When you’re preparing to put your house on the market, you are probably already aware that most of the first impressions made on potential buyers will be via your listing photos. It is important to take the time and make sure you are taking photos that will attract those buyers, not send them running. Here are some do’s and don’ts to help you make the best of your listing photos and get the attention you want it to have.
DO:
Make your house look welcoming. A warm entryway and open front door will set the tone for the rest of your images.
Consider other perspectives. If you have access to an aerial photographer, having a bird’s eye view photo will help show off your property if you’ve got a great location.
Capture the best parts of your home. While you may think skipping certain rooms is the norm, it is better to show off what it is that makes you love your home. Do you have a beautiful garage? Make sure you get great photos of it!
Stage your rooms. Make sure potential buyers can see how great your space can be so they can picture themselves in it.
Show off the view - if you have one. If you’ve got a beautiful porch where you love to have your morning coffee because of the tree line, make sure you get a photo of that.
Take a curb shot. A buyer will want to know what to expect when they pull up to your home, so make sure there aren’t any surprises.
DON’T:
Try to get creative with angles. Real estate photography isn’t the time to try out new angles. Your clients will want to know what the home actually looks like, and making it look like there is a landslide with an artsy angle won’t help sell your home.
Use a fisheye lens. Extreme fisheye lenses can actually make your home and the rooms inside look smaller, and the distorted images can leave a bad taste in a potential buyer’s mouth.
Snag selfies while you’re photographing rooms. Buyers don’t want to see you in listing photos. Make sure you avoid angles that put your full reflection in any photo you use to list your home.
Capture the everyday mess of life. While in most cases it is important to show reality, this is the one case where it is key to not capture what your home actually looks like on a day to day basis. Your home should be clean and organized when listing photos are taken because potential buyers may have a hard time picturing themselves living in your home if they can’t look past the mess.
Show of your furry children. While there are plenty of pet lovers out there, featuring your pups or kittens will often detract from what your home looks like and lead clients to worry about potential pet damage or smells.
