%20(11).jpg)
Key Factors RealEstateAF
Educational Podcast for Consumers, Mortgage & Real Estate Industry Professionals. We'll Talk About It All! Key Factors podcast, powered by https://ReviewMyMortgage.com . Your Host Mark Jones invites Industry Pros to help uncover & educate on the key factors of various topics. There’s something for everyone so let us be your guides and get educated. Subscribe & Follow on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Facebook, Instagram, & all other podcasting platforms. Host : Mark A Jones Founder of ReviewMyMortgage.comProducing Branch MangerSr. Loan Officer. NMLS ID# 513437NMLS Consumer Access: http://www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org/Powered by ReviewMyMortgage.com
Key Factors RealEstateAF
Thriving in Real Estate Photography: Unveiling the Path to Success with Rick Garza
Unlock the secrets to thriving in the competitive world of real estate photography with insights from Rick Garza, founder of Brighton Early Productions. Discover why creativity alone won't cut it, as we explore the vital technical skills and additional services like video and 3D tours that can elevate your business. With over 15 years of experience, Rick shares his journey from club photography to mastering real estate media, emphasizing the importance of treating photography as a business and the patience required to see growth.
Hear an inspiring story of resilience and adaptability from a former event photographer who transformed personal struggles into a passion-driven career. We discuss the challenges of transitioning from weddings to real estate, and the role supportive relationships play in motivating change. Learn how early experiences in unconventional sales can lay the groundwork for business success, even without formal training or resources.
Explore the multifaceted role of storytelling and market dynamics in real estate photography. We highlight the importance of professional imagery, statistics that demonstrate increased sales, and the power of a cohesive team approach. Discover strategies for navigating the economic waves of the industry and the significance of leaving a compelling first impression. With expert advice and relatable narratives, this episode is a treasure trove for anyone looking to turn their passion for photography into a thriving business.
Key Factors Podcast is Powered by ReviewMyMortgage.com
Host: Mark Jones | Sr. Loan Officer | NMLS# 513437
If you would like to work with Mark on your next home purchase or as a partner visit iThink Mortgage.
Thank you. What's going on, guys? Welcome back to my channel. Today, we're going to be covering one of my favorite topics why most real estate photographers fail and the reason this is one of my favorite topics is because it's a very realistic conversation to be had. Most football players are not going to end up in the NFL, just like most realtors are not going to end up on the next cover photo of Selling Sunset. And same thing. Most real estate photographers are not going to build a successful photography business, and here's why Most real estate photographers don't take the time to learn their craft.
Speaker 1:Now, real estate photography has been an overhyped business for the last three years, where everyone thinks they can just get into it, make a whole bunch of money, create their own schedule, go on vacation whenever they want and ride off into the sunset with a successful real estate photography business, but that's not the case. The reality is there's a lot more that goes into this. Not only do you have to develop an eye for real estate photography, but you also have to learn the ins and outs of your camera, as well as all the other services that come with real estate photography, such as shooting video, shooting aerials, creating 3D tours, creating floor plans and editing everything, everything. These are all services that you need to excel at to build a successful, running real estate photography business, and the reality is most real estate photographers aren't willing to put the time in to really learn the craft of all these services and systems. Another reason why most real estate photographers fail is they don't think business. Now, I've talked about this before. Most photographers that I see get into real estate photography, think of themselves as a creative individual or just as a simple photographer, and because of that, their rates are very low. They hand out discounts left and right and sooner or later, life is gonna hit you with a bill that you can't afford to pay, and this venture of a business that you can't afford to pay, and this venture of a business that you set out on, has proven not to be as successful as you thought it would be, and sooner than later, you will walk away from real estate photography.
Speaker 1:The final reason why most real estate photographers fail is because they lack the patience it takes to grow a successful business.
Speaker 1:We've heard the saying before Rome wasn't built in a day, and that's true for any successful business today, and it's true for whatever situation you're currently at with your business.
Speaker 1:It takes a lot of time to not only learn about all this photography stuff, but it takes time to network, for people to learn about your business and for clients to come knocking on your door. So you see, everything is a waiting game and most real estate photographers aren't willing to put the time in and play the waiting game to see what the seeds that they've planted grow into. But I promise you, if you're a real estate photographer and you put the time in to network, if you put the time in to post on social media every single day, if you take the time to connect with new social media every single day, if you take the time to connect with new realtors every single week, I promise you you'll do well. But if you're a real estate photographer who is just chasing a paycheck, I promise you, sooner or later you will be among those real estate photographers who failed in this business.
Speaker 2:Back with another episode of Key Factors Podcast, Real Estate AF. I'm your host, Mark Jones, and we are powered by ReviewMyMortgagecom, the largest index of mortgage programs in the nation, and on the last couple of episodes we got really in depth on finance and what's going on with the economy in the United States, the debt crisis. We looked at the debt clock and educated you guys on some of the nuances that are, and should be, pretty important to us as consumers, real estate professionals and all the above. But today I wanted to dive into a topic that most probably are not even thinking about at the moment, which is this NAR lawsuit and how it could affect others in our industry and attached to our industry. That being said, photography.
Speaker 2:There are plenty of photographers out there, but there's only one that I would want to have a conversation with about this topic and, without further ado, let me introduce Rick Garza. Rick, what up dude, what's up homie? How you doing? God is good to me. Amen to that. So Rick is the founder of Brighton Early Productions and you've had that company for quite some time now, and I remember when you first started. So if you could just take a moment real quick and tell our audience who you are, what you do currently and then after that I want to kind of dig into your journey a little bit.
Speaker 3:Sweet. Thank you for having me, man. Of course, man, I like when you said you were with me, or you remember when I first started and I'm curious when was that to your?
Speaker 2:knowledge? To my knowledge, it had to have been. Would it have been maybe 2016, 2015-ish, right around the time when you were doing a lot of Zars and Rogers stuff?
Speaker 3:So it was real estate, okay. Yeah, I started off in the clubs doing club photography, okay, and then I went from clubs to events like weddings and stuff like that. So I've been shooting for 15 years, man.
Speaker 2:Holy cow, yeah, yeah, yeah, talk about expert.
Speaker 3:Trial and error. I've practiced a lot.
Speaker 2:And you know what? Let's relate that to uh uh uh law practice yeah a doctor's practice definitely they don't call them experts. They don't call them uh, perfect, yeah, it's always a practice. Uh, a student to the game concept absolutely but all these folks who, who you are, and and uh, the company, and all that good stuff.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, like you said, we're a media company that focuses on real estate. So the reason why that's important is because in the last five, seven years, we've had to adopt things as standards, right, so like 3D tours, video and even social media videos like snippets Uh, some of those are like, uh, unavoidable. You have to do that. So it's beyond just photography, but but, uh, it's. We're hyper-focused on real estate because, like you said, um, to master something specifically, uh, it took 10,000 hours on just one thing.
Speaker 3:I like to look at photography as like. If you look at it from a like if you talked about athleticism, you would say you would have these little categories, big categories like basketball, football, soccer, golf. Everybody's physical shape needs to be different in order for them to achieve a certain outcome. Very true. And so with photography, it's kind of the same thing. Like, wedding photographers are built different than real estate photographers. We're built different than product photographers, and every one category has its own skill set, its own type of gear, communication, the outcome they seek, their customers, customers are different, the, the results that the customer needs are different.
