I'm hoping this open letter to vendors will help them realize the importance of presenting their villas in the best possible light (pun intended). We see dozens of examples every day of poor quality images being used to market and sell property in Bali and some vendors get frustrated because it seems to take forever for their villa to get a bite of interest, let alone sell.

Dear Vendor,

Let me begin with a question:

Why is photography so important when you're trying to list and sell your property?

Let me give you the answer:

Because you're trying to sell it! To someone who has never seen it. To someone who has access to hundreds, if not thousands of properties on something called the internet.

Agents want your property to stand out on the social media platforms they use, the web pages they use and the newsletters they send to their databases. And so should you!

Without good pictures (and of course a good description too) you don't stand a chance!

If you don't believe me, a simple Google search on “the importance of high quality images,” gives you all the answers you need. Try it. You'll find a common thread.

Apart from better SEO there's something called the "user experience" you need to consider. And the user experience very simply means how does a user, a potential buyer if you like - you know, someone who's genuinely interested in buying what you're trying to sell - how do they perceive what you've presented.

Think about it. You're expecting a million dollars (or more) for your villa. It's the best villa in Bali (of course). You built it yourself (with love and care and spent a fortune on the high end finishings). Your garden is lush and mature with a spectacular infinity-edged swimming pool. You have exceptional ocean or mountain or rice field views. It really is a stunner.

But then you go and blow it all by sending the agent or whoever is trying to help you sell, a handful of poorly framed, badly lit WhatsApp photos you took one bright and sunny midday! They'll do.

Sorry. No they won't.

You want a small fortune (sure your villa may be worth it) but you can't even be bothered to hire a professional photographer to show your baby in the best possible light? What else couldn't you be bothered to do? What else aren't you taking seriously? What other details did you forget to look at?

When an agent or agency asks you for high quality images it's for a reason. It's not because they want you to spend money unnecessarily. It's not because they're stalling for time. It's to give you the best possible chance of giving the best possible experience to someone looking to buy something from you. Because they know if you engage in this way you stand a much better chance of selling.

One of the best examples of how this works is with an Australian based company called Goldeneye Media. Read more about them here, but the bottom line is they're able to tell great stories through amazing images. The images tell a story. The old saying that a picture tells a thousand words is totally true.

So, do you want your story to go something like this …

"This beautifully finished 4-bedroom contemporary villa, set on 1,000 square metres of lush tropical gardens, overlooks Bali's famous stunning sunsets. Spacious open plan dining and living areas have polished wooden floors and high vaulted ceilings making it a perfect place to relax or entertain."

Good images can say that … and much more.

Or do you want your story to go something more like this …

"Listen mate, my villa's for sale alright. It's worth it, of course it is! Every penny! You don't know me, but you can trust me! Buy it! Look, the garden's got some plants (and my dog) in it. The pool's got water (and my old rubber ducky) in it. And yes, each toilet's got a loo with a seat that goes up and down. See. Why don't you want to buy it? Is it about the price? I'm ready to negotiate you know!"

In closing then, quality images are critical if you're serious about selling your property. And if you are serious you'll take the time and effort and spend the money to present your property correctly. They set the tone. They create a perception. They tell a story.

If you do invest in quailty photography you'll stand out and when you stand out someone, maybe the right one, will notice you. If you don't you may as well be looking for Unicorn tears in the magic forest full of fairies.

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