I couldn't help but post this to the MLS 52 pics. I just happen to come across it. Yes, a real listing (it's a commercial listing to be exact). This is actually from the Martin IDX but made an exception to post it on Regional IDX as an example. Apparently, this pizza is for sale for $299,111. But I can get you a similar one for $9.99 and if you order on a Tuesday, it's only $6.99.

This is the lead picture on the listing, meaning it's the first picture shown. Actually it's the only picture shown. No other pictures are to be found.

The lesson behind this is simple. Take quality photos of what you're selling. If you're not selling pizza, don't show it.

From the buyer's perspective it sounds something like this, "I want what I see."

I Want What I See, I Want What I See

There's a story of a young mother and her daughter. Around the holiday season, the mother took the daughter shopping promising her that she can have a treat when they got there. When they arrived in the food court, the daughter saw a larger-than-life picture of a chocolate sundae.

You know the kind of picture that I'm talking about. The soft ice cream was dripping with hot fudge, and gobs of hot fudge were swimming around the rim of the enormous dish. The cool afternoon refreshment had cloud fluffy whip cream that seemed to be piled a mile high. It was sprinkled with all the candy colors of the rainbow. And on the top of this whipped mountain was a perfect-stemmed cherry that left its tasty red mark which was on a slow journey down the side of the whipping to meet the fudge in a perfect union of happiness and joy.

The mother quickly ordered the ice cream sundae for the daughter who could hardly hold her excitement. The staff handed the young child her treat.

The child winced. A single puny pile of half melted ice cream sat on its soggy side with flat whipping scrapped on one side of the cup balanced by a spoonful of flat fudge on the other. Not a cherry in sight. She quickly looked at her mother and exclaimed, "Mom! You ordered the wrong thing! I want what I see... there!" And pointed to the picture on the wall.

Final Advice

I love that story. What's so obvious to a young child is sometimes forgotten in realm of professional real estate marketing and photography. If you ever have to question whether to use a photo in a real estate marketing plan, just use this story as a litmous test and remember these words, "I want what I see!"