In today’s online world, your property photos are your first impression encourage a buyer to come see your listing in person. Its estimated that 77% of buyers start their search for property online. Additionally, buyers increasingly explain that viewing professional photos is extremely to their buying experience. This means a large determination of whether a customer will call you back is the photos and the price of your property. While no two properties are identical, there are common areas every listing should cover. Good photos are not only essential for online listing platforms, but they are key when developing flyers, Facebook posts and even when the same is shared across networks through forums like WhatsApp.

We estimate that at least six photos as the minimum needed when offering land for sale. 22 to 27 pictures is the ideal range of photos for houses for sale  according to Zillow research. We estimate that land listed for sale with fewer than six photos will be about 20 percent less likely to sell.

Walk through the property before taking photos

Each property is different from the last. Before you start taking photos, walk through the property to help you determine the number and placement of the photos. As you walk around, remove any threatening signs like ‘Do not trespass’, Usikojoe hapa etc. The goal is to create a welcoming feeling with your listing photos. As you walk around, you will start to identify the best angles and any items that need to be removed. Some items that we don’t notice will stand out in a photo. If you want some decorative items, leave 1-3 items.

Exterior Photography for properties for sale

An exterior photo is usually the first image a potential buyer sees when reviewing properties online. That photo is important so ensure you get the right angle and determine the important features to highlight. Capture Popular local features or any features that justify the price. Take photos that make the area popular. If the property is next to other developed properties, make sure you capture this. If there is a river, ensure this is captured as well. Other features that add value include capturing roads (murram /tarmac), neighboring schools, police stations

When taking exterior photos, it is best to capture images when the sun is behind the camera but illuminating the front of the property. You’ll avoid shadows and the house will be perfectly lit. For apartments and houses listed for sale, a night-time exterior shot can create the right amount of contrast to make your photos stand out.

Interior photography for properties for sale

Whether you are taking photos of apartments for sale, penthouses or villas for sale, the most important photos are the interior ones.  For a house the typical photos should cover a photo of every room (living room, kitchen, dining area, master bedroom, library, office) including bathrooms and photos of the front yard and backyard that was described above. There should photos that capture each feature such as laundry room, garage, and pantry.

Before taking any photos, ensure the house has been cleaned and there is no debris around. Additionally, take away small items that could be lying around like toothbrushes and combs, electrical cords or wires, TV remotes etc.

We recommend having the lights on when taking photos of houses for sale. Having the lights on makes the rooms warmer and it feels more welcoming. You will however need to make sure that the lights do not distort the color of the house, so make sure that you adjust white balance when post-processing.

 While having the lights on is the rule of thumb, experiment and see what works best. At times, for houses with large windows, opening the windows may provide enough natural light which works just as well as having the lights on. Additionally, natural light is a big seller.  You may also opt to use camera flash if you notice that the light bulbs in the house have different color temperatures.

Whatever decision you make, be consistent throughout the photos!

As you take the photos, ensure that there are no people captured within the photos, including you. While mirrors in a house is be a selling point, you want potential buyers to picture themselves in the mirror — not you.

Capture features that help your listing stand out. Some of these include bathtubs, solar panels etc. If the view is one of your property’s selling points, make sure you show it off. Find a way to capture it with a part of the house in the shot, like the balcony. That way, buyers can picture themselves there.

Tips for shooting great real estate photos

• Portray an honest representation of the property. If there are any items not working, show them as well. If the land being offered for sale is next to a slum, do not surprise a customer during a visit. Capture that as well. If the house needs remodeling in certain rooms, capture the same and the customer will decide before visiting if they are up for it.
• Take tons of photos: even though you will not need every photo for your online listing, take many more than that, so you can pick the very best images in editing. The additional photos come in handy if a customer asks for more, you will not need to go back to the property to take them.
• Use landscape orientation: Horizontal orientation makes it easier to capture full breath of the properties.
• Take photos that highlight the layout: Buyers are interested in the layout of the property.
• Leave doors open between rooms: This provides buyers with an idea of how different rooms connect.

Conclusion

Good photographs remain important for your listing. As the adage goes, a photo is worth a thousand words. However, don’t obsess over this. You don’t need a lot to achieve beautiful real estate pictures. Nowadays, most phones have good cameras that can work in taking professional photos. If you decide to hire a photographer, ensure they have a good resume and an impressive work done in the past. This ensures you will not be disappointed.