Our modern world is becoming more virtual people – there is no running away from it! Everything from simple research of beauty trends, to advice on relationships, to shopping and much more is now done Online more often than not. Gone are the days of going to the library and spending hours to try and find the answers. Nowadays, all you have got to do, is type in those pretty little words into the Search Engine of your choice – and VOILA! – You are presented with thousands of different links / options to choose from, to find the best-suited answer to your burning question or a certain item that you’re searching for.
And of course, the ever-growing Virtual World of ours is changing the way Real Estate is being done. Today, more house-hunters turn to the Internet to begin the search for their Dream House! Which is why it is so vital to ensure that the photos of your property that you submit to Online Listings present your house in the very best light possible – because sometimes that is all the chance you get to make that first impression. The goal of the online listing is to ignite the interest of the potential buyers and result in the next step, which is an actual showing!
While the importance of having beautifully captured photos of your property may seem common sense to some people, to others it might not be so obvious – if you don’t believe me, just take a look at some of the MLS listings and you will be amazed at how unprofessional and unappealing photos in some of the listings look!
If you’re going to be enlisting the services of a Real Estate Agent and / or a Stager, most of the time you will not have to worry about the final results of the photos and can leave it all in the professionals hands – as they probably own a professional digital camera and know how to get your property looking its best. Now, if you’re a do-it-yourself type of person, and will be in charge of preparing and selling your house on your own, here are a couple of pointers to keep in mind when taking photos of your property before it goes on the market:
1. First and foremost, before you even start to think about taking photos, it is important to prepare your house for Sale. Whether you will do the research and implement the changes yourself, or will enlist the help of a professional Stager is entirely up to you, your budget & timing. But the fact of the matter is – in today’s slow & competitive market, if you want your house to stand out, you have got to put in some work into it, before your house goes on the market. The basics of Staging (the process of preparing your house for Sale) are as follows:
- Clean
- Get Rid of Clutter
- Get Rid of Personal Items
- Make any necessary repairs or repainting
- Add some moderate colour throughout with art, accessories and lighting to create a warm and welcoming space.
For more detailed tips and advice on staging you can read my other articles in the ‘Design & Staging’ Section of my Blog, or e-mail me with specific questions, and I will be happy to provide you with some pointers.
Now you are finally ready to take the photos!
2. To get the results we’re after – a beautiful and welcoming space anybody can call ‘Home’ – You will need to get or borrow a good quality, professional camera, a wide-angle lens and a tripod.
3. I cannot emphasize the importance of proper lighting! It can make or break an image of even the most beautifully designed interior spaces. Try to avoid using the on-board flash of your camera. Often times using the flash will not give you the desired results – things that are close to the camera will be too bright, and things that are further away will come out too dark. What you have to do is make the best use of the available natural light. For that, make sure that you take the photos during the best time of the day. For example if you know that a certain room in your house is sun-filled, lets say at 2 pm, make sure to take the photo at that time. Natural and even light is what makes a great photograph and will provide the potential buyer with a cheerful and happy feeling when looking at the photos. Also, ensure that all the lights in the room, such as ambient light (pot lights, chandeliers etc) and all the rest of the accent lights (table or floor lamps, under cabinet lights etc) are all on. Again, it will create a cozy and inviting atmosphere, which is crucial!
4. Now, walk around the room and choose the best angle for the specific area/room. The angle that you choose will depend on what you are trying to emphasize – if it’s the beautiful flooring, then you’ll have to shoot from up above, if it’s the height of the room, then you’ll have to shoot from a low angle and if it’s the big windows, architectural features or a fireplace, then position the tripod at eye level and ensure that the angle you choose captures all of the desired features and that the focal points are all visible.
5. Once you’ve chosen your angle, you’re finally ready to shoot. To find the right exposure, you will have to experiment. To start, set your aperture to about F8 or smaller (this will ensure everything from near to far is in focus, which is why you need to use a tripod, to avoid any movement), and set your exposure to about 1 second to start, and lower your ISO level, to avoid grainy images. Take a test shot and see if it needs to be brighter or darker, and depending on that play around with the exposure settings until you are happy with the results. Remember to shoot in RAW format, so that you can edit your images later in any of the Photo Processing softwares available.
6. Last step is to edit your photos for perfection. You can always adjust the brightness, contrast and colour to create an image that you will be proud to show off!
7. Now that you’ve done all the hard work – just sit back and wait for all the upcoming showings!
I hope you’ve found these tips helpful. Feel free to leave a comment with your opinion or share any tips of your own.
Photo Source: http://www.sarahrichardsondesign.com, http://jillwente.com/, http://www.realtor.ca, http://www.photohowto.info
Hi Leyla!
I couldn’t agree more with you on that. Similar to houses, people sell their super expensive handbags or shoes, etc and use a crappy camera that leads to a crappy photo- therefore decrease their chances of ever selling that item.
Totally agree with you – if you really want to have the best possible result – use the very best tools and professionals!
[...] for online listings, as that is the first step most buyers take when starting their search. Read this post and learn How To Take Magazine-Style Photos for Online [...]
ah –this was too perfect. i love pictures of real estate and i despise pictures of estates that aren’t very appealing. This business is about sales, and a great picture will attract more buyers. First impressions are key. Thanks for sharing and for being so informative. what a well designed site! did you do it yourself?
Great Tips!
You are such a professional. Right on The Money.
Andre