Photography tips to sell your real estate

Let’s face it — the purpose of photos of your home is to put your best foot forward. Tips to help you make it look good!

But professional photographers can charge hundreds of dollars to come out and make your home look beautiful. Is it worth the investment?

The answer is possibly yes. Presenting your home beautifully is more important now than it was even ten years ago. That’s because today’s buyers are used to high quality photo layouts all over the web, and if your home looks out-of-focus or just plain drab compared to the competition, you’ve put your house at a real disadvantage.

We’re talking about a first impression here: it’s critical that you make a big first impression, and pictures are the best (and maybe only) opportunity that you will have to do that.

So, what can we do?

If you plan to take your own pictures, make sure the house actually looks neat and clean before you start. Once you are there, here are some tips:

Always use a tripod. Even though your cell phone may be the best quality camera you own, you can still use a tripod with a cell-phone mount. They are very inexpensive and work to steady your camera for a non-fuzzy shot.

And it’s important to use the CAMERA DELAY feature on your smartphone to delay the shot until after you remove your finger. Even the slightest movement can result in a blurry shot that is not pleasing to the eye.

Shoot your photos from a level of about 36 to 48 inches off the floor. It gives the viewer a different perspective and one that is pleasing to the eye. Shoot straight ahead, not pointed up or down.

Let sunlight be your friend. And NEVER take pictures on a cloudy day — wait for lots of sunshine! Exterior shots, in particular, are much more dramatic at dawn and at dusk. Somehow, the light hitting your subject almost horizontally looks much more dramatic than other times of the day. Also, try to emphasize that the interior is bright and cheerful, even if it’s not. Avoid using a flash if possible — natural light is most pleasing. Open the blinds and curtains as much as possible!

Use a wide angle lens, 14 to 24 mm is best, to show more of your room and make the room appear larger. But don’t use a fisheye lens, as the distortion becomes too extreme. A wide variety of clip on lenses is available inexpensively online and they work very well.

Never take pictures of a mirror head-on. Keep yourself out of the picture. Shot from an angle, the mirror makes the room look larger, and keeps the photographer from being a distraction in the picture.

Take more photos than you think you can possibly use. That way you can pick and choose which pictures look the best. Today’s digital cameras don’t use film: there are no printing costs involved, so click away!

Use your home computer to crop and improve the balance of each photo you select for the final cut. There is nothing wrong with putting your best foot forward!

If you own a drone, consider aerial shots to add drama. And consider hiring a drone photographer, especially on higher priced property. Professional drone photographers can achieve remarkable results.

To view some examples of remarkable drone photography, go to Money99.com.

The bottom line

Almost all home buyers begin their search for a new home online, and they expect to see lots of pictures, inside and out. Give them what they want, and your home will sell faster and for a higher price.