According to a recent National Association of REALTORS Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, nearly 89-percent of homebuyers who searched for a home online found photos to be among the most useful features of real estate websites.

Here is some helpful information for all you “DIYers” from HGTV to make your photos stand out. https://www.hgtv.com/design/real-estate/take-better-real-estate-photos

Before You Photograph

Invest in a decent camera. A cell-phone camera won’t cut it if you want quality shots, but top-of-the-line equipment isn’t a necessity either. Any point-and-shoot digital camera with five megapixels or more will produce good photos. A tripod is also a good investment for taking sharp photos.

Stage your home. You want to show off the space, not what’s in it. Make sure your home is clean, and clear out distracting items like toys, refrigerator magnets and the like before taking photos. If this leaves your home looking a little dull, accents like a vase of fresh flowers can spice it up.

While You Photograph

Use as much natural lighting as possible. Open the curtains and turn on all the lights to make a room look bright and open. Rely on the camera’s built-in flash as little as possible; it creates unattractive shadows and reflects off mirrors and windows. You should also avoid taking photos on rainy days or at night, as this will produce gloomy photos. For exterior shots, take pictures on an overcast day so the sun doesn’t cast dark shadows on your home.

Choose the best angles and compositions. The best way to show off a room is to shoot from a corner or doorway to include as much of the room as possible. This provides context and makes the room look more spacious than a tight shot does. When photographing your home’s exterior, stand at an angle to the home rather than straight-on, allowing buyers to see the home’s depth. As much as possible, avoid photographing objects that obscure your home, like poles and wires.

Don’t make your home look like something it’s not. While you want to make your house look as good as possible, don’t mislead buyers. For instance, a photo taken with a wide-angle lens can make a room look deceptively large. Buyers will be disappointed and irritated when they view your home and see that your seemingly huge bedrooms are actually quite small.

Take lots of photos. Digital cameras give you the freedom to take as many photos as you want, so experiment with lots of angles and camera settings. Review the photos later and choose the ones that best represent your house.

After You Photograph

Touch up the photos. After you’ve chosen your best photos, you’ll probably find that they need a bit of tweaking. Maybe your living room looks too dark, or your home’s exterior is framed by distracting telephone wires. Free online photo editing tools are easy to use and allow you to crop your pictures, adjust brightness and contrast, and correct colors.

Pretend you’re the buyer. What do you see? Hopefully, fresh paint on the front door and a new welcome mat. Inside, your home should flow from room to room, so remove excess furniture and personal items.

Bottom Line: Whether you take the photos yourself, hire a professional photographer or use the services that your listing agent can provide, you have one chance at a great first impression — do it right with listing photos that shine!

Related Reading:
Real Estate Photography: 23 Tips for Stunning DIY Photos – The Close
Top 33 Real Estate Photography Tips & Mistakes to Avoid