Table of Content
- A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words Is True in Real Estate
- The Importance of Creating a Visual First Impression
- The Role of Photography in Selling a Home
- 7 Tips for Capturing Impactful Real Estate Photos
- Professional Photo Editing Leads to Higher Asking Prices
In the world of real estate, first impressions are everything, and more often than not, that first encounter comes through the photos listed online. In 2022, 99% of home buyers used the internet to find homes in their home-buying process.
High-quality real estate photos are crucial in capturing the attention of potential buyers and can significantly influence the speed at which a home sells.
This blog post explores why high-quality, captivating real estate photos should be a fundamental strategy for marketing homes.
“A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words” Is True in Real Estate
The adage “A picture is worth a thousand words” holds especially true in the realm of real estate.
Quality real estate photos are more than just images; they are essential marketing tools that can attract more buyers, generate more leads, and potentially sell homes faster and for better prices.
By understanding the impact of photography and applying best practices in capturing real estate photos, agents and photographers alike will set themselves—and their properties—apart in a competitive market.
In leveraging the profound impact of high-quality imagery, agents and sellers can transform listings from simply being seen to being remembered. And when it comes to selling homes, being remembered is often synonymous with being sold.
That said, let’s take a closer look at the importance of creating a visual first impression to sell homes faster and at higher rates.
The Importance of Creating a Visual First Impression
Imagine browsing through listings and encountering blurry, poorly lit, or unflattering photos of a home.
Your interest wanes, and you quickly move on to the next option, one with vibrant, inviting images that immediately catch your eye.
That click-away is a missed opportunity for a sale, and it underscores the power of a visual first impression.
Quality photographs act as the virtual front door to a property; they can invite a person in or send them away.
Professional-looking images stand out in a sea of listings, enticing viewers to pause and consider the property in depth.
Especially, when the images are included in an interactive virtual house tour or a professional-looking single property website.
The Role of Photography in Selling a Home
Studies have shown that listings with professional photographs sell not only faster but often at a higher price point compared to those without.
For instance, property listings featuring High Dynamic Range (HDR) photos sell 50% faster and increase online views by 118%. And homes with drone photos or aerial photos sell 68% faster.
That shortens the days on market quite a lot!
Here’s why quality real estate photos make such a significant difference:
- Highlighting Features: Great photos accurately represent a property’s best features, from spacious rooms and natural lighting to unique architecture and well-maintained landscapes
- Creating an Emotional Connection: Buyers often make emotional decisions before logic kicks in. Impeccable images can foster an emotional bond, making potential buyers start to imagine their lives in that space
- Increasing Online Visibility: In the digital age, the majority of home buyers start their search online. Listings with high-quality photos get more views and shares, increasing their visibility and the likelihood of a sale
- Enhancing Credibility: Professional photos reflect professionalism on the part of the real estate agent or seller, engendering trust among potential buyers
With this in mind, let’s take a look at 7 tips for taking real estate photos that will capture potential buyers’ attention.
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7 Tips for Capturing Impactful Real Estate Photos
For real estate photographers, Realtors, and agents looking to improve their listings with better images, here are some key tips to keep in mind.
1. Invest in a DSLR Camera
For real estate photography, DSLR cameras stand unmatched in their ability to deliver superior image quality, surpassing what’s achievable with smartphone cameras.
Utilizing a DSLR ensures that each property image is depicted with exceptional clarity and intricate detail, thereby setting your real estate portfolio apart from others.
Check out our recommendation for DSLR cameras in our blog post on the best cameras for real estate photography.
2. Avoid Camera Shakes With a Tripod
The value of a sturdy tripod cannot be overstated for a real estate photographer desiring to capture images that boast impeccable clarity and are entirely free from the blight of camera shakes.
Not only does a tripod secure your camera for sharper images, but it also stands as a steadfast foundation for a diverse range of photographic pursuits—from the interiors of penthouses to the expanses of open landscapes.
Employing a tripod is tantamount to unlocking the full potential of long-exposure photography, simplifying the process, and granting you the freedom to play with the dynamic interplay of light and shadow to stunning effect.
To find some good tripod options, you can visit our blog post on the best tripods for real estate photography.
3. Use a Wide Angle Lens
Investing in a wide-angle lens is one of the smartest decisions for any photographer looking to broaden their shooting capabilities.
These lenses enable you to effortlessly encapsulate an entire scene, from the furthest corner to the ceiling above and the floor below.
Wide shots are perfect for capturing expansive interiors and excel in portrait and landscape photography, as well as documenting live events where the ambiance and crowd are part of the story.
A wide-angle lens is a quintessential piece of equipment for photographers aiming to convey the grandeur and detail of indoor spaces in their entirety.
You can find some great options in our blog post about the best lens for real estate photography.
4. Take Advantage of Natural Light
For photographers committed to honing their craft, the gift of natural light is an unrivaled asset.
