When it comes to selling pretty much anything these days, it is all about the looks. The better something looks, the more likely are the chance for a sale. Interestingly even that looks are often regarded before the usability and user friendliness. Sometimes even before the actual quality of a product. Having said that, it is clear when it comes to selling a property, the most attractive images will create more interest among buyers. Here are some tips and tricks how to go about it.

Hire a real estate photographer

The most obvious would be to hire a professional photographer, but unfortunately, they don’t come cheap. They know as well as we do, that great photos will sell better and unfortunately this is often reflected in their fees. Therefore, if you are selling a smaller property, this might not be an option for you.

Use the right equipment

We are blessed to live in a time where phone cameras have become nearly as good as professional cameras. You may therefore check the quality of your camera and if your camera has at least 10 megapixel you are setup for success. Make sure you also have a tripod for maximum stability. Anything better than that is of course of advantage, but not a must-have to take impressive pictures.

Setup each room before a shoot

The quality of your camera and the person behind it is only as good as to what is in front of them. This means you should always have a clean, tidy and well-organized space before taking any pictures. The better your space looks, the more intriguing photos you will be able to take. Make it look warm, cozy and comfortable to assure the best impressions and pay attention to little details; such as your cat hiding under the sofa in the dark. When buying a home, more than 40% of Gen Z buyers and 39% of millennials find it important to be staged. Don’t overdo it, but stick to the important basics, such as:

• matching towels in bathroom, nicely folded and hung up over the rail
• put up a nice table setting on the dining table with place mats, cutlery, fabric napkins, plates, glasses and flowers
• place a good-looking fruit bowl with fresh fruits on your kitchen counter
• assure bedsheets are smooth and without wrinkles when making the bed
• add a few matching pillows on the couch or place a rug at the entrance
• rearrange furniture to create a better flow if need be
• switch on the fire place if you have one

Keep lighting consistent throughout shots

Lighting is one of the most important aspects of any photographer. The perfect light can make or break a shot, regardless how beautiful the scenery is or how professional the photographer. Assure your shots have the same consistent lighting throughout all the images you are taking. Here are some tips:

• Determine if the lights are better switched on or off. Take a few trial shots to find out what looks better. If you are taking photos of dark rooms, you may need some artificial light to brighten up the space. While in a bright room will give you consistent light throughout the space.
• Make sure your lights are cleaned and the lightbulbs are the same. How often have we put in a lightbulb simply because we didn’t just have another. It gave us light, but it wasn’t the same as the rest. While in daily life this may not bother, it does not look professional on photos.
• Only use flash if there is no other way. It is always better to use an artificial background light than a flash. If you have a second phone with a flash light, this may already work. Otherwise, these lights can be purchased at affordable prices on most online stores.

Regard the weather

Because lighting is so important when taking photos, the weather plays a big role in it. For example a rainy day is darker than a sunny day and allows for less light into your space. While this may be good to create warm and cozy shots, it may not be great when taking photos with an exterior view in the back; through a window for example. Exterior shots for example are always better when the sky is clear and blue.

Adjust your camera to vertical edges

Using a tripod will help greatly in assuring straight lines. While there are many apps to rectify and adjust images, it is always better to take great pictures from the start and if need be, adjust just minor details. When taking images straight in front of an object, keep your camera’s vertical axis lined up with walls and other objects.

Take multiple shots

When taking pictures, we often think they look good on the screen of a camera, only to realize later they are not as perfect as we thought. Therefore, it is important to take several pictures of each angle and consider various angles of each room. This may sound like a painful undertaking but it will make all the difference. You will most probably only choose one picture in the end of this room, but you have a lot more choice to assure the best possible shot is chosen for your listing.

Edit. Don’t misrepresent.

While it is important to take great looking pictures of your property it is also important to assure such are representing the actual look and feel. There is little point in misrepresenting your properties look only to have potential buyers inspect your property to find something completely different. This would not be helpful for anyone. Therefore, when adjusting or editing your photos prior listing, do so without misrepresenting the actual product.

Don’t post every picture you took

Yes, there is something like overdoing it. Particularly when it comes to photos on property listings. It is always better to just post one photo of each space of your property than multiple angles, except where more than one angle is necessary because of visibility. Generally around 20 photos are sufficient for a property of around 240 square meters.

Consider aerial photos

If you have a property with beautiful views or landscape you may wish to consider aerial photography. This is best done with a drone and left to professionals. It has shown to have a positive impact if a photo shows the full property with surrounding areas and increases chance to a wow-effect by potential buyers.

If you carefully follow these 10 Tips and Tricks for real estate photography, you are more likely to create interest among buyers and therefore increase your chances for a quicker sales transaction.