Speaker 3:The time restraints, like the scheduling sure, just uh, with with everything we do, we needed to like super focus because they would like, when I first started, I would shoot a wedding and then a house like a wedding over the weekend and the house on monday, and then I'd be like, dude, I got to get out of this house because I got to go pack up for a wedding and then a house like a wedding over the weekend and the house on Monday, and then I'd be like dude, I got to get out of this house because I got to go pack up for a wedding, yeah, so I would disserve one customer and then, you know, just to, you know, go, please, another customer, versus knowing how to navigate through all that. So I started off as a event photographer and then I was shooting everything to pay the bills. So, like I bro, there was this one time where I was shooting a cadaver, okay, cadaver, yeah, Cadaver, dead body, yeah. And I'm sitting there with a with another production company and I'm like how the hell did I get here?
Speaker 3:But anything that came my way that was camera related, I was in it. So any, like I said anything to pay the bills. So basically, I just practiced and practiced and practice and practice.
Speaker 2:Um, now question where did that come from? Where did that? Because I can relate to this on a low level of when we started the podcast, we were using uh cell phone cameras and, um, it was a long process but I fell in love with it as I was researching more upgrading cameras, upgrading sound system, knowing how to edit all those types of things. Yeah, and I'll be honest, if I had to do it over again, I would have probably not gone the mortgage side and gone more of a creative uh photography production. I'm not even joking.
Speaker 3:I love this stuff. I can tell it yeah, yeah, yeah. You got. You got more of a, you got a better setup than I would have ever, and it's probably better that that that you didn't cause we wouldn't be here if you did Amen to that.
Speaker 2:You know what I'm saying? Amen to that.
Speaker 3:But well, I in short, I was broke and I was broken.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 3:Okay, so the reason why I say that is because, uh, like I, I I literally had nothing going on for myself. Uh, I was, I mean not to get too too deep. I don't, I don't even mind Cause I'm not ashamed of it, but like I was a bouncer, I sold dope on the side.
Speaker 2:I I minus the bouncer. I wasn't big enough.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it was all looks, you know. And my wife at the time girlfriend she gave me an ultimatum. She said if you don't get your shit together, I gotta, I gotta go. My mom can't find out you're a dope dealer, yeah, and, and I don't know it was that.
Speaker 3:And being on probation, I always joke and say I had two probation officers. I had John Esquivel and Claudio. You know my, my correction officers, the real boss, yeah, and it was funny because my actual probation officer didn't correct nothing, wow, yeah. But I was just like, given that ultimatum of either being with a good woman for the rest of your life or by yourself for the rest of your life, I don't know, something just made me want to keep that going and so at the time we were broke. So I was like, man, I can make $50 a photo shoot, I can make $75 a photo shoot, and at the time, you know you're talking 15 years ago, so that would have been like 150 bucks, sure, you know so in today's economy it was like a decent amount of change 50 bucks, sure, you know.
Speaker 3:So, today's economy, today's economy, it was like a decent amount of change. Um, and so I just, I've always had the hustle mindset where, although today I don't think it's that attractive to have that hustle mindset, um, just because I'm 40 now, sure, right With the, with the kid and stuff, but anyway. So I used to always have that flip mindset where, if I buy this and then I, how much money can I make off of this little baggie or this little product or whatever?
Speaker 2:Right, and it's funny that I've spoken to many expert realtors, lenders, other trades, yeah, but a lot of us started that way and it's the idea of learning sales. Even though it was illegal at the time, it still gave us a backbone or a foundation of. This is how you make money from nothing.
Speaker 3:That's right. Yeah, so I was born and raised in the projects, victoria courts specifically. So I was like 10 ish or something. Things happen with our family, like we lost some family, a relative, and basically we just kind of like from there just either progressed or moved out, you know. But that's, it's just always been. I was always as a kid, I was always around it, right, so it's all I knew. I didn't have a dad to be like a stupid. Stop. I had an uncle later in life who became a Christian and then he started like telling me scriptures and stuff.
Speaker 3:So I think that later in life, especially, you know, in your 20s, you start to realize like dude, I got to do something, because all of my homies are literally either dying or in jail, right, right, so, yeah. So, anyway, to how I got into the photography, that was the only other thing that I was addicted to. Like you said, it's just like it fascinated me that I suck, like this, and people are like, oh, it's good. And then it crushes your ego because you're like, bro, I think that's amazing. And then you realize like no, it actually sucks.
Speaker 3:So I had no technical skill, but we didn't have YouTube back in the day. We didn't have a thousand tutorials available, so I had to try and try and try and try, and then also the exposure right. So some people are afraid of negative feedback and so I just didn't care. I was too broke to care so I was just, like you know, throwing myself out there every chance I got. My first camera was a point and shoot and uh, and it has its benefits, but it also has its limitations, and I would come home and be like man if I only had the ability to switch out a lens and all this stuff. So my mother-in-law financed my first camera. Yeah, I mean, and it sounds like not a big deal, but again, $750, $1,000 kit back then would have been equivalent to like getting a loan for.
Speaker 2:Three grand.
Speaker 3:Three grand today, Right? So it's like hey, Mark, let me three grand. It's like well, I got to make sure you qualify, that's right, you know. So for me and my family it was a big deal. So I made this stupid promise. Back in the day I said, hey, I promise you, I will take care of our family with this camera. And I had to do it, man.
Speaker 2:How freaking cool is that. I mean, at time you're probably very scared, or not, because there wasn't that restrictor just yet, but it was something that now you can look back on and go holy cow.
Speaker 3:You know, what's funny is when you say that, Mark, I almost I had a sense of man. I wish I had that again. Like I need that same effort mentality, yeah Right. Like that, who cares how bad this looks, who cares if this is terrible? And so just having this conversation reminded me that it's time for that dog to come back.
Speaker 2:Hey, everything happens for a reason and my, my fight began recently again because of the mortgage industry and how bleak it was looking for a little while there Got back into production, lost some of the loan officers that I had here, so I had to kind of reinvent myself and get my ass back into the fire and been doing well since then, you know.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Go ahead.
Speaker 3:Go ahead? No, I just try to. What does bleak mean?
Speaker 2:Bleak, Very like it doesn't look too good. Got it? Yeah, Got it. Like doomsday, Very like I was telling you before. My vocabulary has grown.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Broadcast.
Speaker 3:I got a homie that says words and I'm like as soon as I figure out what that means. Bro, I got you. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:I love it. So you mentioned 10,000 hours and I use that reference, but I've never mentioned it on this podcast. Yeah, and to me, I believe that it is very true in regards to using that as a guideline when you want to master something, a new craft, a new trait, and there's a lot of realtors out there, lenders out there and people, consumers, that are trying to jump into something new, tired of what they're doing the same monotonous stuff that over and over very repetitive. What kept you? I guess you answered it, but if you could elaborate what kept you from going elsewhere with your journey?
Speaker 3:Yeah, so, secretly, I've always wanted to be a realtor. It was very, you know, with the shiny suits and Mercedes and everything that you see on TV, I was like man, that's dope. But they got so much responsibility and so many text messages and the fires that they got to stop per customer, per you know. And then they got to build team and I said I quickly realized, like I ain't supposed to be a realtor. I like to sell real estate.
Speaker 3:I like the taking something and that looks like nothing, cause I can relate to that, right, like I. I, I walk into a property that people are just like eh, it's just a 2000 square foot, you know $250,000 house, right, and I'm like, bro, that's somebody's mansion, that's right, you know like it's. So I like the challenge and there's so many. And so I like the challenge and there's so many. And it's not just photography, it's like business in general, right, because you can take my words and literally apply it to every type of business. But like it's not just about the thing that you do, it's the stuff that makes the clock tick, right, so it's. I was talking to somebody recently and they kind of blew my mind because it just it hit me really hard when I heard this. It's like not just about knowing how to tell time, it's about knowing what makes the clock tick.