It has the unique ability to imbue photographs with an authentic palette of colors, as well as an unparalleled depth and crystal-clear sharpness—qualities that manufactured lighting setups often fall short of replicating.
One of the secrets to mastering natural light photography is seeking out skillfully positioned sources, such as the soft, diffuse illumination from a window.
Additionally, tapping into the enchanting ambiance of the golden hour—those precious moments as the sun descends, bathing subjects in a warm, ethereal glow—can infuse your images with a sense of romance and wonder.
But don’t despair if your schedule doesn’t align with the sun’s. The magic of photo editing means that you can replicate that mesmerizing twilight radiance in post-production.
Remember, while natural light might be transient, its impact on your photos can be eternal and now, more accessible than ever.
5. Use an External Flash
To capture professional and evenly lit photographs in residential real estate, incorporating external flashes into your photography gear is a game-changer.
Why should you invest in these devices? The built-in flashes that come with most cameras lack the power required for high-quality real estate imagery.
They simply can’t provide the uniform lighting essential to showcasing properties effectively. On the other hand, an external flash is the key to achieving those magazine-worthy images.
Take the Canon Speedlite 430EX III-RT as an example. It delivers outstanding lighting performance crucial for on-location photography, all while maintaining a compact size that’s ideal for photographers on the move.
For more excellent options, visit our blog post on the best flashes for real estate photography.
By choosing the right equipment, you elevate not only the quality of your images but also the appeal of the properties you’re photographing.
6. Take Aerial Shots for a Bird’s Eye View
Utilizing drones has revolutionized real estate photography, offering a compelling way to acquire breathtaking aerial snapshots.
They afford photographers the ability to showcase properties from dynamic and captivating perspectives, and they grant prospective clients a comprehensive bird’s eye vista of the entire vicinity.
To maximize the use of drones while prioritizing safety, operators must be aware of airspace limitations.
One proactive step is utilizing tools like the B4UFLY app, which swiftly identifies and informs you of any flight restrictions in your immediate area, based on GPS data.
By being informed, drone pilots can ensure their flights are both safe and compliant with local regulations.
7. Leverage Virtual Staging
Vacant homes sell for an average of $11,306 less and spend six more days on the market compared to staged and virtually staged homes.
Virtual staging can be a useful tool to help showcase vacant properties. Not only will it transform an empty space into a more inviting home, but it also brings out the full potential of the property.
Virtual staging is easy and cost-effective to use. It requires no physical furniture or decoration, so there’s no need for expensive set-ups or having to worry about transportation and setup logistics associated with using traditional staging.
Virtual staging not only expedites the staging process with a short turnaround time of 48 hours but also opens a window of imagination for potential buyers.
It paints a vivid picture, showcasing how they can personalize the space with digital furniture and decor. This immersive preview can be pivotal in guiding prospective homeowners toward making a confident purchase decision.
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Professional Photo Editing Leads to Higher Asking Prices
Did you know that homes with high-quality real estate photos receive 47% higher asking prices per square foot?
Real estate photo editing is a crucial step not to be overlooked in marketing and selling properties.
The secret to top-notch real estate image editing is to find a balance between the right software, skills, creativity, and accuracy.
And that’s where a professional real estate photo editing service like PhotoUp comes in!
Our skilled photo editors can help with, for example:
- Improper exposure levels
- Harsh shadows, lack of light, etc.
- Blurred images that were taken without a tripod
- Images that need cropping or other effects
- Lawn greening and sky replacements
- Twilight editing
- Clutter and object removal
- Line and angle corrections
- And much more!
PhotoUp’s expert team can handle any photo editing job — big or small, simple or complex for affordable prices, starting at $1.10 per image.
A Global Real Estate Marketing Partner
PhotoUp is a global real estate marketing company based in the U.S. with hundreds of editors worldwide, offering a full range of photo editing and marketing services, such as:
- Virtual staging
- Virtual house tours
- Video editing
- Single property websites
- Custom websites
- Floor plans
- Property flyers
- House portraits
- And Virtual Assistants
We have everything you need to enhance and market real estate photography in one user-friendly platform.
How to Get Started
Getting started with PhotoUp is easy breezy!
All you need to do to get started is sign up for a free PhotoUp account, place your first order, and your photographs will be delivered back to you in less than 24 hours.
PhotoUp Real Estate Photo Editing Uploader Demo
For more information on how to use our software, check out our real estate photo editing uploader demo:
As simple as that!
Sign up for a free PhotoUp account and let us help you create picture-perfect real estate photography that is sure to impress your clients and sell more homes.
For a limited time, you even get 10 free edits when you sign up for an account.
So don’t wait! Try us out today!
We hope this blog post helped you understand how important quality real estate photography is to sell more homes at higher rates. Before you go, you may also want to check out the following resources:
