Taking the Best Real Estate Listing Photos
The vast majority of prospective homebuyers would begin their search for houses to buy online. Real estate agents should take good real estate listing photos for it to stand out amongst the thousands of properties on the internet. Having the most attractive property is not enough if you fail to showcase it through photos.
Keep in mind that the real estate photos help potential home buyers visualize the house as their future home. It should display their ideal lifestyle. It should look like their dream home. Most of all, it should be able to make an impression on them. This is a crucial part of the marketing strategy especially if your target market is not locals in the area. So, what makes a listing photo great? And how can you make good ones? Here are a few tips:
1. Stage the property first before taking real estate listing photos
No matter how great of a photographer you are, if your subject is not attractive to your target market, all your efforts will go in vain. While you can still take photographs of an empty home, a furnished property would make a whole lot of difference considering that there are thousands of competitors out there who might be selling similar properties. Staging your property will make it stand out and your real estate photos would definitely come out good.
2. Find the best angles
Taking photos is easy but taking great photos requires skills and expertise. Keep in mind that the look of the scene may alter dramatically depending on the angle you pick, and no one angle is appropriate for every subject. Professional photographers know how to take photos from all the right angles. So when taking photos, make sure to consider the angle. Which angle is best? What would things look like with regards to balance and proportion when taken from a certain perspective? It is important to take good pictures right away so you won’t have to do it again.
3. Turn off the lights when taking real estate listing photos
You want to shoot the interior of your home with natural light. Some people believe that turning on the lights would make the rooms appear brighter and more attractive, but natural light will really make things look better. Artificial light can induce glare and change the photo’s temperature. Natural light, on the other hand, will make your space look just like viewing it in person. Turn off the lights and photograph on a sunny day if you want that vibrant interior shot that appears as it came straight out of a lifestyle magazine.
4. Clean windows, mirrors, and countertops
Surfaces that are reflective like the huge glass windows, mirrors, countertops, and the like can reflect sunlight and produce glare when taking photos. Because of their visual nature, these kinds of surfaces should be immaculately clean before taking photos.
5. Tidy up Your Recess Area
Real estate photos are not all interiors. It also includes the exterior space, the outdoor area if there’s any, and most of all, the recessed area. if you have a recess area in your condo or HDB unit, make sure to clean it and remove unnecessary clutter. The recessed area in your home is the first area where guests walk in before viewing the property. Make sure to make a good first impression by keeping it tidy.
6. Add a splash of color
Photography is an art. Inject a little bit of creativity by making your composition cheerful and interesting. Add a piece of abstract artwork on an empty wall to create a statement shot. Spruce the couch with throw pillows, or add a couple of greeneries to lighten and brighten the atmosphere.
7. Decorate, Decorate, Decorate
Real estate agents’ main goal is to make any property feel like a home. Nothing can pull off that homey feeling other than decorations and accessories. It makes the house look and feel livable. It connects buyers to their desired set up and moreover, it creates an emotional impact on them. The diverse decorations enhance the comfort and charm of the rooms. This is why it is critical to maintain and decorate your home. So when taking photos, check if the background is well decorated.
8. Apply the rule of thirds
We always hear about the rule of thirds in photography. What is it? And why is it important? It is a composition principle that suggests placing your subject on the left or right third of a picture, leaving the other two-thirds free. While there are different types of composition, the rule of thirds usually results in visually appealing images. It draws the viewer’s attention to the issue and emphasizes it. The remaining vacant area should ideally face the direction in which the person is gazing or moving. When you are not sure how to take photos, use the grid on your camera as a guide and apply the rule of thirds.
9. Edit your real estate listing photos
You’ve finished photographing every room on your property. The next step is to go through the images and choose the best angle or result from the hundreds available. Apply final touches to each photo by editing or adjusting it until you get the desired effect. It is vital to edit your images so that they do not appear raw and dull. Remember that you will be competing with hundreds of other listing images on the internet, so give it your all.
10. Hire a professional photographer
You already wear too many hats as a real estate salesperson. Allow yourself some downtime and delegate the photos to a professional. You will save time, work, and energy by having a reputable and trustworthy photographer shoot your property. The job will be finished quicker. The photographs will be greatly enhanced. In the long run, photographs that tell your story will make you more money than the cost of having them made.
Furthermore, research shows that 98 percent of purchasers decide whether or not to see a home after looking at the listing photographs online. Property agents who hire a professional photographer for their listing sell their houses for 50% more than the asking price and 50 percent faster than those who use average photos. Clearly, hiring a professional makes a huge difference by a mile.
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