Speaker 3:So the photography is just what we do. The reason why we do it is the bigger thing to focus on. So death, divorce, you know, promotion, demotion, job placement, job loss there was countless times where I walk into a situation in a home and there's holes on the wall and I already know what's going on and I know that these people are either separating or have separated and this is the last binding thing, and so it takes so long to get it sold, whether they have to renovate it to get it up to market or they have to, you know, just finalize the divorce or the finances. So it came. So, again, like knowing what makes the clock tick was way more of a driving force than just the actual thing that I do, right. And the minute I realized that it was funny because I could never walk into a house the same, right, you know, you, you mentioned czars and there was this one. There was this one house and I I hate talking about it because it always gets me emotional, but there was this one house where the child was ill and he was attached to a machine and the family had good success, they had good money, so they got a bigger house, two-story house. They got the bigger house and then the child lived on the second level, right, his room was upstairs. Well, then he got sick. When he got sick, he got attached to the machine. So now what do they have to do? They have to sell the house the two story house right to get a one story house, because he's attached to the machine. This was the third time the house had been listed. We were the third team, third crack. Yeah, we were, like the other, the last or the next chance to get this thing sold.
Speaker 3:And so, before I start a project, typically if I know it's like high urgency or really tough, I go well, let's see the photos. And dude, the photos were terrible. So the photos being terrible, along with the price being too high, price being too high meant that the realtor didn't have that confidence to say, hey, this is where we need to be priced to begin with, because if we're priced right, then we're in the game, if we're priced wrong, we're out of the option. Pool Right, right. So no matter how fantastic my photos are, if the home isn't priced right, we're not an option, we're not in the game, you are correct.
Speaker 3:So, not having that confidence, well then, where do you get the confidence from practice? Where do you get the practice? 10,000 hours, that's right, you know. So there's all these little facets behind the what you do. And in every business, like even this, celsius can Right. So it's not just about like the chemicals inside of it, it's like the mission, the drive, the purpose. You know there's probably somebody fired up about some reason. They did so bad that they had to make an energy drink, right, you, you know that's, that's only two bucks with 200 milligrams of caffeine.
Speaker 2:Man, that's awesome. So, that being the case, I mean we're looking at all of the changes. Yeah, so now that we've we've talked about your, your, your journey thus far, um.
Speaker 3:Well, you know, the other part to it is like the photography, like what we really do is sell. So there's two things we sell. We sell vision, okay, and then we sell time, right. So what I mean by that is, like, as far as vision specifically, it's like this is what you could own, right, this is the life that you could live. Yeah, this could be your living room, this could be your theater this could be.
Speaker 2:Do you remember I shot your house absolutely, yeah, yeah. Do you remember how sexy you're? I mean, I still go back and show people those pictures.
Speaker 3:Bro, I shot that house three times really yeah, one for the builder, one for the first time it was listed okay and then the second time, which is when you bought it yeah. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Man. Well, I tell you what, when you were like celebrating in the pool.
Speaker 3:I was like I know that pool really well and it happens all the time. I believe that. So where was I going?
Speaker 3:Well, the idea of oh, what we sell, sorry, go for it. Yeah, because I'm going to lose it. And then I missed the whole point. So we sell the vision right, this could be yours. But then we sell the time back. So, in order to create that vision that you're experiencing, that sold you, that moved you, that compelled you, it takes six to 12 hours. Why do I say that? Well, you got an hour of drive time, then you got the shoot time, and then you got the editing time, and then you got the deliverables editing time and then you got the deliverables, then you got the feedback and then you go okay, are we good now? So that's 12 hours, all for small price of you know whatever it is right.
Speaker 2:You know, for the time everybody's different, every home's different. All that good stuff, and we can get into that well later as well.
Speaker 3:So that's what I'm saying. So we sell vision and then we sell time, right, some people have more time than money, so they shoot it themselves. Fantastic. Some people have more time, more money than time and shoot it themselves Fantastic. Some people have more time, more money than time and they go bro, I only I ain't got four hours, I ain't got two hours. Correct, charge me whatever it is. And you know, if you have that practice and you have that diligence and you stick to it, then people trust you and they say yo, I know you're worth every penny, go ahead, just bill it to me.
Speaker 2:Makes perfect sense. Yeah, so, that being being the case, as we've seen and you you've been doing this for quite some time I want to hear from you, the expert, how photography and real estate has evolved in the last let's call it ten to five years yeah, so anybody can be a photographer.
Speaker 3:You take a picture with your iPhone. You go buy a camera at Best Buy I think you can buy cameras at HEB, anyway. So becoming a photographer has become easier, right, accessible to the masses, which also introduces problems, because now everybody's a photographer, so the photographer. Technically, if you take a picture, you're a photographer, so you are a photographer here. You know, if you're taking a cell phone picture, you're a photographer. However, the service, the people business, is what we're in, because there's always. Although AI and technology advances, it's almost naive to think that everything that we're using right now is not going to evolve tomorrow, like it's so stupid to think that they're not. People are literally interested in making it faster, better, cheaper. Faster, better, always. Yeah, that's exactly right. And mortgage and real estate photography in in the actual mechanics and the gear itself. They're faster, cheaper, better, right.
Speaker 2:I use an analogy all the time, which is no one ever goes to the Apple store and says, hey, give me that iPhone 12 and the 15's already out. Nobody goes backwards, they're always going forward. That's right. Faster, stronger, better, like you said.
Speaker 3:And unfortunately cheaper. Sounds good, sounds good, yeah, so then, but the the cheaper. It is in Spanish to say locado the Cuesta double the.
Speaker 2:In hindsight, it cost you double.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah. Yeah, it's the cheap shit cost you more, excuse me, but but yeah. So basically, in the way the way it's evolved, is that, like you have in any industry, in any business that you know things are as, as, at the same time that things are getting easier and faster and cheaper, there's also a parallel that with, like, they're creating more problems, and so there's always going to be a need for people to do people right. That's right. Yeah, there's, there's always going to be a need for a human to service another human. So I think all of our jobs are okay, but it is going to weed out the weak. I agree with that right. So it's just like whoever can't handle or keep up with, you know, zillow 3d tours or whatever yep, whatever's up, the monster that's eating all of us, right?
Speaker 3:So like, if you can't figure out a way to bring value, then obviously you probably need to look for something different. That's very true. Every 10 years, yeah, and now it's probably even faster. I'm scared for the next generation because it's like dude, it's like, you know, forest fires. Things change so fast. I think one of the things that I always have to remind myself is that you can never go wrong by doing what's right, and so if you're just looking for what would make this situation right and you just go there, and if that's all you know, just stay there, and people know you as that guy that makes sense, that makes perfect sense.
