
| All Rights Reserved. Drew Callaghan Photography. Philadelphia, PA 19147 Copyright 2008. All rights reserved. |
| Selling a home used to be all about "curb appeal," or the first impression a property conveys to potential buyers as they pull up in front. A house that looks unattractive from the street won't sell, the mantra goes. These days, a property's "pix appeal," or attractiveness in photos posted in online listings, is equally important. Eighty percent of home buyers used the Internet last year to search for a home, and nearly 25% reported that the Internet is where they first found the property they purchased, according to a National Association of REALTORS survey. "Without pictures I am much less likely to go see a house," says house hunter David Williamson, Philadelphia, PA. In most cases -- 85% of the time -- online photos are my first view of a home, he says, adding that poor pictures or worst no photos will turn him away. Photographs are powerful bait. Good ones can lure buyers; poor ones can do the opposite. By Dana Mattioli, The Wall Street Journal |