Property photos paint more than a thousand words - they’re pivotal to your sale

Research by MoveStreets, the property portal designed for the mobile generation, has revealed how a picture can do more than paint a thousand words, it can dramatically improve the chances of selling your home.

MoveStreets research found that property images are the most influential aspect of a property listing when it comes to forming a good first impression with homebuyers, ranking above the floorplan (2nd), the number of bedrooms and bathrooms (3rd), the property description (4th), as well as information on additional features, wider amenities and the estate agent listing the property.

What’s more, 86% of recent homebuyers stated that when surfing the portals for a potential property, they chose to view a listing in full purely because the initial image shown made a good first impression.

Not only could a great photo potentially help you sell your home, but a bad one could also scupper your chances, deterring potential buyers from viewing your home digitally, let alone in person. MoveStreets found that 66% of buyers would bypass a property listing altogether if the initial image didn’t appeal to them.

When it comes to the full property listing, 79% said that the property photos were the first thing they checked when viewing a property in full.

Over half of homebuyers (53%) also said that if the photos failed to impress them any further, they wouldn’t even bother looking at the rest of the information listed such as the property description.

Should the same property be listed with two different estate agents, 41% of homebuyers would only enquire with the agent that presented the best photos, while 48% would refrain from viewing a property with poor photos altogether.

CEO and Co-Founder of MoveStreets, Adam Kamani, commented:

“They say we eat with our eyes and it certainly seems that we buy homes with them as well, or at the very least, decide which ones are worth viewing in more detail.

In the modern age, the internet has allowed us to consume huge amounts of information at speed and the digital viewings process is no different when it comes to surfing the portals for a property.

While a homebuyer will set their initial search criteria around price, location and property size, the photos used to advertise your home are incredibly important and utilising them to their full potential could make or break the sale of your home.

So when looking to sell, ensure you list with an agent who will invest some time in proper, professional photographs. Not one that will whizz around in 10 minutes with a smartphone.”

When searching for your new home on online property portals, which of the following were most influential when forming a first impression of the house itself? (Tick all that apply)
Answer	Respondents
Property images	1st
Floorplan	2nd
Number of bedrooms/bathrooms	3rd
Property description	4th
Additional information on property features	5th
Additional information on amenities in the local area	6th
The estate agent it was listed with	7th

Would you click on a listing purely because the initial image shown made a good first impression?
Answer	Respondents
Yes	86%
No	14%


Would you bypass a listing purely because the initial image shown didn’t appeal to you?
Answer	Respondents
Yes	66%
No	34%

Are the property images the first thing you check when looking at a listing in detail?
Answer	Respondents
Yes	79%
No	21%

Would you look at the rest of the listing (description etc), if you didn’t like the look of a property in the images?
Answer	Respondents
No	53%
Yes	47%

If a property listing was listed with two different estate agents, would you enquire with the agent presenting the best property listing photos?
Answer	Respondents
I would enquire with both	41%
Yes	41%
No	18%

Would you book a viewing for a property even if you didn’t like the images, or they were poor quality?
Answer	Respondents
Yes	52%
No	48%