Speaker 2:Stay there and people know you as that guy. That makes sense, that makes perfect sense. So, with the evolution of this, this industry itself, you guys, um like, when did we start seeing? Uh, a heli, not heli, what do they call? It Drone footage, that kind of stuff.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so about? Uh, so when, 12 years ago, uh, my wife and I was like 12, 11, 12 years ago, uh, my wife and I was like 12, 11, 12 years ago we were buying our first house, okay, and my wife was dismissing like all of the listings that our realtor was sending us, right, she was like I don't like that one, I don't like that one, I don't like that one. And I said, baby, you, you're, you're criticizing the house based off of these photos and not me being a um student of photography. I was like, well, it's the white balance, it's the vertical. Like, well, it's the white balance, it's the verticals, it's the, it's the lack of editing, you know, and, and and then the storytelling, right, I said so you're going to dismiss this home because of that. And I go, oh, void, there's a problem. And I said, well, obviously, if there's a big enough void, then maybe somebody can do something about this.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and so I started asking for feedback. I was like yo, why do y'all do I? I talked to a realtor and I was like, why do y'all let this crap on the internet represent? And it was a hundred thousand dollar house that we were shopping like we were looking for, right, a hundred thousand dollar house. It wasn't like a mansion, it wasn't a baller house, it was a hundred k, but to us at the time that was the max that we can afford and it would come from the hood. So it was like, oh, we made it, we made it Right, but they were not not anybody specifically, but they were treating it as a, you know, just a hundred thousand dollar list.
Speaker 3:And I said, dude, that's a problem, cause there's a seller on the other side of this struggling to get this thing sold, right. And then there's a seller on the other side of this struggling to get this thing sold, oh, true, right. And then there's a buyer that can't connect. And I was like, bro, y'all don't see the big enough problem. This is a problem, yeah. So I said I'll do something about it. And it was like good, 50 bucks. And I was like what? Wow, how am I going to compete with 50 bucks? Right time? I was just like that, like uh, just defeated instantly. But then I go well, if I shot 10 of these a day, 50 times 10, would be $500 a day. And I didn't know what made the clock tick. I didn't know all the mechanics behind it and at the time I didn't have that many customers, so it was just like yeah, it took me. It took me seven hours to get this job done, of course. Of course, 50 bucks is worth it, right?
Speaker 2:But so there was no efficiency.
Speaker 3:There was no need for efficiency. Right, it was a hobby. Yeah, you know what I'm saying. Yeah, it was like when you got these cameras, you spend 12 hours. And your wife was like why are you still messing with this camera? And you're like I've just got to figure this out. And she's like, but you spent 38 hours this week on this, this week on this. And you were like, yeah, but one day we're gonna have a podcast.
Speaker 3:and she was like you ain't making no money and you just said you know it's fact right, it's a hobby at the start, yeah and um, and you know, it's just, I would imagine, not that I'm a basketball player, but when you start playing basketball, it's just, it's a, it's a sport, it's fun, it's it's a hobby. But then there's a business side of it and if you don't know how to start thinking about that early, like the efficiencies and the economics and the ups and the downs of just business in general, you'll get wiped out. Bro, you'll get wiped out.
Speaker 3:I've been there several times. I'm there, like every other quarter, where I'm just like Am I on the right path? You know, uh, but it's just one of those things where, if you listen to your heart and you remember the one thing that actually matters, you know, and the reason why you're doing it, you know and and uh, what I've known to be true on my business maybe it's the same for yours, maybe it's not, but in my business it's it's like waves. Um, you have this gorgeous, beautiful, massive wave of business come in and you're like, oh man, I am in the right spot, like I, I've, I got my, I got my groove, I got my customers, my clientele, and then, uh, you don't realize it, but that wave also goes out, and then that that amount of business kind of thins out and you're like what happened? Yeah, you know and I didn't.
Speaker 3:I didn't save money and I didn't, you know, you know I didn't market or I didn't, you know, pay for ads or I just, you know, did the organic thing. So every season there's like a rush of business, and then it's, you know, crickets, and so it's very tugging on your heart and your emotions. Your family's going through it. And then you know, at the same time you have to motivate your team, sure, and but then you have to have enough business to build a team. That's exactly right. And then they go, you know, and then the wave goes out and you're like, hey, stick around, bro, I promise it's going to be awesome.
Speaker 3:So you have peak seasons, you have off seasons. You can't really ignore the off season. You don't want to like scare your team and talk about the off season, but you have to. So there's all these like nuances that unless you do the 10,000 hours or or more, you'll never prepare for those quiet times. And then you'll freak out and say, you know what? Let me go do something else. Time to fold up, yeah, time to go do time. Time for me to go start being a realtor.
Speaker 2:And you know that's very relatable. What you're talking about is very relatable to today and what's happening in the mortgage and real estate professionals that a lot are jumping out and they're going to do something else instead of digging in or being prepared. Maybe they didn't put the 10,000 hours in to be able to know that, hey, this is how I need to shift in a market like this. Um, that being the case in your industry and your side of the tracks and I was going to talk about this at the end, but definitely it sounds like a good time to do it how has the market affected you guys' business? Because I can imagine that, with fewer listings, people out there, with their lower rates that are not willing to sell their home right now and probably could have or should have, um, are not. So therefore, there's less listings going out, less photos that are being taken, uh, less jobs to be had.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so very good point and totally true. Um, what's also true for, um, I would imagine, every industry and every type of uh of partner involved in the real estate right, there is a time to sell, there's a time to buy, right? And so, as a professional in the game, you know how do I serve and be prepared for both seasons, because it's all seasonal there's a summer, there's a winter, there's a fall, there's a spring. Yeah, there's no way around it, right? And so Jim Rohn says that some people give up in the winter and some people go skiing, and I'm paraphrasing, I'm chopping that up. But he's like the guy that is prepared for the ski trip, he has gear and he has equipment and he goes skiing, right, right. And then other people say, oh, this is terrible, it's so cold, we can't go outside, and they freak out, right so. But one guy's having a blast.
Speaker 2:That's right.
Speaker 3:So it's like that for us in our business, specifically going back to how our business is affected, if it's not a time to sell's a time to rent, and what I mean by rent I mean, like, be the landlord, sure, right, because the rental rates are high, that's right, right. So knowing how to position yourself as a professional to there's, they're always, luckily for us, they're always going to need to see that's very true their rental, um, and and, honestly, if you want to get a premium rate or like a premium rental rate, right, is it's you want to get a premium rate or like a premium rental rate? It's more likely to get that with professional photos than iPhone or unprofessional, because iPhone takes great photos. But the storytelling, the editing, the drone, the perspective matters, right, and so it's like it's a metaphor for life, a metaphor for life, like perspective really matters.
Speaker 3:So when you mentioned the drone, like the reason why that became so popular or so in demand was because there's only a certain way that you can communicate how big the lot is, sure, or how much privacy you have behind your house, and you could try to do that from a ground level. But there's a better way. And if you get at 100 feet or 200 feet. You can really emphasize on that privacy, and it puts it in perspective. I like that, yeah, and also the design of the pools. Sometimes that matters, right, so like if your home is $200,000 above your comps, right, why, right and so well, let me tell you why, and you can grab a drone and hyper-focus on that intricate design that the landscaper or I don't know what they're called- Whoever they are, but, yes, the people that designed the concrete and the design of the whole thing.
Speaker 3:There was this one house that had a guitar-shaped entrance and it literally looked like a guitar. So the design was crazy. Well, I can imagine that costs a lot of money. They overpaid, put it that way. Yeah, they overpaid at the time and they need a recoup. That's right. So what do I recoup in my listing price? Yep, Well, why is your listing price 100K above the neighbor's? Well, let me show you. And so that's why our storytelling matters. Yes, storytelling matters, yes. So how do you become an expert real estate storyteller? Well, practice and listen to your customers. So part of those 10,000 hours is not just shooting, it's like getting feedback. And so you have to ask your customer hey, how did I do? Is there anything I could have done better? What would have made it better? And that's that's hard dude, it's. It's a conversation that I rather not have.
Speaker 2:Well, most would rather not have it. But those that are seeking growth and those are, they're seeking the, the higher level of success, greater than the average, which it doesn't take much to be extraordinary, it's just a little extra, as they say, um are. I'm not saying that it gets easier to take that constructive criticism, but they are definitely inclined to continue to getting constructive criticism. Myself, I'm open to it always. I don't take offense to that, especially if it's coming from a good place, you know. And with you asking for direct feedback, I mean it's not only do you get to see your own work as you're completing it, but you also have a direct feedback source, which is how long is it going to take?
Speaker 3:How long did it sell? Yeah, right. And so when you get that that post where it's like um offer accepted or offer me, you know, uh, closed in 30 days, clear to close. And you see that you just shot that house like 30 days ago or 20 days ago or you know a month ago, it's like, okay, I did good, yeah, uh. But then when you get the feedback, like man, I can't figure it out, I have no showings You're like wait, that's the house that we shot four months ago. Uh, what was that house again? And I started looking it up and I go, hmm, well, it's in Redbird ranch.
Speaker 3:Hmm, as far as yes as far I'm like, ain't no Stone Oak agent trying to drive to Redbird ranch right now, that's right. So I I usually will say did you do a 3d tour? No, okay. So where are you at with this listing right now? Are you about to lose it or are y'all good? They said well, why do you ask that question? Well, cause, if you about to lose it, we need to do something now.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Right and they said, nah, I'm good for another year. I'm like, okay, well, what do you want to do? You want to ride this out and see what happens, or drop the price? Or you're going to drop the price and see. That's what I'm saying, bro. I get so fired up when I'm like, okay, so you'd rather drop the price 40K than to invest or get some feedback. That's right. Yo, bro, what could I do? What didn't I do Right the first time? I listed it.
Speaker 2:Well, this brings up a good topic. Briefly, I briefly I'm going to get so much heat. That's okay. That's what the show is for. A lot of folks have come on here being very transparent and I think it has increased their value in the market because people know that they can stand behind what they're saying and it's not coming from an emotional only place. It's very logical behind it.
Speaker 3:Right, like I tell you this, mark the other, like, I guess, cause I'm getting you know how like when you, when you turn I think I don't know if they say it's like 60 or something, but when you turn 60, you just don't give up- you don't give a fuck.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think I'm 60 and I'm creeping up there in my head, right there with you. So sooner, yep, and so often you're going to get there faster, right? So I'm an old man, yeah, and anyway, I say that because it's like the other day, somebody was like, well, how much does it cost? And I was like, dude, you're asking the wrong question, bro, because you get that question all the time, rightfully so. Like, how much does it cost to get all whatever you recommend? Right, but there's a price and there's a cost.
Speaker 3:And in what we do, I'm like the price of the service is this, but the cost is so far greater than the price, like you're about to lose your relationship with this client. Your commission is significantly more than what I priced this service out for. That's right, like you know, doing a price drop is so significant, dude, it's like it's easier just for me to be awkward up front and be like how much you want to list this for? Oh, yeah, no, it's true, right, like it's true, I. I think I would rather be like hey, oh, you want to do 100k more than what it should. Uh, yeah, I don't want to mess up our friendship bro right, uh, but there's like a hundred other agents that'll go.
Speaker 2:Yep, oh, no problem, I'll list it and have no justification on the price, no comps, nothing like that. It's just I want the business not knowing that you taking that listing is setting up wrong expectations for the seller, for the next agent for the economy, the seller, for the next agent for the economy?
Speaker 3:Absolutely the economy. Yeah, the neighborhood, it's true. Like bro, you're affecting everybody. Yeah, it's not just the little, it's not the listing, bro, it's lives, right I?
Speaker 2:believe, since COVID and we were already moving towards this virtual world, more virtual than actual in person, physically. And that's why I love this podcast, because we get to spend at least an hour with no phones and just rapping about stuff. And since COVID we realized that people number one are starting to work remotely more than not Number two when you're remote, that means you can live anywhere, but if you're in another state, another country, you can't just fly over here to see these properties. So the next best thing is the quality and the magic in the photography or in the presentation of what it is the story. That's exactly right and giving perspective to that. And we've seen so many people, myself included, that have bought homes without actually going to them physically to be in the home.
Speaker 3:Yeah, this is how relevant the story is. I think it's Lidl, I don't know. It's like oil there's a big oil.
Speaker 2:Lytle, Texas.
Speaker 3:I think it's Lytle.
Speaker 2:Lytle or Odessa.
Speaker 3:Odessa, it's Lytle, but here's the point the only reason to live in it might not be Lytle. I'm sorry people that live in Lytle, they're like bro, that ain't us. Bro, La, Um, they're like bro, that ain't us. It's like, uh, it's like one of those towns where the only reason to live there is because you're going to work in the oil, like Odessa, yeah Well, let's call it something like that.
Speaker 3:It's far so. This is my point is that, like the only reason to live there is that, right, and if you drive by it, it's nothing sexy at all, right? However, it's the only reason to live there, right? And you would think, well, you don't need photos to sell that lifestyle. Actually, you do so if it's a rental, right. If you're a homeowner again, and it's not the time to sell because of nobody's buying or you know interest rates or whatever, whatever, okay, well, then rent it and then get professional photos, so that way you can sell that lifestyle to that guy that's got to live there for nine months and he's okay with payment, paying premium because his company pays for it or he gets a lot of money for nine months.
Speaker 3:So the story is the what matters the most super impactful. Yeah, it's just like, if you don't, if you just show up and you'd be like, well, they paid for 15 angles, bro. Then you're like, well, they paid for 15 angles, bro. Then you're like, okay, you're missing the point.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and even more so to add to your point here, we as consumers not all, but most don't have the vision to place yourself in that property without the vision being presented in a certain way and many different aspects, it's like okay, I don't like that photo at first sight, so I'm not even going to dig into the next photo.
Speaker 3:Like you, you, you sell the sexy, you sell the lifestyle. Nothing else matters at this very moment, cause if you can't get them past the, the, the photos like. So I always say like, the price is the most important because of the data being so pertinent, or is that?
Speaker 1:the right word.
Speaker 3:Yeah, the data matters the most. On Zillow and these realtorcom, all these websites that are consumer-driven, they're doing a big bulk of lead generation.
Speaker 3:So they're doing a hell of a lot more than you and I can physically do, right, so if I know that, that's where the majority of my potential eyeballs are going to be right, your pool, my pool, right I need to make sure I know how to maximize my time there, or my space there. It's like real estate on their website. You're so knowing how to play the game, like what makes them click on my listing, you know, and uh, and that's why getting feedback is so important, because I I recently had an experience and I don't think she'll listen to this podcast, but she shitted on my photos and she was like it's just not clickable. And it was frustrating me, mark Cause. I was like what the hell does that mean? It's not clickable?
Speaker 3:it was frustrating me mark because I was like what the hell does that mean? It's not clickable. But I realized what she was talking about. What was she talking about? What she was talking about is like, when you're looking at the thumbnails, you know I wasn't delivering anything that was like click. You know, there was nothing that I was creating because it was just like a standard investment property. Okay, I was, I, I was, you know, just looking at it. Like you know, it's standard, right Standards to flip for her, it's a flip for him, it's a flip for everybody. Nobody cares, but in her perspective, right Like it matters, she spent 150 K on the flip. Yeah, and here comes this hotshot photographer being like, oh, it's a standard listing.
Speaker 3:And so I wasn't trying to create a thumbnail that was clickable. So it was funny because I think God talks to me through other people and I don't know. Anyway, it just it. Just it kind of re-ignited something where I was like, hmm, before I leave, did I make anything clickable or click worthy? You know, it's the same reason people show cleavage. It's the same reason why dudes are showing their thighs on leg days. It's just fact a lot. You're like what's going on there, bro? Oscar De La Hoya's little weenie video.
Speaker 2:I haven't seen it yet, but I'm sure I hate it bro, I hated that.
Speaker 3:I clicked on it. But his you know what I'm saying? His thing was like I, I was like what's wrong with this dude? But you know, you clicked on it, they got you, yeah. And then because I'm like, okay, I'm not gonna click on it, okay, but I gotta see what. I gotta see more right, like right, yeah, right, is he on drugs? And then you go, he's just trying to create awareness for a good cause. Okay, got it, but he got me to click on it. Anyway, back to Zillow.
Speaker 2:That was a smooth transition. Is what we call that yeah?
Speaker 3:I say the stupidest things.
Speaker 2:They're relevant. Okay, so in this interim, let's throw this up on the screen.
Speaker 3:JC, if you can go to reference one homes listed with professional real estate photos sell quicker and for more money. This is why and I want to just run through this real quick and I would um, angles matter, perspective matters, uh like, if you see that first photo on the top right, it's too dark. The verticals look. It looks like I'm looking at a haunted house.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, so for 375,. It doesn't make sense. I don't want to click on it, but the one right underneath it for a million dollars. Better highlights, better shadows, better shadows. I mean, it's just a different composition. It kind of makes me go hmm, I wonder what that is. I want to see more. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think they actually do some before and afters right here, or some professional versus not.
Speaker 3:Like notice that $2 million listing starts on the view and that makes sense. Oh yeah, you know.
Speaker 1:Matter of fact my home.
Speaker 2:That's why I bought it. I literally didn't even see the downstairs. I walked in I was so busy at the time that 2020, 2019, end of 2019, right when it was kind of beefing up before COVID happened it was time for us to move. It was our three-year mark. We were doing it every three years and uh saw the, the, the uh pamphlet, that that you obviously took the picture of, and it was the view and it was like, okay, we got to go see that house and Kristen's like well, that's not in our price range. I'm like but I can stretch a little bit for that, If that is what it is and literally walked in the front door, walk straight through the living room and straight out to the back and it was like this is the one.
Speaker 2:wait a minute. You like? This is the one. Wait a minute. You don't want to see any more of the house? I don't need to. This is why I mean we'll do our inspections and all that stuff, but let's roll.
Speaker 3:See that for me is like mission achieved.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Mission accomplished, Because now, I mean, I see your family enjoying that lifestyle and it just has impact. It's like the alternative, right. It's like I didn't sell that lifestyle. You didn't see that view. That's right. You live now in the ghetto.
Speaker 2:No, you live from the ghetto.
Speaker 3:No, no, you no. You know what I'm saying. You live in a different house and it wasn't the mission that that seller was set out to achieve, right, you know. But it also wasn't this division that you set out to achieve, you know. But it also wasn't the vision that you set out to achieve. Because you've come this far to just not get what you want, right, like, I know I can get it, I'll figure everything out, but that's what I want. And you know, it's just funny that there's people in the way of that vision.
Speaker 3:That's true, and sometimes it's ego that's in the way of it, bro, because it's like no, I don't, I don't need to get, I don't need to upgrade to that or sell, I don't need, I don't need to get that photographer or that landscaper or that painter or that. And it's like, bro, just If you knew the cost, if you knew the cost, yes, bro, cause on both sides selling and buying I mean the cost of it would have been different. You know, if, if, anyway, so yeah, but like what? What thumbnail you pick on on any of those website matters? Then they click on it, and then your description if it's like 57 paragraphs, like you lost me, yeah, me too, me too.
Speaker 2:But if it it's like a picture is worth a thousand words, right and it's true in my opinion.
Speaker 3:I mean, now you got see, that's what I'm saying with technology. Oh yeah, you got people doing, hey, chat, gpt, spit me up a essay. And it's like no, bro, what's the meat and potatoes? Why are you buying this house Cause of this, this, this and this and this? And then the other thing is like this, the, the, the, uh, demographic bro, like some of these, I I've, I've looked at my listings. I say my listings, but like no, it's stuff that I shot for people on nolan and hayes and new brownfels and the words that they use. I'm like, bro, we don't read like that right that's very true, we don't use elegant labrish words like that.
Speaker 3:I'm like you. You lost all these half of the demographic.
Speaker 2:That's exactly right.
Speaker 3:We're in Antonio, bro, but like straight to the meat and potatoes. I mean you could choose to. You know, use chat GPT, but then also learn how to use chat GPT. Don't just use chat GPT like, then learn it and say bro, okay, okay, dumb this down for a dude. Dumb this down for a 32 year old dude. Dumb this down for a 25 year old dude. All right, sound like a dude. Use emojis. Don't use emojis Like learn how to use it.
Speaker 2:Don't just use it and just be like well, I've done my question for you and this is side note because I just thought about it, but you've got plenty of business now, but was there any point in time where you set out or establish some type of presentation or class value proposition to present to realtors?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I got this slide.
Speaker 3:It's called strategy matters and it's super dope, because it's like what we're talking about, the story, is what matters more than the photos. Sure, like, if you say, hey, how much is this? I'm like, wait, wait, wait, let's take it back bro, what neighborhood is it? What price are you gonna be at? Does it have a pool? Does it have external lighting? Why is that important? Well, because it matters how I position this thing.
Speaker 3:If it's overpriced by choice, like you guys said, hey, we are going to be a hundred K over our comps. Right, I have to know what to emphasize on, sure. And if I don't know what to emphasize on, then it's going to be possible that I overlook it or it's not in my story, you know. So I have this process in my brain and in my company where I go CAs and EAs. Cas is a critical angle, ea is an emphasis angle. So a lot of times you need to emphasize on something and a lot of times you don't have shit to emphasize on. So let's just connect the angles or make sure I at least cover the critical angles. If you cover the critical angles, you can go live with critical angles, but you can't go live all the time with emphasized angles, like who cares if it has a fireplace, right. You know what's the flow like.
Speaker 2:Yeah, how do I get through this? How do I get? I need to envision myself walking through it in these photos.
Speaker 3:That's right and, like I said, it's all a metaphor for life, because what's important in life in general, and you bring it into the photography where, where did I come from? Right, like, how did I like? Where's the entrance? Where's the like, how did I get here? Where am I at? Okay, you are clearly in the living room, so what angle best says that story? Right, so, like, where did I come from? Where am I at? Yes, right. And then where am I going? Absolutely.
Speaker 2:You know what I'm saying?
Speaker 3:Absolutely, that's what matters the most in my process. Yes, you know what I'm saying. It's like like, where, how did I get from the kitchen to the living room, to living, to the kitchen? So all those things apply because you're answering questions. Yeah, basically, the better storyteller you are, the better question, the better answer to those people's questions, you are Right. So it's like you know how many people can. So, for example, like when one of the questions you asked was like how has technology involved? Well, 10 years ago we didn't care about staging or virtual staging. Okay, 10 years later, if they got the time and the budget, I'm going to recommend actual staging, always first and foremost, sure. But if they don't got the time or the budget, I'm going to say, bro, at least do virtual staging. Yeah, why does that matter? Well, because if you're in a dining and explain to us what virtual staging is.
Speaker 3:It's staging it digitally because you don't have the time or financial means to make it happen in real life.
Speaker 2:Meaning you are literally placing a couch here, you're putting a table here?
