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You will need to take photographs regularly throughout the REO process. Whether you are documenting the condition a property has been left in after the owners have moved out, an issue that has developed during the vacancy period, or the result of any work you might have performed, taking photos is an important and necessary part of your job.
The photograph-taking process usually lasts from 30 to 45 minutes for an initial bid survey and from 45 to 60 minutes to document the initial inspection. Remember, photo documentation is your friend. Always take high-quality pictures, mark them appropriately, and store them for future reference. Talk to your tax and legal advisors about the length of time you should keep these photos for.
Although you will take photographs during an initial property survey for the purposes of bidding on a job, it's not usually necessary to include these photos with the bid itself. These pictures are, however, important for documenting the nature of the work that needs to be done and to give you a “before” and “after” comparison. You can then use this to track your achievements and showcase your work.
I don't recommend distributing the images you have taken with the bid because they may get mixed up with other bids or be given to a different contractor if they win the bid instead of you. Remember, you don't want other people to benefit from your work and resources. If you do consider it necessary to include the images with your bid, watermark them clearly and label them with the name of your organization. Make sure all images and documents are sent in PDF format as well. Once you have developed a good relationship with a customer or organization, you will be able to trust them a little more in this regard.
That said, including photos with your bid may help you to win more work, but proceed with caution. It is still advisable to PDF any documents that you send to potential clients.
Use the checklists on this page when you are taking both before and after photos, and remember to take all the images from the same angle and the same distance to allow a clear comparison of the work you have performed. For example, if you take a before image of the lawn from a viewpoint next to the front door, make sure you take the after photograph from exactly the same spot. This will make it obvious to anyone looking at the photos exactly what work you have done.
You'll be amazed at how many photographs you take during the processes of inspection or surveying. I regularly take over 50 photographs and sometimes up to 100! You'll be surprised at how many views of the same pile of trash you can get. I cannot stress enough the importance of taking as many photos as you can while you have the chance; you can always delete those you don't need later. It's better to have too many images than have to make a second visit because you haven't documented everything properly.
Every property preservation job is different, but photo documentation is required for every procedure performed at every property. Photos must be taken of:
In today's property preservation environment, the word “photography” rather than “photo” or “picture” is significant since the quality of digital photographs demanded by contractors is high. Your photography has to be of a professional standard.
There are some photo standards that are consistently stated in work orders and company procedure manuals. Since these requirements appear so often, they could be considered the standard for property preservation photos. Here is a basic list, although there may be more that you know of that could be added later:
As I have said many times before, good photos can make or break your business. Companies demand hundreds of photos of your work and many more of the property not directly related to your work. If you cannot or will not supply the photos required, you will not get the job.
To be honest, some companies do take advantage of contractors when it comes to photos. Many work orders now request high quality “marketing photos,” which may seem over the top when all you are doing is documenting your work. Often, the clients you work for are selling these photos to real-estate brokers, auction companies, and others. They will also need to pass the photos up the line to their own contractual obligations. However, companies do not pay for your photos, and I forecast that a copyright problem could soon arise.
You will soon discover that the processing of photos takes more time than the actual property
preservation work on site. This time is made even longer if you have a slow internet connection, if the company site is slow, or if you experience any number of other problems that commonly crop up. To ensure the process is as painful as possible for contractors, the company makes no allowance if their upload site is down or if you are having problems with your ISP.
Despite all these complaints about taking photos, I once again have to remind you that photos will be the one and only thing that you have to prove your point. This may not be the case for companies, but “a picture is worth a thousand words” to a judge and jury. So take the best “photographs” you can for your client and keep a bunch for yourself too, especially the ones that show damages, health and safety hazards and everything you have bid on even if your bids were not approved. You will need to take photos for the following reasons:
While taking photos may sound straightforward, it is easy to make mistakes and you should always follow the general guidelines listed in this article. Again, refer to our Property Photograph Checklists on this page. This will help you make sure you cover all the requirements for each particular job and can be especially useful if you are sending someone out to complete the job on your behalf.
Some jobs may also have additional requirements. The list here should cover most of your property preservation jobs, but if you can think of any more, you can create your own photo checklist using this one as a basis.
Before: In order to show clearly that a window is broken, place an object through the broken pane. This could be your hand, a cloth, or any other object that helps to locate and emphasize the broken glass. When taking the before photo, include an adjacent feature which will prove that this is the same window as the one in the after photo.
After: One mortgage servicing company came up with the idea of putting an X on a window pane that had been replaced to show that there was indeed glass in that opening. This has become a real money maker because local kids often use the X as the target for their BB guns and pitching practice. You can use either a non-permanent marker or tape to make the X. (The kids seem to prefer the tape.)
Try to include a nearby feature that you also showed in the before photo. This will help to prove that this is the same window but with the glass replaced.
