Table of Contents
- 9 Proven Exterior Real Estate Photo Editing Techniques
- Why High-Quality Exterior Property Photos Matter
- Key Considerations for Editing Exterior Real Estate Photos
- Achieve Fast & Professional Results With PhotoUp
When it comes to showcasing a home, the exterior is just as important as the interior. With the right real estate photo editing techniques, stunning exterior photos can create a strong first impression, enticing buyers to want to see more.
Homes with impressive listing photos receive 47% higher asking prices per square foot, and 83% of buyers said images were very important in deciding what properties to visit.
Professionally edited real estate photos are crucial to attracting buyers and selling listings for higher prices.
In this guide, we’ll explore 9 proven exterior real estate photo editing techniques to enhance property images and attract potential buyers.
9 Proven Exterior Real Estate Photo Editing Techniques
Enhancing exterior real estate photos requires skill, time, and precision.
By applying proven techniques such as sky replacement, HDR blending, and day-to-dusk conversion, photographers can create eye-catching images that sell properties faster.
Let’s show you how this is done!
1. Sky Replacement
A dull, cloudy, or overcast sky can make even the most impressive property look unappealing.
Sky replacement involves swapping out a lifeless sky for a vibrant blue sky with fluffy clouds or a captivating sunset.
A brighter sky immediately enhances the curb appeal, making photos stand out.
Tools like AgentUp Editing AI or Photoshop’s Sky Replacement feature allow you to seamlessly integrate a new sky that complements the overall tone of the image.
Tip: Ensure the sky matches the lighting conditions of the property to maintain realism.
To learn how to manually transform dull winter skies into bright and inviting ones, check out our video tutorial on how to do a sky replacement in Photoshop:
Additionally, this video tutorial walks you through how to replace a summer sky in Photoshop:
2. Grass Greening and Lawn Enhancement
Brown or patchy lawns can detract from the overall appeal of a property. Lawn enhancement techniques can make grass appear lush and green while maintaining a natural look.
A healthy, green lawn improves the outdoor aesthetic and makes the property look well-maintained.
Tip: Avoid overly saturated greens that can look fake. Subtle adjustments work best.
To learn how to create a green beautiful lawn, check out our video tutorial on how to make grass green in Photoshop:
3. Perspective and Vertical Correction
Exterior shots often suffer from distorted vertical lines due to lens angles, causing buildings to look tilted or warped.
Perspective correction ensures vertical and horizontal lines are straightened. Properly aligned lines add professionalism and polish to real estate photos.
Tip: Use editing software like Lightroom or Photoshop to correct any distortion without compromising the image resolution.
To see how to align verticals, you can check out our video tutorial on how to straighten verticals in Photoshop (even though this is an interior editing example, this method works to edit exterior photos as well):
4. HDR Blending for Balanced Exposure
Exterior shots often feature uneven lighting, especially in bright conditions.
High Dynamic Range (HDR) blending combines multiple exposures (typically 3-5) to balance the highlights, shadows, and mid tones.
Overall, HDR ensures a well-lit image with details in all areas, providing a natural and balanced look.
Tip: Combine 3-5 bracketed shots in post-processing to bring out details in both bright skies and shaded areas.
To see how to get started editing HDR photos, watch our video tutorial on how to edit HDR photos in Lightroom:
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5. Day-to-Dusk Conversion
Transforming a daytime exterior photo into a twilight image can create a dramatic, eye-catching effect.
Twilight photos often capture a warm, inviting glow from exterior lights and windows. Twilight images evoke emotions and add a luxury feel, making listings stand out.
This technique involves carefully adjusting the exposure, color tones, and adding lighting effects to simulate the glow of sunset or dusk.
Tip: Add warm tones to windows and lights to create a cozy and welcoming atmosphere.
To learn how to do this effectively, check out our video tutorial on how to edit a day to dusk image:
6. Object and Clutter Removal
Unwanted objects such as cars in the driveway, trash cans, signage, or other distractions can make an exterior shot look cluttered.
Advanced editing can remove these items to present a clean and visually appealing image. A clean, distraction-free image directs attention to the property’s features.
Tip: Use Cloning Stamp and Content-Aware tools in Photoshop for seamless object removal.
For more details and expert tips, check out this video tutorial on how to remove a car from a driveway in Photoshop:
7. Color Correction and Enhancement
Exterior photos often require fine-tuning of colors to achieve accurate and vibrant results.
Adjusting white balance, saturation, and color tones can make the property look more appealing. Natural and vibrant colors give the photo life and improve its overall quality.
Tip: Enhance the vibrancy of greenery and the property facade without oversaturating the image.
To learn how to adjust the colors and make your real estate photos pop, check out our tutorial on how to color correct in Photoshop (the examples are of interior editing but the same techniques can be applied on exterior editing as well).
Additionally, this video tutorial walks you through how to brighten a photo in Photoshop:
8. Shadow and Reflection Removal
Shadows from trees, cars, or other elements can distract from the property’s exterior.
Similarly, unwanted reflections on windows or pools can reduce visual clarity. Removing these in post-processing ensures a cleaner photo.
Overall, clean, shadow-free photos create a crisp and clear presentation of the property.
Tip: Balance shadows while maintaining a natural look to prevent over-editing.