Speaker 3:Yeah, if you have a theater and some builders don't put features that clearly identify or distinguish this theater. Okay, like those little lights that are on the side, sure, and the little arches, that kind of like make it look like this theater. Okay, like those little lights that are on the side, sure, and the little arches, that kind of like, make it look like a theater, correct. Sometimes they don't spend the money on making it look like a theater, right? So if the photographer is just like here's your photo, it's just a room. It's just a room. In fact, it looks like a cave or a cave, a dungeon, or like a storage unit.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:But it's a six seater theater room that can actually have a hundred inch screen. So the digitally, uh the option to do it digitally, comes in clutch. Yeah, it's like, and if you do the comparison and again I am an advocate for stagers First of all, the consultation takes time and I want people to stage, but I get it.
Speaker 3:Sometimes they're like, bro, I can't, there's nothing I can do, my hands are tied. Well, at that point I think, as a professional, it's your responsibility to be like there is another option. Right, and I prefer you go this way. But if you can't do that, go this way. So we now have companies that we use, but we also do it ourselves in-house, just because we have a little bit more control. But when there's so much volume, sometimes we sub it out. But anyway, we have options for these people that they need to get on the market tomorrow and they don't have the time or capacity or the bandwidth to get it physically staged. So that's one way that technology has evolved and so we introduced those services.
Speaker 3:Sure, the 3D tours wasn't a big thing 10 years ago. Today it's like dude I mean especially with like people moving getting a job at these tech companies that come into San Antonio. Bro, they have to buy today for a house that they got to live in in like seven months from now. Yeah, so like, how do I do that? How do I make that decision? Well, based on just photos, right, I got to do. I have a homie that will drive from Stone Oak all the way to Somerset to show me a house, probably not Probably right.
Speaker 3:They're like yeah, I'll go next Thursday.
Speaker 2:So essentially what we're trying to and what that ends up doing is reducing the eyeballs, reducing the attempts, reducing the offers, lowering your sales price value technically, because it's not getting the same looks, the same feedback, the same painted picture that we, as layman consumers, need to see because we can't do it ourselves.
Speaker 3:That's right. And if you have the ability, bro, to position your listing right and a home run consists of four bases right, it's like where you start and then there are three others and then. So if you cover all your bases, you're in the best position that you could possibly be yeah. That's a great way to put that. But if you say, well, I'll just cover the first base, okay, yeah, that's a great way to put that.
Speaker 2:But if you say, well, I'll just cover the first base, okay, well, it's going to.
Speaker 3:I mean it's half-assed. It's half-assed, but also I mean you're decreasing your chances or your odds are against you now, because other people are actually covering all four bases.
Speaker 2:That's true, that's true.
Speaker 3:Putting them and it may not sell faster than others, but it is going to sell faster than the others. That don't, that don't, yeah. So your position, like as a, as an expert, like how do you want to be positioning yourself? Same reason why you buy a Mercedes, it's the same reason why you buy whatever, whatever it is that, that, uh, that associates you with the status that you're trying to claim, correct, right. So if you say, like, I need this to do what I do best, right. Or I need this house or this car or this process or this machine or this tool, that's right. Right, you don't always need a jackhammer, but there's a guy who always needs a jackhammer, that's right. Right, there's a like, I never need a jackhammer, but there's dudes that can't operate without jackhammers, operate without jackhammers.
Speaker 3:So my point is is that, like, you need to know what tool do you need to sell and, uh, or to achieve the goal that we're trying to achieve? So if your goal is to list something, then it doesn't matter what you do, but if your goal is to sell something, then it does matter. You know how much effort you put into it. And there's, there's agents. Man, you talk about Gilly. Uh, you know, gilly's a great example, and damn, I'm going to single this dude out.
Speaker 2:Do it, do it. Matter of fact, I'll play it back for him for tomorrow.
Speaker 3:Martin, he'll be here in tomorrow. All your guests are like my clients or just homies, you know, so they can be like. Well, why don't you Like Whitney? Whitney, yeah, no-transcript that that's the dream, right but you know, if you don't do what you got to do, I mean, sometimes you know you don't necessarily need money to make money, but you just need to make decisions and you need to like, like, decide.
Speaker 2:So true, right and so jc how we doing on time need to like, like, decide, so true, right. And so jc how we doing on time. It's one hour 45 seconds, holy cow. Okay, see, I told you, dude, I don't have a timer, it's just always right on the money. It does feel like 20 minutes. Like I said, it'll go by so fast, yeah thank you for being before.
Speaker 2:Before we wrap this up, I've got some stats that I want to go over and I want the listeners to hear this stuff. Let me see here Okay, so utilizing chat GPT the correct way I asked it using a professional photographer versus doing them yourself what are the benefits? And this is based on actual data and it says here first impressions matter. According to study by the National Association of Realtors, 87% of home buyers rely on photos as a key factor in their home search. High quality photos are often the first thing buyers notice, creating a strong first impression that can either make or break their interest in the property Basically what you were talking about there. Let me go to number two Faster sales. Homes with professional photos sell faster. Redfin, a real estate brokerage, found that homes listed with higher quality DSLR photos and that is DSLR versus iPhone, so to speak sold 32% faster than those with lower quality images with iPhone or said uh other uh cameras. This is a particularly important in competitive market, where making a strong initial impression can result in a faster offer.
Speaker 2:Number three higher selling price. Professional photos can also help sellers achieve a higher sales price. A study from VHT Studio revealed that the homes with professional photography tend to sell for higher prices. In fact, listings with high-quality photos have been shown to sell for between $3,000 and $11,000 more than the homes with amateur photos. Number four perceived value, and we spoke about this. High quality photos help convey the value of the home. The buyers perceive professionally photographed homes as being better maintained and more desirable. This emotional response can translate into increased interest and potentially, a higher offer. And then broader reach is the last one In the digital age being the time that we're in now and, as we mentioned, not going backwards, so we're only going forward and faster In the digital age. Buyers often view homes online first, bright and saved by potential. No, no, no. Bright and clear, professional shots are most likely to be clicked on, shared and saved by potential buyers. This increases the visibility of the listing and lead to more showings. Basically what you said there and this is all data statistics this is not emotion.
Speaker 3:It's all been removed from there yeah, because uh, the important thing is to uh compare it to the alternative. Yeah, right, so bright and airy, dark and or bright and clear, dark and unclear, correct. You know, uh, professional, unprofessional, the the, the thing is what makes it professional right. So it's like you know, uh, training, it's right versus knowing what aperture is, knowing what your white balance is.
Speaker 2:I know all these things now going up, not smelling like weed.
Speaker 3:It's over and up, not you know showing up on and you know on a timely fashion. You know um the the deliverables being consistent, meeting the customer's expectation. On the 37th house, that looks totally different from all 36 houses before.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 3:Being consistent, you know. So it's like. The reason why it sells faster is when you compare it to those who don't have a professional, those who don't have a professional. The reason why it's, you know the reason why it's, the reason why it sells for more is typically because you have a multiple offer situation, which is, if you ask any seller, hey, would you rather have one offer or would you rather have 10? They're always going to say I'd rather have 10. Always Right, but the agent that doesn't know. What they don't know and that's the problem is that they might not have been in the game long enough to know that one offer isn't really nothing to get excited about. Right, that's very true. It's very true. It's almost scary if you only have one. If you have one offer, I'd be nervous.
Speaker 2:I'm right there with you, especially in this market. What website Bright and Early?
Speaker 3:Bright and Early Productions is the website, yeah, website, bright and Early. Bright and Early.
