Photos: New Zealand and Australia – the autumn collection

For this blog post, you may need a nice tall glass of quality wine.

Autumn provides the perfect backdrop for a wine or two. Photo by Guy Le Page in Barwon Heads, Victoria.

Aah, that’ll do nicely.

The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed that wine is of Australian vintage. Now, about that:

Open2view is a special company in that we’re New Zealand born and bred but have spread our wings to a whole lot of other nations too – Australia, Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom.

This means, from time to time, there will be posts here with a multi-regional flavour. This shift from a varietal site to more of a blend will, we assure you, provide you with a fuller-bodied experience.

To prove we aren’t straying far from our roots, here’s a photo of Mt Egmont/Taranaki:

Open2view Taranaki autumn

The above are just two of many photos sent to me at Open2view Global HQ when I asked the team for some autumn pics to show off this most underrated of seasons.

Check out the best of the rest below (click on any photo to get the gallery rolling), and see why no one does autumn quite as well as Australasia – and no one captures it quite like Open2view.

Big is beautiful: why Open2view is the ‘gold standard’ for real estate photography

Ask anyone involved in real estate who Alistair Helm is, and they’ll know. If they don’t, odds are they’re doing it wrong.

Alistair is the former CEO of Realestate.co.nz, the property website (aka portal) that displays virtually every single house for sale in New Zealand. Alistair, like Open2view, recognised early two crucial details about the real estate market.

The first point, that online would become the only source for the vast majority of homebuyers, has consequently been proven absolutely correct.

Having help build realestate.co.nz into the behemoth it is today, he is now showcasing his talents on a global scale. Recently Alistair became CEO of Property Portal Watch, which is the website to follow to keep up with developments in online real estate.

As such, the site is “specifically designed to serve the owners and operators of property portal sites” – but one recent article from Alistair deserves a wider audience.

Property Image Sizes, Getting Bigger – Catch the Trend emphatically makes our second important point: that without good, preferably professional photos, your listing is dead in the water.

Alistair reports:

Recent research has reinforced what most real estate agents and for that matter property portals already knew, property shoppers look first and most often at photos.

The research study undertaken by the Institute for Behavioral and Experimental Real Estate at Old Dominion University at Norfolk, Virginia found that 95% of people, when viewing real estate websites view the first photo for around 20 seconds.

Photos sell property; and this study only reinforced this fact by demonstrating the lesser importance of agent descriptions as part of the listing. The researchers found that a staggering 4 out of 10 people completely ignored the agent spiel.

The whole academic paper Alistair quotes can be read here. I’ll save you a headache; one of the authors, Professor Michael Seiler, summed the findings up perfectly: “without an eye-catching photo, the battle is lost before it begins.”

The first photo is the key weapon in winning the battle. Not only does it have to be beautiful, it also helps significantly if it’s big.

Alistair explains:

The future is becoming clearer in regard to the viewing experience for real estate. Mobile, or to use a better expression, hand-held devices, being tablets and phones or just phablets will be at least half of all viewing for property; the other half may well end up being viewed on ever bigger screens. It is likely that the traditional PC monitor will be replaced by the flat screen TV as property buyers sit back on the couch and browse property on their 60” High definition LCD TV.

So how big are most real estate photos? Alistair has done some homework and found the largest listing page images on realestate.com.au at 772×579, followed by Sweden’s Hemnet (690×460) and US site Trulia (640×427). The smallest? Immoweb.be (“Belgium’s leading property website!”) at a microscopic 145×145.

Immoweb tiny images

Anyone home?

All far smaller than the typical computer monitor, let alone those smart TVs that will soon be all the rage.

So whom do you turn to for the world’s largest, high definition, professional photos?

Open2view, that’s who!

Alistair gave this wonderful endorsement of what we do:

In reviewing the global portals I was torn as to the inclusion of the site of Open2View… They are not a portal in the true sense of the term of aggregating listings from multiple customers and earning income from subscription and property advertising. However there is no doubt that their website is one of the most immersive viewing experiences of any property website I have ever come across.

They make the property image the hero – front and centre with everything else pushed back out of the way – listing photos are 960 x 640 with the overlay switching to full screen at 1135 x 750 – a staggering experience coupled with professional quality images. Whilst not a true property portal, Open2View for me certainly sets the gold standard for online property images. [Emphasis added]

Even better – if your screen’s big enough our fullscreen photos go all the way up to 1600×1066. No matter how you look at them our photos are bigger, brighter and better than anywhere else on the web – and now you don’t have to just take our word for it!

Fullscreen Open2view listing example

Just click the Fullscreen icon on any of our listings for a fully immersive househunting experience.

Neither the study’s findings, nor Alistair’s words of wisdom, should go ignored. Our advice to house sellers: if you want your house looking its very best, tell your agent to contact the Open2view team. House buyers, check out Open2view first – you won’t get a better viewing experience anywhere else.

And while you’re online – check out Alistair’s other website, Properazzi, for more news and views on the real estate market.

World Pinhole Photography Day: how you can take part

Bruce Forbes Bath House pinhole photo

From the 2012 World Pinhole Photography Day collection. Bruce Forbes took this photo of the old Rotorua Bath House using a pinhole camera made from an old paint tin.

Got a bunch of kids on your hands these school holidays? Here’s Open2view to the rescue: this Sunday, 28 April, is World Pinhole Photography Day and – as the name suggests – people all over the show will be building their own cameras out of whatever crafty ingredients they can find.

The official website encourages people to take part by taking “some time off from the increasingly technological world we live in and to participate in the simple act of making a pinhole photograph.” The site also has a (anticipatedly empty) gallery for the 2013 collection and photos from Pinhole days past.

Grownups, there seems to be two events in New Zealand this Sunday. There are some pinhole workshops being held in Wellington; meanwhile the Auckland workshop looks to be very almost full. But get in touch just in case – and best you do it now. Off you go.

For the kids, there are plenty of instructions on the web. The simple kiddy ones don’t actually produce photos – last thing you want to do is give your kids a whole lot of developing chemicals to play with – but they do help teach the principle of photography well.

Siobhan Costigan Bike pinhole photo

Proof that Pringles cameras can work. This shot of Courtenay Place, Wellington, was taken by Siobhan Costigan using her ‘Pringleflex’.

I decided to have a crack at making an actual working pinhole camera. It was a rather cruel way of reminding myself why arts and crafts was my worst school subject. But as a fan of photography, and Pringles chips, I decided to give it the old college primary school try anyway. So I did. Then I quickly wished I hadn’t.

In retrospect, a shoebox might have made for an easier functional camera. But to make a prototype, Pringles work deliciously well. Don’t take my word for it (seriously, don’t) – let these guys teach you now. Believe me, it’s easier that way.

Once you have the very model of a modern pinhole camera, you’re probably wondering how it works. It’s all about light, apparently. The image shows up in the camera inverted and reversed because of the way light bounces off the object and through the pinhole. So if you’ve done it right, when you look through the camera the image should show up on your wax paper upside down. How Stuff Works has a longer, potentially more accurate, answer. Frankly, though, I prefer the pretty diagram that even I can understand.

Pretty pinhole camera diagram

Screenshot from the pretty diagram that mostly sums it up.

Pinhole cameras are a fun way to teach the young ones about photography while keeping them busy for an hour or so. If your kids are anything like me, set aside half a day.

If you’re interested in making a working pinhole camera, complete with film paper and everything, ask Kodak or follow this Kidzworld (yes yes, a website for kids) recipe.

Join us next week where I find a small hole in my jersey and die in a horrible knitting accident.

Real estate photography and Open2view: the key to unlocking your home’s potential

Twas a typical Sunday morning at home. The fireplace was roaring, my Saint Bernard was fetching my slippers and paper, and Al Bowlly’s golden voice was filling the air with a joyous, yet soothing, ambiance.

I always enjoy reading the Herald on Sunday while supping my beverage of choice, but the property section in the latest edition contained something extra special.

‘Unlock your home’s potential’ examined ten ways “to get the best price for your property”.

Skimming quickly through the list, I found precisely what I was looking for at number eight: “Get snap happy”.

“Photos captivate the buyer and drive people to the property,” this section began. Splendid. I put on my reading glasses and had a proper look through; and I was so impressed at all the valid points that I decided to compare them to the services we provide at Open2view. Do we match up?

For this assignment, I was going to have to put down my scotch.

Real estate photo advice Open2view 1

Check. Although how many photos you need depends largely on the property. A lot of our listings contain around 17-25 and you’ll also find properties with many more than that.

How many photos one gets depends on the package. Our stunning twilight photo shoots gives you both extra and extraordinary photos.

Real estate photo advice Open2view 2

Check. We photograph homes from many angles to help buyers see your home as you do. Also, with our elevated pole photography, we can display your home, land and views in one hit – letting people see your property at its full potential.

And yes, all our photos are top-notch quality.

Real estate photo advice Open2view 3

Check! We only use the best cameras and accessories – no phones, no ‘point-and-shoots’. Any colour imperfections, wonky lines etc. that aren’t meant to be there are fixed in post-production to ensure your house looks just as you remember it.

Real estate photo advice Open2view 4

Check. We take high quality, high-resolution photos only, and on our website people have the option to view them all in full screen.

Real estate photo advice Open2view 5

Check. Our photos cover all the bases so prospective buyers know what to expect when they come visit.

Real estate photo advice Open2view 6

Check check and check. And our HD videos, walkthroughs, interactive floor plans and virtual tours add even greater life and depth to your home’s presentation.

Our services provide potential buyers with all the facts – and magic – needed to bring them over for a closer look.

Home sellers and buyers alike should read the entire article as it contains some excellent advice – though nothing better, in our totally unbiased opinion, than point eight.

The power of professional photography, and marketing, can add thousands to the price of your home – so be sure to let your agent know to get in touch.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to smoke me a kipper.

Buying a house doesn’t make you greedy (featuring infographics)

Good blog tip for writers low on ideas: find some infographics and talk about them.

This week I’ve stumbled across two very interesting infographics relating to real estate and – something dear to our hearts – real estate photography. The fact they both came out this week gives me reason to combine them into one decent sized blog post, thus keeping the pay cheques rolling in. Good times.

So without further ado, or padding…

 

House buying makes you greedy??

NZ Herald infographic Greed Auckland

Today’s New Zealand Herald contains a ‘report’ into which New Zealanders are the most naughty, using the Seven Deadly Sins as criteria. In a conclusion that will delight many south of the Bombays, Auckland was declared ‘Sin City’ for winning in four of the seven categories.

Although the Herald described it as a ‘lighthearted look’, there is one section where they missed the mark entirely.

In their citation for Auckland’s win in ‘Greed’, the Herald wrote:

An insatiable demand for real estate in Auckland is helping to grow a widening gap between the rich and poor.

Couple this statement with their definition of greed as the “excessive desire to possess more than one’s needs” and one can sense a theme: buying property is greedy and keeping the poor down.

Data from Statistics New Zealand, in plain English, show those richest 20% of Auckland households earning 4.22 times more than the poorest 20%.

It would certainly be good to reduce this gap. But blaming that on people buying houses makes as much sense as blaming the All Blacks for winning the World Cup by scoring more points than the French. That jerkface McCaw has a lot to answer for!

The article almost seems to suggest the answer to reducing inequality is to stop people buying houses. The real answer is to bring everyone up – not hold anyone down.

Buying a house, so long as it is for a reasonable price and with a sensible mortgage plan, is about the best thing you can do to improve your lot in life. It gives you an asset to borrow against if need be, and best of all it provides a roof over your head that can’t be swiped away by some landlord.

And with the lower quartile rent for a three-bedroom Auckland house $163 above the rest of the country, renting isn’t exactly a cheap alternative. Far better to pay off your own house than someone else’s.

People buying a house – not greedy. Investors buying property – pretty hard to call that greed when it’s a far sounder investment option than most others. No, the Herald needs a far sounder way to measure greed than by singling out those trying to achieve financial security.

 

Using a pro makes you smart!

Meanwhile, here’s an infographic Open2view can agree with:

Professional Photos Net More For Your Home
Source: RuxtaReality.com

 

As we have said here and here, professional real estate photography means better marketing, more attention and higher sales prices. This information comes from data collected by Redfin and while the numbers are American, the principle is universal.

So what do you reckon – are Auckland property buyers committing a sin? Are you telling your real estate agent to use a pro photographer? Are infographics great or what? Share your thoughts below or on our Facebook page.

One thing everyone can agree on though: nothing beats a decent pie chart.

Literal pie chart

 

What matters most in real estate: words or photos?

scrabble38px

This New Zealand Herald article trawled through their real estate listings and what words were most successful in drawing in potential buyers. The article starts:

“It’s more than just a pretty picture that lures a home buyer to a house – it’s the words used to describe it too.

“Estate agents are actively using key words to elicit a sale, and avoiding words known to put off would-be buyers.”

According to Ed Scanlan, the Herald’s Real Estate Channel Manager, there are 15 really good words that inspire positive feedback. Scanlan, the tease, supplies just five: ‘new’, ‘discover’, ‘guarantee’, ‘health’, and ‘bargain’.

In contrast, ‘basement’ is considered kinda creepy.

The conclusion to be drawn here is that nice words are nice – except for ‘cute and charming’, which apparently is often code for ‘cramped’ – and negative words are to be avoided.

But are words really that important? Just because we’ve cracked the ‘cute and charming’ code doesn’t mean we can’t be suckered in by other warm, vague phrases.

