With houses going on and off the market daily, every real estate agent is battling with the competition, trying to capture the homebuyers’ attention with the help of real estate photos.
If you are a real estate agent or a home seller trying to make a sale, you need to put your best foot forward by presenting your potential buyers with the best photos of your property. It can be a good idea to learn a few tips and tricks to shoot beautiful real estate photographs. This guide contains real estate photography tips that can help you produce beautiful, consistent, professional-looking real estate photos.
1. Invest in the right camera.
You can use any sensor size to shoot real estate photos, but a full-frame camera with a larger sensor size is ideal because it allows you to use a wide-angle lens for better exposure in low light situations.
2. Prepare for the shoot well in advance.
Set the right tone before you shoot. Begin with these two steps:
- Make a list of what is expected from you.
- Prepare your gear the night before.
3. Take a quick walkthrough before you begin.
A quick walkthrough will help you get a feel of how you want to shoot the space.
- Take mental notes on the best angles to shoot and what items you may need to move.
- If you’re not good at remembering details, take notes.
4. Get the property decluttered ahead of time.
A clean shot makes a property look marketable in photos. Ask the client or the homeowner to do the following:
- Keep the surfaces such as coffee tables, countertops, desk, etc. as clean as possible.
- Put away personal belongings and general clutter.
- Remove excessive decorations.
- Get the property decluttered
5. Choose the right time.
Choosing the right time is very important for getting the right colors in your photos. Follow these tips for more polished and professional-looking photographs:
- Prefer to shoot during the day. The natural light brings out great color-balanced pictures.
- If the weather is cloudy, the best is to choose another time to shoot.
- If you want to shoot during the sunset, ensure that the sun is behind the house.
6. Decide whether to keep lights on or off.
Some tips for deciding whether to keep the lights on or off during the shoot are:
- If the property has large windows, open the windows to let the light in.
- If the property has small windows or low lighting, use artificial lights.
- If light bulbs in the house have different color temperatures, turn them off. Use a camera flash instead.
- Use a desk lamp for effect, but make sure that it doesn’t cast any shadow.
- For exterior real estate photography, consider shooting at twilight. Keep the interior lights on to get a warmer, cozier feel.
7. Shoot from the right spot.
It is important that you find the right spot and the right angle to shoot the room to portray it as expansive, airy, roomy, and inviting, and not closed and narrow. Follow these tips:
- Shoot a room from the doorway. You will be able to capture full amount of space and view of the entire room.
- Leave doors open between rooms.
- Turn off the fans.
- Don’t shoot too much of the ceiling.
8. Get the right accessories.
To shoot the real estate photos that really sell, you’ll need the following items.
- A sturdy tripod to keep the camera still
- Multiple off-camera flash units to light an entire large room without casting any shadows
- A good wide-angle lens to get a fuller view in confined spaces
- Polarizing filter to remove glare from reflective surfaces such as water, glass, and canvas
- A full-frame camera with interchangeable lenses for great quality and more professional-looking photos
- Bracket umbrella for modifying the light source to have the desired effect in the photos