Speaker 2:Productions is the website. Yeah, productionscom JC, if you can throw that up there, showing this beautiful home. Nothing but beautiful pictures of homes. Rick shoots luxury homes to small investment properties. He does it all.
Speaker 3:And one of the things to kind of make sure that people know is that it's not just Rick, the, the photographer. Like I am the, the senior photographer, I'm the leader, I'm the team leader, I'm also the um. Like I will take challenging projects. Sure, I'll take higher end projects, for sure, because that's where the energy needs to be concentrated, versus anything 300 000 and below. We have uh tiers that certainly have tier one, tier two to three. I'm like a tier three so I can execute a two hundred thousand dollar house, but so sure, so can my junior associate, so can my partners that been with us a year or two years. Any of us can do that. But when it comes to a project that is going to be challenging or going to be higher priced, you don't want to get a tier one associate to take on that project. So it's good to know that there's, first of all, it's not just me. So that way you know you don't have to wait for Rick's availability because I'm probably not available tomorrow, right, right, but we have seven other. Well, we have six other guys that can, that can shoot it. That's awesome. So we do have a team of photographers, a team of editors, we have customer service reps. So a lot of my challenge in my earlier years was that I wouldn't respond as fast as people need to know. Hey, are you available? There's so many things to consider around it. Like I would say yes, but then my previous appointment would be in Bernie and then their appointment is in Austin and I'm like well, how the hell do I be in two places at once? Yeah, like in 30 minutes, right. So we have customer service reps. That kind of helps me help, you know, keep the machine going. But yeah, if you follow us on our Facebook or Instagram pages, the beautiful thing is most of that is our team. It's not my work, because I learned earlier in the years that people were expecting what they saw and so we stopped posting my stuff because it looked a certain way.
Speaker 3:If you want that, you got to pay them. Yeah, well that. But also they're like wait a minute? Well, because everybody has their certain level of skill, their practice, their expertise, their experience. So you know, to get a certain look, you have to do a certain thing, and that comes with time, that comes with experience. So it's like a barber. You know, the barber knows your edge up and the barber who doesn't. This is his first time cutting your hair. He doesn't know your hairline. So he's like what do you want? Ball fade or taper fade? Okay, cool. And then you get in. You're like oh, you're not like that other guy, why would it be any different? On photography, that's exactly right.
Speaker 2:Experience matters.
Speaker 3:Mortgage right, like I mean, even in your process, I've been with lenders that know and then I've been with lenders that care and I've been with lenders that don't know, don't care, and I'm like man. The experience is totally different. They either flood you with all the information you need, sometimes they overwhelm you, sometimes they stress you out, sometimes they care, sometimes they don't.
Speaker 2:But the person who's refined themselves, they know how far to go in and go out and guide you. They're more like that EQ of of knowing people and knowing the, the mannerisms and picking up on those things along with parlaying your craft or your expertise with that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's the same in our business. So expecting a photographer that's been doing this for one year to execute like a photographer that's been doing this for 15 years is outlandish, outlandish, yep. But you know, that's what we're here for to call and to you know, to educate. And if you have something that you're like, man, I hasn't. So I wish more people would do that. I wish the ego would get out of the way and they would say, hey, can you help me with this? Can you take a look at this and just tell me what you recommend? Maybe I'm not looking at something or maybe I didn't do something. If more of us did what we're doing right now, which is conversation and actually networking and saying, hey, like um, collaborate Right. So I wish we would collaborate more because we would probably get some crazy stuff done.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, you know. But everybody, like you said, does have the ego and and and. Uh, if I'm doing something great, I want nobody to know about it. Why? Because it's a secret. I'm not that way man.
Speaker 2:That's why this show is doing well is because we, we lay it all out there and, hey, the info's there. Yeah, matter of fact, we weren't the first ones to put it out there. It's out there all over the place. If you go and find it, you will find it. That's right, that's awesome.
Speaker 2:Okay, so we got some good stuff in this discussion? I hope so. Um, one of the the the biggest uh things that I have heard within this and folks may not have picked up on it, but the market being what it is, a bit slower for all of us real estate professionals um, rick and his team decided to leverage. They can now do rentals and probably always have, but now they've got multiple things going and I believe that's something that I want to challenge or inspire you guys out there to do If you're in the real estate profession, if you can, don't get out of the real estate profession, shift your focus to something that will still earn you money and still help the consumer um accomplishing their goals. I mean that's something that you can continue to better sharpening your tools, your craft, all of that good stuff.
Speaker 3:Um, yeah, cause you could still rent. You can still make money on them renting the house for six months. Of course, I have one, um, I have one agent who will hire me to sell the house and if it doesn't sell, I get hired again and I'm like what are we doing now? Well, we're going to Airbnb this for a year. And I said why Airbnb and not long-term, why STR and not long-term rental? And they said, well, because we need a premium mortgage, we need a premium rent. Ah Right, so that's why I was talking about Positioning yourself Right. It's pivoting.
Speaker 2:Right, in addition to if they are ready to sell it, they don't have to wait for a tenant to get out of there and turn around. Pull your pictures from that one. And because it goes to that, feedback stuff.
Speaker 3:So if we have a short-term rental, they give you feedback out on the hour that I brought your, your, your toilets making too much noise, your, you know your paint is, too, is a lot darker than these photos, you know, and they're like, and so what happens is the landlord has to like, eat it and just say, okay, I got to do something about it. So your, your, your, your solution as a professional adapts to the market, right. And you say, yo, like, you know, don't worry, you know you're, you're afraid of not meeting your mortgage. I get that. You wanted to sell this right now. I got you. I'm on the same page. I want to sell this, but we can't get what you want, for whatever reason, or it's going to take you some time to renovate it, whatever. Let's look into this option and there's agents that will initially go for trying to sell it and they do everything they can because they're looking for that max dollar right now for the seller, right, right Seller.
Speaker 3:And if they can't do it, they go hey, don't trip, I got you, I see you, I know what you're going through. You don't need market rate, rental price, you need whatever we can get right. The only way to do that is to to do an Airbnb. That's smart move, man.
Speaker 2:That's another tidbit right here towards the end. Well, rick, man, that's another tidbit right here towards the end. Well, rick, is there anything else you want to add to this thing?
Speaker 3:I just want you to know that I'm proud of you, man. I'm grateful that we finally did this. It's been a long time coming and I just I'm grateful that you didn't quit and that you did your 10,000 hours and that you stuck it out, because, if you like, I said, if you would have became a photographer, we wouldn't be here.
Speaker 2:That is a damn good point. Well, rick, thank you for joining me. Incredible person and an amazing expert at your craft. Truly, those of you out there tuning in realtors, if you've never hired a professional photographer, test that out. It's definitely going to be worth it. Uh, as we mentioned, the many different um factors that will play into your success in getting that property sold. Um, typically first impressions way on those uh photos. Um, guys, I really appreciate you tuning in. We are now at 11,000 subscribers and climbing Um, so we're going to continue to bring you guys um more experts in our field. Um, and hopefully it continues to bring you guys value. Uh. That being the case, we will catch you on the next one.
Speaker 2:Are you tired of feeling overwhelmed and under-informed during the mortgage process? Look no further than ReviewMyMortgagecom. With our revolutionary Loan Smart tool, you can self-diagnose your particular criteria and access thousands of mortgage programs to educate yourself. Whether you're a first-time buyer, repeat buyer or an investor, our website offers a wealth of information to help you make informed decisions. So don't go about buying, selling or refinancing a home alone. Educate yourself at ReviewMyMortgagecom, the largest index of mortgage programs nationally, an educational website built for the next generation of future homeowners, just like you.
