Mesa Market Mojo Report: February 2017

Making Your Home Look Outstanding

Gavin Cater can come to your home for an hour or two, and then transform it from good to great. He is an excellent real estate photographer, and a member of my team.

I work with Gavin because of the results he helps me to produce. Sales. Sales. And Sales. Part of what sets Gavin apart from many others is the time he spends in  post-production — that is after he shoots the photographs. Using his computer, he is a wizard of lighting technology, bringing in light to illuminate areas that need it, and removing it from those that don’t.

“I do sky replacements on almost all twilight shots, digitally replacing the sky with something that adds drama to the photo,” explains Gavin.

He started out with photography as a hobby, and mastered the difficult program of Photoshop in high school. Then he turned to graphic arts as a career, studying it in college in Ventura. Next, he was hired by the real estate magazine, Homes and Land.

“Working in graphics at Homes and Land, I reviewed thousands and thousands of photos of homes,” says Gavin. “I learned what looked really good and what looked really bad.”

He worked for the magazine for 11 years, and during that time realized that he wanted to start photographing homes himself. So he took online courses in architectural photography and also spent a year shooting homes with one of the magazine’s photographers. He learned the trade inside out. He has been working as a real estate photographer since that time and has been in the business for four years.

Gavin has mastered one of the newer and very important areas of real estate photography — the use of the drone. “Drone photography is a huge game changer in the world of real estate marketing,” says Gavin. “Just being able to get a different vantage point makes a big difference.”

He purchased the top-of-the-line consumer drone two years ago and it has paid for itself many times over. “It’s such an effective tool, especially for shooting large estates, or for shooting from the ocean, looking back at the home,” he says. “You may have a property with five acres, and you wouldn’t know it without drone photography.”

He also cites the importance of being able to move just 25 feet up, over a home, which also makes a big difference in the presentation.

Gavin favors shooting photos of staged homes. “When I hear that I’m shooting a property that has been professionally staged, it is as if a weight has been lifted off my shoulders,” says Gavin. “It is much easier to shoot a staged property. The photos come out far better.”

Client Talk…

“I have been involved in 10 transactions with Scott, both as seller and buyer, over thirty years. Scott is a detail oriented, superior negotiator and off ers insightful feedback and direction throughout the process of selling or buying real estate. I have worked with other great real estate agents in Oregon, Pennsylvania and Michigan, and Scott remains at the top of my list. If you are looking for a helpful, personable and detail driven professional, I highly recommend Scott Williams.”
– Kathy McColm