As far as first impressions go, having great visual aids to promote listings is something no agent should skimp on, even as most houses are flying off the market.
With an abundance of consumers flocking to the online portals to initiate their home search, investing time and money into enhancing listing photos can go a long way toward getting more buyers interested in dropping by in person.
From selling the special features to taking your shots to the skies, here are a few ways to improve your listing photography.
Tidy Up
No one likes a cluttered home or home photos. Whether you’re staging a listing or not, work with your sellers to ensure that their homes are ready to be photographed. That means bedrooms are put together, dishes aren’t in the sink and all lawn care equipment is stored correctly.
Mind the Lights
Any photography 101 teacher will stress the importance of lighting. This certainly applies to real estate photography. If you find yourself taking photos of a listing, try to allow as much natural light in the shot as possible to give rooms a more “open” look.
Sell the Features
Each house has different features that make it unique, providing great focal points for your shots. From an exceptional primary bathroom to a fully renovated basement that offers infinite possibilities, snap photos from every angle to show them off.
Air Time
Some shots can genuinely bring out the beauty of a listing. An aerial photograph can deliver that and much more, making drone-shot photos a worthwhile addition to your listing’s visual arsenal.
Enlist some help
Sometimes adding a professional touch to your images can be a difference-maker when it comes to capturing people’s attention by skimming sites like Zillow or Realtor.com. Depending on your budget and schedule, try finding photographers with a proven real estate track record. Source some leads from colleagues and mentors. If all else fails, you can try tracking down some photographers on social media.
Jordan Grice is RISMedia’s associate online editor. Email him with you real estate news ideas, jgrice@rismedia.com.
