Gone are the days when customers used to touch a product to see every inch and angle. Today, the pictures you post online are the only source of trust for your buyers. So, it is of utter importance to capture high-quality images while listing photos online.
Research from VHT studios shows that professional real estate photos sell homes 32% faster than poor or average-quality photos. It is a serious matter of concern, how to take good pictures especially when it comes to posh real estate properties. And in this article, Bill Sohl’s Luxury Homes Team has pointed out some of the tips for you:
What Is The Role Of Good Listing Photos?
A picture is worth more than a thousand words, but in the case of a listing photo, it can make you thousands of dollars. In the digital world, a good listing photo is the only source of trust to a buyer. It emphasizes the fact that you’re a legitimate person and adds credibility to whatever product you’re offering.
Here are 3 reasons why good quality photos matter in a listing:
#1 Creates A Positive First Impression
A big number of prospects will look for online listing photos as their initial research. This means any first impression you get to make will come courtesy of the photographs that accompany the listing. This makes listing photos vitally important. At its simplest — if these photos don’t make the right first impression then the buyer will more than likely skip past the listing entirely.
#2 Homes With Professional Photos Sell For More Money
In the $200,000 to $1 million range, homes with listing photos taken with DSLR cameras sell anywhere from $3,400 to $11,200 more relative to their list price. It’s a proven fact that displaying a home with high-definition photos helps in selling your home at a great price.
#3 Creates A Sense Of Professionalism
A set of professional listing photos sends a signal to the buyer; that you’re serious about selling, and intend to go about it the right way. It also reduces the time the buyer has to spend on their property search, as they don’t have to chase down details or information that isn’t captured because it’s all there for them to see.
It’s Not Only About Great Pictures
Evolving technology means we aren’t limited to 2D photos. Many real estate photographers offer a variety of cutting-edge services including virtual tours, 3D tours, detailed floor plans, drone photography, etc.
These “extras” are important because today’s buyers are incredibly visual. According to NAR’s 2021 Generational Trends Report, the two biggest groups of buyers today are Gen Xers (ages 41-55) and Older Gen Y/Millennials (ages 31-40). These buyers said that photos were the most important part of a real estate listing, and features like floor plans, virtual tours, interactive maps, videos, and virtual open houses all ranked in the Top 14.
9 Tips To Capture High-Quality Listing Photos
Capturing good-quality photos is a skill that anyone can learn. You neither have to be a professional photographer nor do you need a DSLR camera to take good photos.
Here are 9 important tips to remember so you can capture high-quality listing photos:
#1 Let Your Photos Tell A Story
The goal here is to make your buyers feel like they’re walking through their dream house. First, welcome them through the front door and around the first floor before proceeding to other parts of the home. This will help the buyer get a better sense of the layout of the house.
#2 Capture Items At The Right Angle
For your primary photo, you should photograph the item at a slight angle, which will reveal the depth of the object. For the additional photos you will feature in your listing description, you can snap straight-on shots showing the front, back, sides, top, and/or bottom.
#3 Less Is More
While you may love your three freshly painted bathrooms, make sure to photograph the spaces you think will hook a potential buyer — and leave out the rest. For instance, if you have an amazing spa bathroom, use an image of that to put viewers in a relaxed mindset, as opposed to overwhelming them with multiple shots of similar spaces.
#4 Don’t Use Blurry Images
This sounds obvious, but first impressions are everything. Consider investing in a tripod to hold your camera steady so that you can get the best shot of the room. Check each image after a shot to be sure you got at least one or two crystal-clear images.
#5 Declutter Your Background
Clean the light fixtures. Clean lamps, chandeliers, and light fixtures throughout the home. Change out lamp shades that may be yellowing on the inside, and be sure to replace any burnt-out light bulbs as well. Lamps are an important source of light that helps to show off all the features of a room.
#6 Let The Natural Light Come In
Natural sunlight can have a tremendous impact on the appearance of the property. One of the best things about natural sunlight is that it’s free! Cloudy, dark days can produce very dull photos that won’t draw people into your property. With that in mind, try to schedule picture taking on sunny days, which will highlight your home.
#7 Photograph The Home’s Best Features
What is your home’s best feature? Is it the recently updated chef’s kitchen or the beautiful outdoor pool and patio space? How about that marble fireplace or the home’s front exterior? Whatever it is, be sure to take plenty of photos of the home’s best features. Your realtor may even want to make one of these photos the first picture that buyers see in the MLS database and other online real estate marketplaces. We recommend walking the home with your real estate agent to assess the property’s best selling points. Prior to the photoshoot, be sure to point out these features to the photographer.
#8 Show Minute Details
Now is the time to really brag about the crown molding, coffered ceiling, and large bay window you’ve always loved about your home. Potential buyers are drawn in by interesting architectural details that add to the value of the property (not to mention the home’s character), so show them off in the listing photos!
#9 Don’t Take Unrealistic Photos Of Your Home
Honesty is always the best policy, especially when it comes to listing photos. “I like the photos to be accurately representative of the house, so people come and they either see exactly what they thought they’d see or they comment that the house looks better in life than it does in the photos,” says Bill Sohl, the brain behind Bill Sohl Luxury Homes Team that specializes in properties based out of Parkland, Florida. Save experimental new lenses for your next art project, and be sure to shoot rooms from the corner as opposed to straight on.
Wrap Up
Little things in life matter a lot. Taking pictures seems to be an easy-to-do process but we never thought it would involve such tiny things. It’s a skill that needs to be learned consciously. By following the above steps, you can learn how to take better listing photos and win the buyer’s heart. Hope you find it useful.