Some words when strung together are true no matter what. The old saying ‘a picture says a thousand words’ comes to mind, as does that other well-worn phrase ‘seeing is believing’.

By seeing the house online (may we suggest this website), you can decide for yourself whether a living room is spacious or ‘cute and charming’.

Recently we ran an unscientific survey on our Facebook page. Asking our followers what mattered most to them – photos or words – every reply stated that photos were, by far, of greatest influence.

These revealing responses should be taken note of by real estate agents everywhere:

“As a photographer – it’s the photos… I want to see everything.”

“I love looking at photo listings. The photos of the kitchen and bathrooms are a must!”

“Photos more than anything – the words often tend to be cliché
.”

“Photos for sure. And to the point words… how many bedrooms etc.”

“Photos and Facts. Often agents get carried away with their listings by using too many positive descriptive words and should remember it’s not a creative writing competition.”

“Definitely photos… then the description of the house to see whether it fits your requirements… It’s easier to shortlist the houses that you want to go out and see later rather than going and seeing every single house.”

“Photos, because you can say what you like, but seeing is believing.”

Finally here’s our contribution: it is far easier to fall in love with a picture than a paragraph.

This is a topic we’ll return to at some stage because words, when used properly, do have some influence. Why else are you reading this blog after all?

For now, here is a useful guide from us as to what words in real estate are good, and what words should ring alarm bells:

Good vs bad real estate words

What do you reckon – is the written word the difference-maker for you? Or is it photos that ultimately lure you in? Feel free to use your words in the comments or on our Facebook page.

And while you’re deciding, enjoy this contribution to the debate by nineties crooners Extreme:

It’s only rock and roll – but they shot it

EL60-01-Randolph-Hendrix-WilsonPicket_800_w616

One of the 173 photographs on display at Who Shot Rock & Roll: A straight-laced Jimi Hendrix plays back-up to Wilson Pickett back in 1966. Photo by William ‘Popsie’ Randolph.

 

Arlene is quite possibly the world’s biggest Leonard Cohen fan. Last August Arlene’s son, also named Leonard, told her of a rock and roll exhibition worth checking out. This was exciting news… until she realised there’d be nothing of her idol to see there.

Being Canadian, Arlene’s protest was a dignified affair where she silently wore her homemade “I love Leonard Cohen” badge. She enjoyed the exhibition but noted in the visitor book her disapproval at the curator’s glaring omission.

That curator is Professor Gail Buckland, and the exhibition is the excellent Who Shot Rock & Roll – on now, for the first time outside the United States, at the Auckland Art Gallery.

Gail Buckland Who Shot Rock & Roll

Professor Gail Buckland

 

Buckland, a leading authority on photography, is well acquainted with stories like that of Arlene’s.

“There would be no shortage of names of the musicians missing from my exhibition,” Buckland told me by email. “That is not the point. It could never include everyone. This is a show about the power of photography. I hope someone else comes along and expands on this, choosing a completely different set of images.  I love Leonard Cohen.  It is no reflection on my admiration for him.”

What this exhibition – and her 2009 book of the same name – does reflect is a frustration that the photographers who captured these defining moments have been ignored for too long.

“Many of the photographers,” Buckland says, “told me that they were treated like “hacks”. That their vision, their artistry, their contribution has been largely ignored. It had always been about the musicians.  My exhibition and book put them in the forefront.”

Who Shot Rock & Roll features 173 photographs dating back to 1955. With so many photos on display there is no shortage of history – but more to the point, there is an abundance of brilliant photos.

“Excellence in photography” was Buckland’s primary criteria when selecting exhibits, and she worked hard to track down and speak to as many featured photographers as possible to get their stories.

“The book and show”, she says, “is about the men and women who gave rock and roll its image – its photographic image. For almost the first time, it isn’t about who is in the picture but the quality of the photograph to express something real and powerful. I looked for photographs that can stand the scrutiny of time and be worthy of being on a museum wall.”

mick-jagger-by-albert-watson

For the 25th anniversary of Rolling Stone magazine, photographer Albert Watson double exposed Mick Jagger’s face with a leopard’s. The full story of this remarkable photo available at the Who Shot Rock & Roll exhibition.

 

So with record companies now seemingly more focused on packaging than talent, will any of today’s acts stand out in 50 years? This question carelessly strayed into ‘Arlene territory’; Buckland gently reminded me she was “not qualified to answer questions about the music or the musicians.”

She added, “I hope, sincerely hope, that my 40 years looking at and thinking about and writing about photography (not music) comes across.”

It most certainly does. Who Shot Rock & Roll is a fantastic photography exhibition that shines the spotlight, at last, on the stars behind the camera.

