If you are a real estate agent trying to market a home for sale, you need to present potential buyers with the best photos of your listing. This article contains real estate photography tips that can help you produce beautiful, consistent, professional-looking real estate photos.

8 Real Estate Photography Tips

1. Invest in the right camera
2. Prepare for the shoot well in advance
3. Take a quick walkthrough before you begin
4. Get the property decluttered ahead of time
5. Choose the right time
6. Decide whether to keep lights on or off
7. Shoot from the right spot
8. Get the right accessories

‍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.

Prepare for the shoot well in advance

Set the right tone before you shoot. Begin with these two steps:

1. Make a list of what is expected from you.
2. Prepare your gear the night before.

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.

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

Choose the right time.

• Shoot during the day. The natural light brings out great color-balanced pictures.
• If the weather is cloudy, reschedule the shoot if possible..
• If you want to shoot during sunset, ensure that the sun is behind the house.    

Decide whether to keep lights on or off

• If the property has large windows, open the curtains and blinds 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 shadows.
• For exterior real estate photography, consider shooting at twilight. Keep the interior lights on to get a warmer, cozier feel.

Shoot from the right spot

• Shoot a room from the doorway. You will be able to capture the full amount of space and the view of the entire room.
• Leave doors open between rooms.
• Turn off the fans.
• Don’t shoot too much of the ceiling.

Get the right accessories

• 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

Also Read: Real Estate Photography: A Guide To Improve Your Real Estate Photos

Styldod is a design-tech company that aims to simplify real estate marketing and help agents present homes in their most favorable light online by reimagining and automating the listing photography process. Having begun as a virtual staging company, today, Styldod has affordable and best-in-class products and services for every facet of real estate marketing and photography. Styldod’s suite of services include virtual staging, image enhancements, floor plans, virtual renovation, 3D renders, 360 degree virtual tours, and Matterport virtual staging, to name a few. We're trusted by over 10,000 realtors from all over the US and from agencies like ReMax, Coldwell Banker, Keller Williams. Know more about us at https://www.styldod.com.