Why is a picture worth a thousand words?
Time. A glance is about two seconds. Uninterested users bounce off a web site in about 10 seconds. The average person can read one thousand words in a about 198 seconds.
The more time you spend on something is an indication of how much you have been thinking about it. It’s an indication of the level of effort made to come to a decision. A Real Estate photo’s goal is to make it a quick and easy click for more information.
2 seconds, 10 seconds, 198 seconds.
2 seconds to capture your audience’s attention to learn more. Just two little seconds to capture a reaction. One picture viewed with a simple glance conveys a significant portion of your message in just two seconds. From that initial glance the client will choose to stay on page and learn more or click to move on.
10 seconds to peak further interest. 10 seconds to communicate your value and make that invitation to learn more. 10 seconds capture a buyers’ attention, reaching your audience by rousing curiosity. This is decisive click to investigate.
198 seconds to read your 1,000-word message, and make a decision to go further. 198 seconds to build the foundation of relationship based on what a client sees and learns about you, your business and the property. At this point the Client has made an investment and is interested in searching out more information.
What can you do in two seconds? Wave.
Think of that initial glance as wave to your neighbor. It’s meaningful and says a lot about you and your relationship: are you offering a sedate neighborly “hi” as you drive by to work, simply acknowledging that they exist – invoking a simple nod of acknowledgement. Perhaps you’re that crazy neighbor waving your arms, shouting and dashing out to the street as they speed away to avoid talking to you.
What about that neighbor that offers a smile and wave to everyone? Personable, presentable, interesting, you want to stop what you’re doing and chat. They are articulate, informative and welcoming.
Two seconds to ask for a bit more of their time. Two seconds translating that wave into saying “think about living here”. Is the property interesting enough to get that rewarding click, advancing the prospective client to invest a bit more time learning about the property, and your business?
At just two seconds, the prospective client hasn’t made a significant investment. They haven’t had to think too much or surrender too much time. In today’s digital market place that initial picture is a respectful request for more of the prospective client's valuable time.
What can you do in ten seconds? Make an invitation.
An invitation provides an overview of the event. Things like the reason for the party, date, time, location, host and rsvp. It’s not the complete details about the event, just enough to initiate the decision process. The recipient of the invitation begins to form a feeling about attending: excitement, dread, or curiosity.
When it comes to an invitation, how its presented plays a significant role in creating the atmosphere and perception about the event. Is it a backyard barbecue, family birthday party or black-tie gala? Those invitations speak volumes about the event. Is it a photocopied flyer taped to your door for the community party or professionally printed foiled and embossed on elegant 120 LB linen paper to an elegant evening wedding?
Your 10 second invitation focuses your message to the prospective client and helps make that first decision: Is this a match for my needs, can I live here? Most importantly it builds a feeling, based on what they perceive.
Don’t make prospective clients work too hard, leverage your 10 seconds with a floor plan, impactful and memorable photography or well written details concisely presented. Again, you’re making a respectful request for the client’s time, building interest, establishing the fit and value of your property and services.
What can you do in 198 seconds? Motivate a client to move forward.
198 seconds is a tremendous amount of the prospective client’s time. Time to map the location, read your write up, watch the walkthrough video, learn about the school district. Time to create a bond, and establish the need to reach out for more information.
Good marketing is memorable, invokes feelings creating the vision of the product. Its impact is to create a reaction, a motivation to move forward, make the right match and get on that “must see” list. This decision is based entirely on a perception formed by the client’s needs, experiences and feelings. It’s an opinion formed on that two second glance at your real estate photo.
A real estate photograph is a presentation of information about the location, age, neighborhood, condition, size, features and fixtures landscaping, and more. It enables a client to quickly focus on what is important to them, and what will work for their needs.
The photograph eliminates the need to translate the written word in to a concrete vision of the property. No imagination necessary, a two second glance forms your first reaction. A good real estate photograph goal is to draw a YES, let’s see more and then make the invitation to spend some precious time learning if the home and the services you offer is a match.
Real estate photography, and associated graphical media like a floorplan, fast loading 360 TOUR or a video provides the foundation for the initial decision view the property or work with you as the seller’s agent.
Why is a picture worth a thousand words?
Its time, your prospective client’s time. The visual presentation offers an effective method of conveying a vast amount of information in a glance. The real estate photograph is your information presented in a neat and tidy display that is effortless to view and gather details on the client’s part. No thinking, no trying to figure things out – effortless.