Music fans will love it too.

Who Shot Rock & Roll is on now and runs daily until 3 March at the Auckland Art Gallery. Tickets cost $15 each. Check out a dozen of the exhibition’s photos here.

Call in the professionals: the rise, and rise, of real estate photography

Summer holiday

The Open2view team on our Summer Holiday.


Happy New Year everyone! We trust you managed to catch up with loved ones and found your way to a pool or beach somewhere. It’s been a hot start to the year and the weather forecasters are picking more of the same until the end of February. And if a weather forecaster says it, well, it must be true.

At Open2view we love sunshine. Natural light is the photographer’s friend (although not necessarily this author’s). It seems we won’t be doing much swimming for a while – field reports suggest home sellers are keeping our photographers very busy for this time of year.

This we don’t mind at all. It means the property market’s vibrant, and more agents and vendors are recognising the importance of professional real estate photography. Also, someone has to keep our team out of mischief.

Professional real estate photos are growing in popularity for good reason. Last year we published a post entitled ‘Images are everything: why you should hire a professional to photograph your home’. It is definitely, in the author’s humble opinion, worth a read.

Long story short: online property hunting is a lot like Internet dating. If your photos don’t stand out – or they stand out for the wrong reasons – expect to stay on the market far longer than you should, while those other jerk houses get snapped up by some rich bachelor/ettes with fancy job titles.

Open2view Interior photo #281368

The best real estate photos welcome you in and around the home, and allow you to envision your life there. They really are just one step below physically visiting the house.

 

Let’s labour this metaphor some more. Let’s say that, pressed for time, you’re presented with a lineup of prospective homes/partners to choose from. In both cases, those with the best photos get the most attention. The ones with no photos are the last looked at, if at all. The ones with poor quality photos? They’d get plenty of attention… had the lineup been a police one.

An excellent article with a to-the-point title (‘Photos of your home matter in real estate’) appeared on Forbes.com last month. It made an assertion every home seller should take heed of:

“Imagine the photo shoots retailers and catalog companies do to showcase their products. Would they release a catalog with photos of stained living room furniture or with improper lighting? Of course not — and neither should a seller. A home is a product for sale, just like any other, and should be marketed as such.”

And proper marketing of an in-demand product equals higher profit. Studies show that houses with professional photographs can fetch thousands more than those taken with your garden-variety point and shoot camera.

Open2view sold #282447

From our sold collection – not a million dollar dream, but plenty of charm and a great first home. Professional photos ensure your home’s character, and potential, shine through.

 

Just the other day HQ received a testimonial from a customer that tied all these points together in a neat little package. Matt from Auckland attributes Open2view’s “good staging and great photos”, as taken by Mike Taylor, for helping to sell his house in just five days and for $20,000 above the asking price.

He went on to say:

“In addition to being extremely easy to deal with, fitting our job in very quickly, with little lead time, and turning up exactly when you said you would, the best part was your photos were absolutely fantastic… The fact you used a variety of photographic methods (special remote flash units etc.) to ensure the place looked its best made all the difference.

“I would fully recommend you to other people wanting top-notch professional photos of their house taken for sale.”

Thank you, Matt – it’s this kind of feedback that makes our day. His story reflects what more people are recognising: professional photos, and marketing, can greatly assist in selling your house faster and for a higher price.

If you’re looking to sell your home, don’t you worry – though we may be busier than usual, we will never be too busy for you. So when those prospective real estate agents start fighting for your custom, be sure to choose someone who understands the pulling power of professional photography.

Photos: Christmas lights up New Zealand

We may not get a lot of snow at Christmas, but one trait New Zealanders share with the rest of the world is our love for Christmas displays.

Below are a few snapped by our Open2view team. Click on any thumbnail to get the slideshow started.

To all those who have erected displays, we’d like to thank you for bringing a whole lot of joy to our communities, and for taking our minds off unpleasant things like last-minute present shopping, and involuntary games of ‘sardines’ at the mall.

And to everyone, Open2view wishes you a very happy Christmas and fantastic New Year. Talk again in January.

The 2012 solar eclipse in photos

Social media went a little crazy yesterday morning as people all over New Zealand shared their photos of the partial solar eclipse that flew over us. Fair enough too, as we won’t get another decent eclipse until 22 September 2025, and I’m pretty sure I have a hair appointment that day.

Our Open2view photographers got pretty excited too – and not because of the chance to take twilight photos in the morning – and they snapped some fantastic eclipse pics of their own.

Here are some of the best – as always click on a pic to get the slideshow started.