What makes a great real estate photo that will attract buyers? Your photos are your most important marketing opportunity and taking extra time, by arranging for another appointment for you or a professional photographer to take excellent photos, will differentiate you in the market. Buyers will always be attracted to interesting, quality photos that provide a sense of the lifestyle you are marketing, don’t let yourself or your seller down by taking average photos!

DO’S:

• The most important rule is to capture all your photos in landscape orientation: For all websites, landscape photos look at their best and portrait orientation should be avoided.
• Always consider using the services of a professional photographer to raise your profile.
• Take a walk through the home before taking photos: Having a feel for the home will allow you to make better decisions about what you want to feature.
• Always have a photo of the front of the house or from the pavement: A picture of the front of the house will resonate with potential buyers in whatever light you portray the property.
• Find creative angles to take pictures rather than direct: Make sure that your camera is held straight, or rooms can look distorted.
• Welcome potential buyers: Consider taking a picture of the entrance way with the door open as a sign of welcoming them.
• Consider aerial views: This is a great way to show off several features at once, even more so if it is located next to a visually pleasing natural element.
• Capture the selling points: Purchasers want to see living rooms and lifestyle options as well as kitchens and bathrooms, but don’t take photos of bathrooms unless they are interesting, every house has a bathroom or two!
• Stage each room: The idea is to place its best foot forward and there is nothing wrong with asking the seller to help you to remove or add items to the room to make it more attractive.
• Clean and tidy where necessary: Sometimes the house is in a mess or the kitchen has just been used, this means you may have to roll up your sleeves and make it look wonderful.
• Take Advantage of Seasons: Even if the listing has been on the market for a while, it will seem up to date if the photos reflect the season. If it’s summer, take a photo of the sunny garden or in winter, create a cosy feel with a fire and a warm blanket.
• Show off views: While this shouldn’t be the main photo, giving an idea of the view or outlook is important and best if you can capture it with a part of the house showing.
• Take the setting into account: Any attractive exterior view from any room is an additional selling point and if there are interesting architectural details capture these too.
• Take night shots: A night-time exterior shot can create the right amount of contrast to make your photos stand out with the correct lighting. These photos are best taken just after the sun has set and with all the interior lights on to light up the house.
• Switch the lights on even during the day: Photos taken during the day with the lights on can be more flattering for interior or exterior photos and can create warmth.

DON’TS

• Don’t capture yourself in the mirror: You want buyers to picture themselves in the mirror, not you! Stay out of the listing photos and avoid photos with other people and animals.
• Do not use screenshots: It is not professional to take screenshots of another agent’s listing photo. Besides the fact that a screenshot quality does not translate very well, using another agent’s photos infringes the EAAB Code of Conduct.
• Don’t show off pets: Some people may be allergic or scared of animals which may have a bearing on their choice to view the property.
• Don’t take poorly lit interior shots: The lighter, the better. Use lamps to create a warm ambiance and daytime window light to make your photos as bright as possible.
• Don’t use the flash on your camera for lighting: Rather arrange for another appointment to take your photos when there is better light or, if you must use a flash, make sure that the light will bounce off for the best effect.
• Don’t photograph an untidy room: Never capture an untidy, messy room. Your photos reflect your marketing efforts, if the photos reveal untidy rooms, they will be revealing you as a lazy agent! Your photos should display the property at it’s very best and the seller should be keen to help you to declutter the area to capture the best aspects.
• Don’t take photos of toilets: Unless the toilet has exceptional qualities, there is no need to take a photo of it, and if you must, ensure that the toilet lid it down.
• Don’t take photos of items that will not be left when the property is sold: Agents often make the mistake of taking photos of items that they are not certain that the client will remove when they move. This can create problems if the buyer has viewed these photos on the websites while you were marketing the property.

What do you need to really make your photos shine?

• 2 wide-angle shots of each bedroom, the kitchen, and the living room.
• 1 photo of the bathroom/s, unless it’s incredibly beautiful or spacious.
• 1-3 photos of the garden unless it has some unique features.
• 1-2 shots of the front of the home to show off the ‘curb appeal’.
• 1 shot of each feature such as laundry, garage, and pantry.
• 1 shot of view, capturing a section of the house, to capture the outlook.

Some properties may be hard to make interesting in your photos, especially if the property is vacant, so use some imagination to make it interesting and remember to include pleasing external photos too.