Online shopping has been around for decades, even in real estate, but many agents have reported selling houses sight-unseen since the beginning of the pandemic. Why have people been buying houses they’ve never seen in person?
- Over a fifth of Americans either moved or know someone who moved since 2020.
- As of June 2021, about 16 million people had filed for a change of address with the USPS.
- Many people moved to escape the feeling of being stuck at home in a large city.
- People who moved often decided to do so quickly, so their time to research a new home was limited.
- The states that grew the most are indicative of the fact that people often moved across the country or multiple states away.
- States and municipalities have had varying regulations regarding social distancing, so people had to rely on images online and virtual tours.
All of the changes we have faced tell us how vital it is to have high-quality photos for your real estate listing. Whether you are a home seller or real estate professional, here are a few tips for making sure your listing photos will help sell your home.
Five Tips for Ensuring Your Listing Photos Will Help Sell Your Home
There is no room for low-quality, blurry, dark, and drab listing pictures. Whether you do it yourself or hire a professional, these tips will help you sell your home.
1) Develop Your Shot List
It's critical to display as much of your home as effectively as possible. This list will ensure that you get all of your essential real estate photos.
- 1-2 wide-angle images of each bedroom, the kitchen, and the living room.
- Unless the bathroom is very lovely and huge, one photo of each bathroom is plenty.
- 1-3 photographs of the backyard, plus more if it has special characteristics.
- 1-2 front-of-house images to demonstrate ‘curb appeal.'
- At least one image of each feature, such as the laundry room, guest bedrooms, garage, closets, and pantry.
2) Use the Right Equipment
Your smartphone alone is not enough to get the photos you need to sell your home. Here is a quick equipment list:
- Camera: A high-end DSLR or Mirrorless camera
- Lenses: The best lens to use is NIKKOR 16-35mm for Nikon and EF 17-40mm f/4L for Canon. If you have the budget, consider getting a tilt-shift lens like Rokinon TSL24M-N 24mm, Canon TS-E 17mm f/4L, or Nikon PC-E FX Nikkor 24mm f/3.5 ED.
- Tripod: The tripod can be set up at the height of five feet to ensure that all of your photographs are the same height and that your shots maintain perspective. Consistency is important when photographing real estate homes.
- Lights and light stands: You need to make sure your home appears to be well-lit. Lights and light stands will help. Make sure you are not pointing your camera lens at a brightly lit window when you shoot.
- Photo editing software: You’re going to want to have some photo editing software to do some touch-up work after you take your pictures.
3) Stage the Home and Property
What to Do Outside:
- Maintain your lawn and landscaping.
- Remove the junk from your driveway.
- Pressure wash or soft wash your house, driveway, sidewalks, and other surfaces.
- Clean up the area around your outdoor living areas.
- Make sure your view isn't hindered by vegetation if you have one.
- Clean your gutters and clean any debris from your roof before storing your vehicles in your garage or on the street.
What to Do Inside:
- Stage the indoors the same way you would if you were doing an open house.
- Clean up every room thoroughly.
- Remove clunky, heavy furniture.
- Make every space as open as possible.
- Remove any signs of pets.
- If you are doing a renovation, complete the project before photographing your home.
4) Create a Virtual Tour
Times Treasured Studios prepares virtual tours:
“Virtual tours (also called 3D Scans, Virtual Scans, or Virtual Reality Tours) are a tour simulation of an existing property. They can be made up of videos, still photos, or 360° panoramic photos. These immersive, detailed virtual reality tours are becoming more and more commonly offered, as shoppers are looking for property from the comfort of their homes.”
These virtual tours can be almost as compelling as a walkthrough. Check out a few here.
5) Get Aerial Drone Footage
We provide professional drone footage as well:
“FAA Certified and insured for up to $2 Million, I can capture aerial images and video of your home, land, or event. Customized, branded feeds, as well as MLS-compliant feeds, are created for multiple platform sharing and market impact.”
Check out some examples of our drone footage on our YouTube channel.
3) Hire a Professional Real Estate Photographer
There is no substitute for professional real estate photography. My skills are diverse and can supply a wide range of needs. I’m well-versed in real estate still photography, 3-D imagery, virtual reality environment creation, landscape, and macro photography.
If you want to make sure your photos actually help sell your home, contact Times Treasured Studios today.