In this video tutorial, we’ll show you how to remove shadows using Lightroom to expose the details in dark areas using 2 super simple techniques:
9. Image Sharpening
Sharpening is essential for adding clarity to the fine details of exterior shots, such as rooflines, bricks, landscaping, and other textures.
This technique ensures the image appears sharp and professional. Sharper images highlight the home’s features and add visual appeal.
Tip: Use selective sharpening tools to enhance specific areas without introducing noise.
This video tutorial shows you how to sharpen an image in Photoshop using 4 easy steps (you can apply this editing technique to exteriors as well):
And there you have it!
You’ve now learned 9 proven real estate photo editing techniques that will help you enhance your exterior real estate photography.
Why is this important? Let’s take a look at why high-quality exterior property photos matter.
Why High-Quality Exterior Property Photos Matter
Exterior property photos are the first thing buyers see in online listings, brochures, and advertisements. They add to the curb appeal of your listing.
By utilizing the above editing techniques, real estate photographers can produce visually stunning images that:
- Attract more clicks and views online
- Showcase the property in the best light
- Help real estate agents and sellers secure faster and higher-value offers
For example, 61.3% of brokers believe high-quality photography is ‘crucial’ for selling homes. Despite this, half of over $1 million properties use poor-quality photographs.
Ensuring that your exterior real estate photos are of top-notch quality in post-processing will help you and your clients get ahead of the competition and sell more homes.
Key Considerations for Editing Exterior Real Estate Photos
Before wrapping up the topic of exterior photo editing, here are some crucial aspects to keep in mind to ensure your real estate images are polished, professional, and effective.
1. Keep It Realistic
When enhancing property photos, aim for edits that remain natural and true to life. Over-editing—such as exaggerated colors, unrealistic skies, or overly sharp details—can make a property look artificial.
This risks disappointing clients when they view the property in person and may harm trust in the listing. Subtle and accurate adjustments go a long way in maintaining credibility.
2. Ensure Consistency
A consistent look and feel across all photos in a listing is essential for a cohesive presentation.
Pay attention to maintaining uniform brightness, contrast, and color tones throughout the entire shoot.
This ensures the images flow seamlessly, creating a professional and polished impression.
3. Highlight Key Features
Focus on emphasizing the property’s standout elements, such as beautiful landscaping, unique architecture, ample natural light, or luxurious outdoor spaces.
Thoughtful edits should enhance these features to draw attention to the home’s best qualities and make it more appealing to potential buyers.
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Achieve Fast & Professional Results With PhotoUp
Editing real estate photos can be time-consuming, especially when striving for consistency and quality.
For busy real estate photographers, balancing shooting schedules and post-processing tasks can become overwhelming.
If post-processing is slowing you down, outsourcing to professionals like PhotoUp allows you to:
- Maintain a uniform and polished look across your photos
- Save valuable time to focus on shooting and growing your business
- Ensure your property images stand out in a competitive market
Why Choose PhotoUp?
If you’re still not convinced, here are some compelling reasons why you should choose PhotoUp as your editing partner:
- Affordable Services: Prices start at just $1.50 per image for on-demand editing, making it cost-effective for photographers of all levels
- Fast Turnaround: Receive professionally edited images in 12-24 hours, ensuring you meet client deadlines
- High-Quality Editing: From sky replacement to day-to-dusk conversion, PhotoUp offers all the essential editing techniques to make exterior photos shine
- User-Friendly Platform: Our easy-to-use photo management system allows you to easily upload, receive, and manage your images
- Scalable Solutions: As your business grows, PhotoUp can handle increasing workloads, allowing you to focus on shooting and client relationships
- Access to Dedicated Editors: PhotoUp offers access to dedicated editors who learn your unique editing style for maximum image consistency and brand recognition
Browse Top Dedicated
Real Estate Photo Editors
Ready-to-hire editors for real estate photo editing, and more.
Choosing PhotoUp’s editing service isn’t just about great photos; it’s about growing your business and attracting more clients.
And there’s more…
A Complete Real Estate Marketing Partner
Some companies only offer real estate photo editing. Others, like PhotoUp, have built an entire ecosystem around real estate photography. We also offer other powerful marketing services like:
- Virtual staging
- Virtual house tours
- Real Estate Photographer Websites
- Single property websites
- House portraits
- Property flyers
- Floor plans
- And Virtual Assistants
We have everything you need to enhance and market real estate photography in one user-friendly software!
How to Get Started
If you’re wondering how to get started with PhotoUp, it’s super easy!
Step 1. Sign up for a free PhotoUp account.
Step 2. Upload your photos to our easy-to-use software.
Step 3. Choose the level of editing that you need and provide instructions (optional).
Step 4. Wait for PhotoUp professional editors to edit and return the photos in less than 24 hours (48 hours for virtual staging).
Step 5. Download and start using your beautifully edited photos.
PhotoUp Real Estate Photo Editing Uploader Demo
To see how easy it is to get started with PhotoUp, check out our real estate photo editing uploader demo:
As simple as that!
If you’re looking to streamline your workflow, save time, and scale your business, outsourcing real estate photo editing to PhotoUp is a smart and cost-effective solution.
Sign up for a free PhotoUp account today, and let PhotoUp handle the editing, so you can deliver stunning results every time!
For a limited time, you’ll receive a bonus of 10 free credits to use however you please.
We hope this guide helped you learn how to edit exterior real estate photos using 9 proven techniques. If you found this post useful, you may also want to check out the following resources:
