How to Take Amazing Real-Estate Photos
Curious about the best way to take real-estate photos—the kind of photos that actually help you sell homes? Great photos have the power to help you sell a home faster. Potential buyers get to see the best of a property, which means you get more leads, and this could lead to you closing deals more quickly and easily.
There are a few ways you can highlight a space’s top features and take amazing real-estate photos. The short answer is by:
Using natural light
Staging the space
Using a wide-angle lens
Using a tripod
Whether you’re comfortable with a camera or just getting started taking your own photos for real-estate, we promise to break it all down for you so you can make your images even better. Keep reading to learn why great real-estate photography matters and why these five factors are crucial for taking real-estate photos.
Why is it Important to Take Great Real-Estate Photos?
Why should you bother to learn how to create great photos in real-estate? These photos can have a significant impact on the leads you get for potential buyers, as they are often how the individuals are first introduced to a home. These photos set the tone of what the potential buyer can generally expect from a viewing, so highlighting all the best features of a home is only going to help you get them through the door.
Buyers generally want to get a feel for the home before they commit to scheduling a viewing. Capturing lifestyle photos of a home that show how the space can be used helps provide a clear picture of what the home is like and even help the buyer envision themselves living there.
Great photos of homes can not only help buyers find their dream homes more efficiently, but the more seamless you make the process for the buyer, the easier it will be to complete a transaction and support your bottom line. It really is a win-win.
5 Tips for Better Real-Estate Photography
Taking really good real-estate photos requires a combination of technical ability and creativity, but by no means do you have to be a professional photographer to get it right. By following these tips and putting in the effort to make each photo look its best, you'll be able to create a set of photos that will help sell a property quickly and for top dollar.
Here are five tips to help you create real-estate photos that are as inviting and appealing as possible.
Use natural light.
Generally speaking, natural light is the best light for real-estate photography. This type of lighting creates a warm, enticing atmosphere, which automatically makes the space feel more open and inviting. Before you begin taking photos of a home, open the shades and allow the light to come through all the windows so all the space’s best features are illuminated.
It can be tempting to turn on all of the lights to brighten the spaces as much as possible, but keep in mind that allowing natural light to dominate the space tends to have a more luxurious impact. That considered, if scheduling isn’t on your side and your only option is to take photos at night, you can still make the most of it by using a tripod and a long exposure to capture the ambient light in the room. This stands whether you are taking interior home photos or exterior home photos at night.
Stage the space.
Staging the interior of a home can make a big difference in how a room is perceived. Before you take any photos, ensure the space is clear of any mess or distracting clutter, which can automatically turn a buyer off of a home if they find difficulty looking past it. This isn’t necessarily something you need to take on yourself, but it’s certainly something you can discuss with the seller before you plan to take your real-estate photos.
Whether in advance or on the day of your planned real-estate photography session, consider simple adjustments like arranging furniture to create a better flow, adding a vase of flowers, or placing a bowl of fruit on a kitchen counter. Little tweaks like these that can make a room feel more lived-in and homey. Don’t feel any pressure to completely overhaul the space, but know that the smallest of additions can go a long way.
Use a wide-angle lens.
A wide-angle lens allows you to capture more of the room in a single shot, which can be especially useful for small or narrow spaces—like bathrooms, for example. You’ll want to equip yourself with a 16-35 lens for this kind of shot. A wide-angle lens gives the viewer greater comprehension of the space because it allows you to share more information about the other features of the space. If you want to take interior real-estate photos that give the viewer a greater view of a space, using a wide-angle lens is the not-so-secret trick.
Use bracketing.
Bracketing is an easy photography hack you can use to ensure you end up with a range of options for editing. Bracketing your shots means taking the same photo at several different exposure settings, thus providing you with multiple versions of the same photo. It reduces the possibility of ending up with a photo that’s too underexposed or overexposed so you know you’ll get a shot that’s just right.
Use a tripod.
Have you ever tried to take a great photo after one too many cups of coffee? What was once a potentially great capture turns out to be a blur. That’s where a tripod comes in—it helps you capture sharp, steady shots every time.
Using a tripod is especially important when taking photos at night or in low light situations. A tripod will also allow you to take long exposures without camera shake. Tripods come at various different price points, so you don’t need to break the bank to get great photos. A tripod is a worthy investment if you’re going to be taking photos of homes for a long time.
Edit your photos with PHAiTO.
You don’t have to be a professional photographer or a photo editing expert to create photos you’re proud to put on display. Editing your photos with PHAiTO can help you not only achieve your desired look, but also get the result you want faster and with less effort on your behalf.
PHAiTO, our Ai photo editing tool for Lightroom, accomplishes most of the editing for you. All you have to do is select your Lightroom catalog, choose your desired look, and leave the editing to us. Your photos are turned around quickly, so you can add them to your listing right away—or take this as an opportunity to finally take that coffee break you’ve been waiting for.
Start Taking Sell-Worthy Real-Estate Photos
Taking amazing real-estate photos isn’t as intimidating as you might think. With the right tools, strategies, and Ai photo editing software you can take photos that increase your success in selling homes. Really great real-estate professional photos could spark your next transaction and ultimately help to bring you continued success in your career.
Ready to see how PHAiTO can make your editing process easier? Start your 500-image trial today—no commitment or credit card required.