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How to Get Your Listing Photos Done Right

In the digital age, the right photos can make or break your listing. Your house can be perfectly priced, but if your photos don’t show it off, nobody will come to see your listing. Here are a couple of tips to get the best pictures possible.

 

Use a Real Camera

In the age where smartphone rules all, more and more listing agents are trying to pass off their iPhone photos as professional, but it’s not worth it. It’s hard to appreciate the difference that a real camera makes until you are sitting down at the computer with your photos. While some of your potential customers may be viewing on a smartphone, many will be viewing on a large screen. In fact, over 90% of buyers today start purchases on one device and finish on another. If they see it on their phone and like it, they break out the computer to get a closer look. A real camera insures that closer look is well received, and not mistaken for a 8-bit video game.

 

Clean.

If the property isn't clean, taking photos is a waste of everyone's time and energy. Nobody wants to buy their way into a mess.

 

Make the Angles Work 

Take the time to find the angles that will give your audience the most possible information. Use your camera to frame the different features of the house. When possible, consider taking a step back to capture as much as possible and make the rooms feel larger. In many cases it helps to try crouching down to get a little lower than usual, as well as getting some shots from above, stand on a chair if you have to, you never know the difference it could make.

 

Lighting. Lighting. Lighting.

This one is tough, because each light source can make a huge difference to your photos, because they have different “temperatures” to them. Some may be a cool blue/white while others are a warmer yellow/orange. It’s important to have one main light source in each photo so that you can get a good white balance. Of course the ideal light source for any photo is always sunlight, so use any windows and good weather to you advantage.


Don’t Be Afraid to Edit

We aren’t talking about any tacky Instagram filters, but a quick tweak in exposure, shadows, highlights and white balance can really brighten up a photo and help convey the tone you want to in your listing. 

 

Show Off The Neighborhood Vibes.

These photos aren’t just about the house, but the neighborhood that it’s part of as well. If you have the space, let people see some of the surrounding properties or grounds from a far. It’s just as much a part of the living situation as the house itself.