Photos can make or break a real estate sale. More homebuyers and agents are browsing online than ever before. If you don't offer high-quality visuals of a home, your clients could miss out on a great offer.
You're also hurting yourself. Agents who use professional real estate photography earn twice as much in commission.
But there's a lot of preparation that goes into staging and photography. So before you start shooting, ensure you know what you're doing.
This guide will share tips and tricks for compelling real estate photography. These pointers will help you elevate your photography and attract buyers to help you close a sale.
Prepare the Space for Real Estate Photography
These days, creating virtual tours is a necessary part of real estate services. But the photographs you share should draw attention to the features of the home you're showing and make the home appear clean and spacious.
Here are some tips to adequately prepare the home for photos.
Deep Clean the Home
Before bringing in the camera, you must prepare the home. Begin by doing a deep clean of the space. You can make a to-do list for your clients to begin decluttering and cleaning.
Declutter countertops, entertainment units, and dressers. Fluff pillows and cushions. Make sure the walls get wiped down, and the floors are spotless.
Many real estate agents recommend painting the home a neutral color or freshening up the baseboards.
No one wants to move into a messy home, so make sure the space looks well-maintained and clean.
Remove Personalized Items and Declutter
Your clients have likely been living in the home for some time. The majority of people will have personal belongings on display. That includes family photos, their pet's belongings, and personalized memorabilia.
But it's important to pack these personal items away while staging a home. It's difficult for buyers to imagine living in a space if they are constantly reminded that the home belongs to someone else.
Personal belongings also create unnecessary clutter. It's important to declutter the home to make it appear more spacious. Removing clutter helps agents highlight the best features of a home.
Arrange Furniture for a Real Estate Virtual Tour
Rearranging the furniture can also make a space appear larger than it is.
When moving the furniture around for staging, make sure you don't block architectural features like doorways or fireplaces. There should be open spaces left between furniture pieces. Experts recommend a minimum of 18 inches in smaller spaces and roughly 40 inches for larger spaces.
Make sure there is plenty of room to walk freely through the space. Avoid overfilling the room with furniture pieces. Instead, consider removing unnecessary furniture to make the room appear larger.
Furniture should highlight each room and indicate the purpose of each living space.
Consider the Decor
Decor enhances real estate photography, but if you're not careful, it can take away from a space. Make sure the decor used is neutral and serves a purpose. It should be used to highlight the natural features of the home.
These extra touches to a home can make a space feel more inviting. Agents may use art to add color to a space or create a focal point in a room. Books, vinyl, candles, and plants also make a space feel more authentic.
Experts recommend considering texture, symmetry, patterns, and lines in decor. Brighten up a space with bold patterns, or add a throw blanket over a couch to create texture.
But the decor should be tasteful. Too much decor makes a home feel cluttered. And pay attention to decorating trends to avoid a look that feels outdated.
Curb Appeal
The curb appeal of a listing matters to buyers as well. Your client's home should feel updated, warm, and inviting.
It makes a home feel more inviting.
Pay attention to the details outside the home. Does the front walkway need upgrading? Would adding a garden boost the curb appeal?
It is also a good time to think about elevating outdoor spaces. Plant some flowers, remove a tree that's obstructing the view from a window, or consider bringing in a landscaper to clean up the yard.
These details boost the appeal of a home and help your clients land the offer of their dreams.
Getting Ready for Photos
Once you've prepared and staged the home, it's time to take photos. Homes with high-grade photography posted on real estate websites are far more likely to attract buyers.
But it's not as simple as pointing and shooting the camera. Professional photographers know how to enhance a space through images. While it might be tempting to take the photos yourself, it's best to hire a professional photographer.
Here are some tips to get the best real estate photography possible.
Make a Shot List
Before the photographer shows up, make a shot list. It will guide the photographer so they can get every shot necessary for your listing.
Make sure there are multiple shots of the front of the home. Don't forget to include features of the home, like a walk-in closet or storage cellar. These features may attract a buyer with specific requirements.
Angle Variation
Real estate photography should be taken from a variety of angles. Each space should have several shots from different heights and angles to ensure the best staging possible.
Effective images may use arches, clean lines, or stairways to draw the eye into the photo and make the space seem larger. Taking photos slightly off the corner of a room makes the room look spacious and clean.
Consider the Lighting
Any photographer knows that lighting is crucial to the quality of the image they capture. It is true of real estate photography as well.
The space should be well-lit. The blinds should be open to allow for as much natural light as possible. But the lights should be on as well.
A single flash will also provide artificial natural light. Photographers who use a bounced flash also eliminate shadows in the room.
Determine the best time of day for natural light. This will be different for every home as some are best-viewed midday, while others get natural light in the morning and evening. Invite the photographer to take photos when the lighting is ideal.
These tips will make the space appear warm and inviting to potential buyers when they stumble on your listing.
Pay Attention to Small Details
Don't forget to pay attention to the small details. While it may seem minuscule, small details have a big impact on the images you shoot.
Make sure the outlet covers are clean and match the rest of the home. Touch up any blemishes in the paint. Replace any lightbulbs that have stopped working.
When left unnoticed, these small details are distracting in real estate photography. So be mindful of these details when preparing to take photos of the space.
Marketing Real Estate
Professional-grade photography enhances a real estate listing. The right photos can persuade buyers to view a space or make an offer. Homes with professional real estate photography sell 32% faster.
But the way you market your listing also matters.
Consider Aerial Photography
It's crucial to take high-quality photos of a home's interior. But more real estate agents are investing in aerial photography as part of their marketing strategy as well.
Aerial photography is normally conducted by using a drone. It's an effective way to showcase the property of a home and the surrounding neighborhood.
Listings with aerial photography in their virtual tours have a better reach on real estate websites. It's a unique and efficient way to market your client's listing and reach a new audience.
Use Social Media
While it's important to post real estate photography on real estate websites, it's equally as important to use social media. Agents who use social media to share images of a listing are more likely to reach new demographics.
Share a link to your listing on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to attract potential buyers.
Real Estate Photography Sells Homes
Real estate photography has become a necessary part of any listing. But agents need to ensure they are preparing the home for high-quality images before bringing a photographer in.
Following the tips in this guide will help you ensure the photos you're taking showcase the space at its best, so you can attract potential buyers and land an offer your clients will love!
Visit Hommati.com to find more helpful tips like these. We can help you get the offers you're looking for!