Table of Contents
- Do You Have to Edit Real Estate Photography?
- Don’t Forget About These 7 Powerful Photo Editing Tips
- Delegate to Elevate Your Real Estate Photography
Are you editing real estate photos and want a last check of what can further enhance your images?
In the competitive world of real estate, compelling images can be the difference between a listing that captivates potential buyers and one that gets lost in the shuffle.
For real estate photographers, the art doesn’t stop at the click of the shutter, it extends into the meticulous process of photo editing. While most are keenly aware of the basics—brightness, contrast, saturation—several often-overlooked elements can elevate your images from good to unforgettable.
In this guide, we’ll show you 7 tips and techniques to add to your real estate photo editing toolkit to ensure stunning listing photos.
Do You Have to Edit Real Estate Photography?
Editing real estate photos is not just about correcting mistakes, it’s a crucial step in marketing a property effectively.
High-quality, well-edited photos are essential because they serve as the first point of contact between the listing and potential buyers.
Did you know that 72.2% of Realtors believe high-quality photography helps them win more listings?
And homes with impressive listing photos can fetch a whopping 47% higher asking prices per square foot.
High quality images can significantly influence a buyer’s perception and decision-making process, making them more inclined to request a viewing or make an offer.
With the majority of homebuyers beginning their search online (99% according to Statista), listings with sharp, vivid, and realistic images are more likely to catch their attention and stand out from countless others.
Thus, effective real estate photo editing not only enhances the visual appeal of a property but also plays a vital role in successfully attracting and engaging potential buyers in today’s digital landscape.
That said, let’s move on to what not to forget about when editing real estate photos.
Don’t Forget About These 7 Powerful Photo Editing Tips
Here are 7 tips you shouldn’t ignore when editing real estate photos if you want that extra wow factor that will mesmerize prospective buyers.
1. Correcting Vertical and Horizontal Distortions
Buildings have straight edges and right angles, but wide-angle lenses and shooting from certain perspectives can distort these lines, making them appear to converge or diverge unnaturally.
Ensuring that vertical and horizontal lines are corrected to mirror reality not only improves the photo’s aesthetic but also provides a more authentic representation of the property.
To see how to align verticals, you can check out our video tutorial on how to straighten verticals in Photoshop:
2. Paying Attention to Color Balance
Different light sources emit light at different color temperatures, which can affect the color balance in your photos.
For instance, incandescent lighting can cast a yellow hue, whereas natural light tends to be blue. An improper color balance can make spaces seem less inviting.
Knowing how to remove color cast in your real estate photography will help you ensure natural colors and picture-perfect images.
For more details, check out our video tutorial on how to easily remove color cast from real estate images in Photoshop:
3. Removing Minor Imperfections
Small imperfections such as wall scuffs, power outlets, and even personal belongings can detract from the property’s appeal.
While major features should remain unaltered to maintain ethical standards in real estate photography, removing these minor distractions can help potential buyers focus on the property itself and not what’s temporarily occupying it.
The “Clone Stamp Tool” in Photoshop is the magic wand you seek. Engaging with this tool is straightforward.
To learn how to use the Clone Stamp Tool to declutter your images, watch this tutorial video on how to remove cords in Photoshop:
4. Highlighting Special Features
Real estate is as much about selling a lifestyle as it is about selling a space.
Pay attention to unique architectural elements, high-quality finishes, or custom design features in your photos.
For example, adding a cozy and inviting fire to the fireplace can draw the viewer’s eye to these selling points, making the listing stand out.
To learn how to do this, check out our video tutorial on how to add fire to the fireplace in Photoshop:
Additionally, you can also use virtual staging to add a pool in the backyard or modern, fresh furniture to the patio area. This will help potential buyers see the property’s full potential.
Have You Ever Thought To
Outsource Photo Editing?
Try it today with 10 free edits from three professional photo editors.
5. Ensuring Window Views Remain Visible
Balancing interior and exterior exposure is challenging in real estate photography, especially when aiming to showcase stunning views through windows.
Avoid blowing out window views by applying localized adjustments to bring out the details outside, while maintaining proper exposure inside.
This technique demonstrates the property’s vantage point and connects the interior space with its surroundings.
To learn how to do window masking, watch this video tutorial on how to mask windows for real estate photography in Photoshop:
6. Being Mindful of the Sky
The sky plays a crucial role in setting the tone and mood of exterior shots. A dull, overcast sky can make even the most beautifully designed home look dreary.
Replacing gray skies with vibrant, clear ones or even adding a subtle sunset can invigorate an exterior shot, but it’s essential to keep it realistic to avoid misleading potential buyers.
Through the magic of tools like Photoshop and Lightroom, skies once gray and lackluster can be transformed into canvases of blue, brushed with the golden light of a seemingly endless summer.
To learn how to transform dull winter skies into bright and inviting ones, check out our video tutorial on how to replace a summer sky in Photoshop:
7. Removing Distracting Shadows
Mastering real estate photography involves tackling the tricky task of dealing with shadows and variable lighting conditions.
Although natural light can add a striking touch, it’s important not to let it overwhelm the scene or obscure the details, as this could detract from the quality of your work.
Lightroom comes in handy for refining shadows, highlights, and contrast, ensuring the true ambiance of the property shines through in your photos.
To see how this is done, check out our video tutorial on how to remove shadows in Lightroom:
Additionally, flash shadows are also a common issue when shooting interiors with artificial lighting.
To learn how to combat this, you can check out our short video tutorial on how to remove flash shadows in Photoshop:
Editing real estate photos goes beyond mere cosmetics—it’s about presenting a property in a way that is both truthful and aesthetically pleasing.
By not overlooking these crucial elements, real estate photographers can produce powerful imagery that captures the essence of a home and speaks directly to potential buyers’ aspirations.
In a market where first impressions are everything, the details can make all the difference. For more editing tips, check out a complete real estate photo editing tutorial for beginners.
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Delegate to Elevate Your Real Estate Photography
When it comes to creating stunning images, quality truly makes a difference. That’s why outsourcing your post-processing to a professional real estate photo editing service like PhotoUp can be a game-changer.
Based in the US with additional offices in the Philippines, PhotoUp offers a full range of services to cater to all your photo editing needs, including:
- Brightness and color correction
- Vertical lines adjustments
- Advanced object removal
- Day-to-dusk conversion and Twilight editing
- Lawn greening and sky replacements
- HDR editing
- Manual blending
- Flambient editing
- And much more!
But that’s not all…
A One-Stop-Shop for Real Estate Marketing
PhotoUp is a complete one-stop-shop for real estate marketing and also offers additional services such as:
- Virtual staging
- Virtual house tours
- Home walk-through videos
- Custom websites
- Single property websites
- Property flyers
- House portraits
- Floor plans
- And Virtual Assistants
Trust us, PhotoUp is the ideal choice to bring your real estate photos to life!
How to Get Started
Getting started with PhotoUp is super easy.
When signing up for a free PhotoUp account, you’ll get access to our user-friendly software where you can upload and receive photos, send instructions, and give feedback. As well as track and manage team members and clients, store final images, and more!
PhotoUp Real Estate Photo Editing Uploader Demo
To see how easy it is to get started, have a look at our real estate photo editing uploader demo:
It’s really as easy as 1-2-3 to get beautifully edited images returned to you in less than 24 hours!
So what are you waiting for? Sign up for a free PhotoUp account today and let our expert real estate photo editors help you edit your property photos to perfection.
And the best part? When you sign up for an account, you’ll receive a bonus of 10 free credits to use however you please!
We hope this blog post helped you learn how to center an image in Photoshop. Before you go, you may also want to check out the following resources:
