Does watermarking real estate photos have any effect?
As per 2019 statistics from the National Association of Realtors, 51% of buyers found the home they ended up buying on the Internet. If you are one of the 3 million or so licensed real estate agents in the US, your internet listings need to be strong, professional, and compelling.
The best internet listings feature high-quality photographs highlighting the outstanding features of a home, including accurate home and neighbourhood information, a list of clear contact information, and a profile of the property agent’s expertise.
Pictures are worth a thousand words, as they say, but in real estate, they can be worth thousands of dollars, that’s why they need protecting.
How Does Real Estate Photography Work?
As any realtor knows, selling a house needs beautiful pictures. It would be best if you convinced the potential buyers that they’re getting the best bang for their buck.
While you might consider yourself an expert on smartphone filters and photos, you need better quality photos if you need to close a deal and make a sale.
When you hire a photographer particularly to take photos for use on the internet listing, whether as an employee or as a contractor, first review their portfolio to ensure that the quality meets your standards. Then make sure that you have a carefully worded contract.
In addition to the regular legal listing of the parties, the location of the property, the number of photos, the terms of payment, etc., this contract should include a specific wording on who owns the images and how they could be used.
Unfortunately, in the competitive real estate world, photos posted online are often stolen and used by other parties to advertise the same listings. Wouldn’t you get upset if your competitor, instead of you, closed a huge deal thanks to your photos?
There are, however, ways to protect against this. They must probably be detailed in the contract so that both your business and the photographer’s business are protected.
Why Watermark Real Estate Photos?
One of the most dependable ways to protect your images is by watermarking it.
A watermark is a text or image placed on another image that makes it more difficult to duplicate or copy. Watermarks are usually transparent, so you could still see most of the images below the mark. They may be large or small, but either size has the same goal: to protect your assets.
Watermarking your real estate photographs send a clear signal to other parties that they could not use them without your consent. Watermarks also help build trust with possible buyers as they demonstrate authenticity.
If other parties try to use your images, buyers are likely to be wary of a company that uses photos that they obviously do not own. You may even be able to take legal action if you find your watermarked images on another site.
Best Practices in Watermarking Real Estate Photos
There are some good practices that real estate agents should follow when it comes to watermarking photos.
Before watermarking, make sure your listing portal and local MLS allow watermarked images. If they do not, there are still ways to protect your images from copyright filings. Although watermarking is fairly simple with online tools, it is crucial to check the listing rules, so you do not waste your time.
Where Should the Watermark Go?
Place your watermarks on a photo where the main content of the photo is not obscured. A standard choice is the bottom right corner. However, anything close to the edge of the photo can easily be cropped out.
Placing the watermark near the centre of the image is more prominent and can not be cropped out. One disadvantage of centre placement is that you risk obstructing the beauty of the house you are attempting to sell.
How Bright Should the Watermark Be?
The watermark colors should strike a balance between transparent and opaque. If it is too opaque, you would not be able to see the content of the photo. If it’s too transparent, you’re not going to be able to see the watermark. The watermark should be visible but elegant, and it might take some research and testing to get it right.
What Should Be Included in the Watermark?
Since the watermark is a right of ownership, the name of the real estate agent should be included. It should also include contact details, such as the website address so that anyone who sees the photo will know where to go for more details.
Next Steps for Real Estate Agents
If you have some existing listings, it might be worth adding watermarks to these images and re-loading them. With online tools, like Watermarquee, you could quickly add watermarks to multiple photos.
Whether if you do not have time to update your existing images, it is worth taking the time to create a watermark for future images. This highly competitive field will become even more competitive during market booms – adding this photo may make a difference between you or another sales agent.
Watermarquee is an online watermarking photo tool which you can use right in your browser – no downloading or installing software! For unlimited watermarks sign up to Pro Version today for a low one off fee of $19.00. Start watermarking today.
