A recent National Association of REALTORS Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers found that 89% of homebuyers who searched for a home online found the listing photos to be among the most useful features of real estate websites. That’s why many home sellers hire professional photographers. Whether or not you use a pro, here are six tips for better results.
1. Stage the shoot
Photographers aren’t movers or house cleaners, so it’s up to you to get your home close-up ready. Move the car and kids’ toys out of sight. Power-wash the front and sweep the walk and porch. Mow, prune and weed the yard.
2. Notice details
The camera captures everything in its view in equal detail, so look out for random coffee cups, crooked wall art, and cluttered surfaces and straighten your walk-in closet to ensure personal effects are out of sight.
3. Make it sparkling clean
Make your floors gleam. Wipe fingerprints and grease from your appliances so they look showroom-new. Clean the carpets and polish the furniture.
4. Amp up the lighting
Pick a sunny day for the shoot. Open the shutters, blinds and curtains. Install fresh light bulbs, clean ceiling fixtures and turn on the lights.
5. Accent special features
Some of your home’s features can’t be duplicated easily, so celebrate the built-in bookcases, mullion windows and window seats, too. Also, include shots of any improvements or updates.
6. 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, bric-a-brac, and personal items.