Standards: All photos should show the entire property, not just the area that you have cut.
Before: Before you start to cut the grass, take photos from a distance so that you include a full view of the front and one side of the house. Take another photo to include the back and the other side.
After: Take exactly the same shots again from the same place, now showing the freshly cut lawn.
During: Some companies will also ask for a “during” photo, so you might have to take a photo of the grass (front and rear) about halfway through the cut. Stop the mower, return to the spot where you took the before photo, and take another one halfway through.
Standards: All before, during, and after photos must be taken from the same angle and from the same distance.
Before: Before trimming the hedges or bushes, take photos using the standard above. Try to take the photo from an angle and distance showing the entire length of the hedge if possible.
After: The after photo should be taken from the same distance and angle as the before photo and show the trimmed hedge with clippings removed.
All bids for debris removal must be accompanied by photos to justify the bid, but what exactly does the word “justify” mean? It means that your bid must fall within the fee range set by the company. This will not necessarily be the same as a free market fee.
Standards: All before, during, and after photos must be taken from the same angle and from the same distance. If you are submitting photos for debris removal by the cubic yard, the photos must show all the debris that will be bid for. Photos for debris that will be bid “per unit” should show only the unit of debris to be removed. Photos for a collection of items to be bid for should show only the collection if possible. An example would be five 5-gallon containers of diesel fuel.
Before: Before photos are required for every area from which debris is to be removed. The photos need to clearly show all the debris, and as with the broken glass photos, try to include another feature in that area to show that it is the same area that will be shown in the after photo. For interior shots, this could be wall damage or an eye-catching wall color. Outside, you could use trees, shrubs, or permanent fixtures like mailboxes.
After: Take photos after removing the debris using the same criteria as for the before photos. Remember: same distance and same angle.
Your photos should literally “describe” the kind and quantity of debris present at the property. If it is spread all across the floor of a room, you might need to photograph it from each corner to get enough photos to accurately represent the quantity of debris present. If you're in a garage that has debris three or four feet deep, you might need a dozen photos to show the extent of it.
If the debris is outside, it might be difficult to show just how big the pile really is. Take photos from a distance and close up, or include a tape measure in the picture if necessary. Something like a large appliance (refrigerator, oven, etc.) in the photo can also help to provide perspective.
Make sure your photos show ALL of the debris that you are either bidding to remove or have removed. When you're taking photos for a bid in dark areas such as attics, use a flashlight to illuminate all of the debris present. If your bid is to remove all of the debris, you can't claim that there is more debris than you first thought after your bid is approved. They'll simply tell you to remove all of it anyway.
If you're taking photos for a bid approval, take photos of all the debris before you remove it and after you've loaded it into your truck or trailer. Your client will be more interested in the cubic yard count in these photos than the count in your bid photos. This is the amount they are paying you for, so take photos of ALL the debris before you move it.
Debris removal is not to be treated lightly. You will encounter things you may have never seen before and some of them could be hazardous. In addition to familiar culprits such as mold and mildew, you could be exposed to dangerous chemicals, drug paraphernalia, or other hazardous materials.
It is a smart move to familiarize yourself with the names and markings of any commercially produced products that are classified as hazardous. You will also need to be familiar with the signs of meth production and other illegal activities that may have taken place at the property.
In order to take great damage photos, imagine that you have a vested interest in the subject matter. Pretend that you are taking photos of damage at your own home and that these pictures will be sent to your own insurance adjuster. You will want the biggest pay-out possible, so try to tell the whole story with your pictures. Imagine that you are not allowed to write on the photos or send any supplementary notes with them. Ask yourself what you think the photos really need to show.
Here are a few things that could help:
Taking pictures for an eviction requires empathy and sensitivity. Never take photos of the occupants. Except in extreme circumstances, all eviction photos should be taken after the occupants have left.
Eviction photos act as an add-on to all other photos such as bid photos, lock change photos, and grass cut photos. The following are photos that you will only need to include for eviction scenarios, but again these are in addition to other photos that may be necessary:
If debris is removed as part of the eviction, before and after photos of the debris are required in addition to other debris photos that may be taken later on. This is also a requirement of the sheriff's office.
Remember the photo-taking rules: Use the same height, distance, and angle for all before and after shots.
Note: During an eviction, the sheriff is in charge and will tell you and your crew what must be done. Most sheriffs and deputies assigned to eviction duties will have a lot more experience than any property preservation contractor, so even if it is not your normal procedure, remember the sheriff's word is law and do what you are told. This will actually relieve you of the responsibility and liability for decisions over debris, as the sheriff will tell you what is destined for the debris pile and what is personal property that is to be set aside at the curb.
Never take a photo of the sheriff without asking permission. If the sheriff does not want you to take a photo, a shot of the sheriff's vehicle will be fine.
