If you are planning to sell your home, you will naturally want the buyers to see its absolute best version. Professionally taken photos can bring out the best features of your home and make it stand out. Well-taken pictures will also be able to diminish the imperfections. The photos can make or break the sales potential of your estate because first impressions do matter. If they don’t like the photos, it is unlikely that they will turn up for a showing.

Property buyers will be looking at possibly hundreds of homes before they make a decision. Attractive photographs get noticed because remember, “A picture is worth a thousand words”. High-quality images of well-lit rooms, tidying up the spaces, highlighting the special features, and the elimination of distractions can make a difference.

You can always use stock photos from websites such as Depositphotos.com to draw attention and get noticed. You can take real photos yourself, which always helps, or you can hire a professional real estate photographer.

Why Is Real Estate Photography So Important?

The National Association of Realtors carried out a survey in 2017, which found the following – 

•  42% of all homebuyers used the Internet to find properties for sale, while only 17% went to real estate agents. Most of those who used the internet looked closely at the photos.
•  88% of all survey participants agreed that websites were the most useful resource for them.
•  89% of those who went online to search for homes said that seeing the photos helped them decide.

The Wall Street Journal also reported that – 

•  Most homebuyers spend a lot more time looking at photos compared to reading the listing descriptions. The ratio is 60:20, which means that they are spending 60% time looking at the property photos and only 20% time reading the listing descriptions. So, it is essential for homeowners trying to sell their property to focus more on taking good, professional-quality pictures. Most buyers are more likely to go through them in detail.

The National Association of Realtors or NAR also agrees. They are reporting them 89% of all homebuyers find photos useful and 82% of them will go through virtual tours before deciding.

Such statistics from multiple sources prove that most homebuyers rely more on photos to get the details and get a feel of the property. So, as a homeowner, if you are trying to grab their attention and make an impression, then you have to take good photos and market them.

How to Take the Best Photos of Your Home

You can also hire a professional photographer to get the best photos. You can take the photos yourself too. Just remember a few things – 

1.  De-clutter and tidy up

Make sure there is no clutter before you start taking the photos. The bed should not be unmade. There shouldn’t be any dirty dishes in the sink. Family photos spread throughout the rooms will make it difficult for the potential buyers to feel themselves living there.

2.  Turn the light on and open the curtains

An airy, bright, and well-lit room will always look more appealing. Remove the curtains. You can also switch on the lights.

3.  Remove all distractions

Clutter will distract the features of your home. If there are too many knick-knacks, then it will be difficult to focus on those high-end appliances you may have in the kitchen. So, first de-clutter. You can shift your extra belongings to a temporary storage facility before taking the photos. You don’t want them tripping over when they are visiting your home.

4.  Photograph the best features of your home

What are the best features? Have you recently updated the kitchen or the yard? Have you recently added a patio space? Do you have a marble fireplace? Create a list of everything that makes your home special and then make sure that you take plenty of photos of them. You can even make one of these photos the first picture they see of your home.

5.  Shoot photos from the corner of rooms

It will be very difficult to take photos of the entire room in a single shot, especially if it is a large room. Move to a corner and take the photos from there to capture as much as possible. The angle will make your room appear larger. Plus, the homebuyers will also be able to see more in one frame. Select an angle that has the best lighting.

What makes a home sell faster? Read this guide to find out.

If homebuyers do not like what they see, it is unlikely that they will step into your property for a showing. So, don’t publish the photos immediately. Show them to your family and friends and ask for their opinion. Hire a professional if the photos don’t wow them. The photos need to be top-notch to fetch attention. Many homeowners take plenty of photos. You can do that but publish only a dozen or so to illustrate your advertisement. Make sure to publish photos of your entire home, including the bedrooms, kitchen, living and dining areas, and even the yard.