Real Estate Photography for Home Sellers

When it comes to selling your home or ranch, good quality photos are more important than ever. These days, most buyers are going to preview a property online before they set an appointment, and they will quickly pass up a property with few or poor quality photos. It is especially true in the Fredericksburg TX real estate market, as so many of our buyers are moving here from other areas.

What’s the Best Camera for Photographing Real Estate?

While some brokers use an old point and shoot camera or the camera on their smart phone, the results can’t compare to a DSLR camera. Better yet, a DSLR on a tripod with a wide angle lens, and a real estate agent who knows how to use their equipment. For my listing photos, I use several programs to edit and improve the straight-out-of-the-camera images.

What is Bad Real Estate Photography?

I am sure there are many more things, but these come to mind when searching the MLS for homes for sale:

• Out of Focus
• Poor Lighting- rooms too dark, window too bright
• Unflattering shots, unmade beds, clutter
• Distorted Images – especially the tilted look from a wide angle lens
• Too Few Photos

What is Good Real Estate Photography for Selling a Home?

As a real estate agent and a home owner, here is what I would insist on:

• All Photos In Focus
• HDR Blended Photos to balance window and room lighting
• Flattering composition, each room shown at it’s best
• Color Adjustments to remove yellow cast from indoor lighting
• Quantity – at least a dozen pictures on a small home listing

When to Hire a Professional Photographer for Real Estate Listings

As a real estate agent, I am comfortable taking pictures of home interiors and exteriors. Listing photos for tracts of land are also something I know that I can do well.

When listing multi million dollar properties with luxury homes and other improvements, I expect to be advertising to a more geographically diverse pool of buyers. This is where a professional will be needed to capture those perfect twilight shots and aerial photos.

The most expensive luxury homes and ranches also tend to be on the market for a very long time, so waiting several weeks to arrange for a professional photographer to visit the property and deliver the files, may be worth the investment.

When is Good Photography, Good Enough for Selling Real Estate?

The goal of any real estate agent is to sell your home at the best price. Good quality photos are important part of the marketing. Getting those photos taken, edited and online in a timely manner is important. The photos need to be good enough to attract buyers. Every shot doesn’t have to be magazine quality. Setting showing appointments and getting offers is the goal! Don’t let perfection get in the way of listing a home or land in a strong market.

If you are in the market to sell your home or ranch in Fredericksburg, Gillespie County, or the surrounding area, call me!