The old saying that "a picture paints a thousand words" is something that I have always believed and when applied to the sale and letting of property can often be the difference between successfully selling and letting a property.

One's first impressions of a property have never been more important than in the fast-paced property market we have experienced so far this year.

Whilst many homeowners would agree that in such a buoyant market place any property will sell or let regardless of the quality of the photos.

They are indeed correct for the most part due to the relentless demand for property.

The question is; how much could it cost you? The alternative way to look at this should be; how much extra could it earn you if you get the best possible photo?

The reality of the housing market in 2021 is that there are multiple tenants and buyers for every property that is marketed.

It doesn't take the best estate/letting agent to source a suiter for your property either, however, I was always one for focusing on achieving the best price for a property within the timescale that suits our vendor or landlord, not just to find someone, agree on a figure as quickly as possible and move on to the next property.

That isn't acting in the best interest of the customer in my opinion.

When receiving instructions from a client to act on their behalf, in fact prior to receiving instructions, it is essential to establish their goal, what they most want to achieve from the transaction so you can tailor the marketing strategy around their motivation and driver.

Already in 2021, I have witnessed countless properties that are being unprofessionally marketed without any thought for their customers' best interests. It only takes a minute or so of looking on one of the portal websites and you will witness the same.

How do agents get away with it? This question crosses my mind on a daily basis and has done for over 20 years. The reality is that many people aren't aware of the damage it can do, or perhaps are shoe-horned into making a decision and then simply stick with their choice.

I'm sure in many cases the emphasis will have been on how quickly an agent can market their home, which may have appealed.

Regardless of the reason, it is these people that I feel sorry for, as they are the ones ultimately missing out on tens of pounds of rental income each month or thousands of pounds on their sale price.

We made the choice to offer each client professional photography at Bradley's, not due to the incapability of our staff of capturing the money shot, it was simply so that we know that where it's most important to the client to market their home in the best possible light and by doing so attracting the most interested parties, which in turn will gain the best price, we can do so.

In addition, our video and tour options take the marketing to the next level and will not only help buyers that have limited time, are perhaps located further away, or wish to seek the advice of others prior to committing to a property, all of which becomes much easier with tours/videos but also provides the ability for us as agents to help filter the suitable buyers and tenants prior to showing the property in person.

So the question should be how many thousands can the right picture (or video/tour) make me if I get the marketing right?