outcomes will differ depending on the person. For example, a photography studio may only require capable lighting and enough staging room to be functional, and may not require…
Read More
Love or Hate Rightmove
Breaking News

Rightmove House Price Index: Stronger buyer demand and sales as market marches into Spring

The average price of newly marketed properties rises by 1.5% (+£5,279) this month to £368,118, higher than the historic average March increase of 1.0% and the biggest for 10 months as the market continues its recovery after a muted 2023 The positive start to the year continues, paving the way for a greater number of…
Read More
Breaking News

Weekly News Roundup – 15/03/24

A roundup of the week’s top property and proptech news stories in partnership with Proptech-X   Inventory Base & Street Group partner to make agents more profitable Inventory Base, the UK’s leading property inspection software provider, and Street.co.uk, a pioneering estate agency software and CRM, are proud to announce an integration partnership that promises to drive…
Read More
Commercial Agent Talk

The Essential Tips to Secure the Ideal Spot for Your Dream Office

Imagine a workspace that perfectly complements your team’s work style and fosters creativity and productivity. That’s the magic of a dream office! But turning that vision into reality can feel daunting. Securing the ideal location in New Jersey involves navigating a maze of considerations, from finding the right neighborhood to pinpointing must-have features and amenities.…
Read More