Do You Need Professional Photos to Sell Your Home?

Whether you are a first-time home seller or someone who’s been in the property game for a while, you should know that photos sell the house.

Recent studies have shown that sellers who use a professional photographer to take their photos sell their homes 50% faster than sellers who take photos on their smartphones, for example.

A professional photographer will help you arrange the rooms so that the best features are highlighted and your photographs will come out beautifully.

However, there are some things you need to remember when hiring a professional photographer to help sell your home:

Finding the right photographer

Let’s set the record straight from the getgo: taking photos for real estate purposes and taking photos for artistic purposes are two totally different things.

When hiring a photographer make sure that they have experience in taking real estate photos – no, experiences with weddings, corporate events etc photos won’t cut it!

Bottom line: you want photos taken that will advance the marketing of the home! When you have found a photographer that you really like, go through their portfolio first before you hire them. If you like the style of their shots, ask them what type of equipment they use to shoot the photos. Even if you have no idea how professional cameras work, make sure that they are using a full-frame camera. Inferior camera equipment can cause distortion.

Don’t forget to ask about the software either. Most professional photos are enhanced after they have been taken, but a good photographer will edit them with the best available software so the photos look even better.

Litmus test: the small bathroom

If you are still unsure of how to judge a particular photographer’s photos, then have a look at the shots they have taken of small rooms.

Taking photos of a small room and capturing the essence of it in a single frame is trickier than it looks and if a photographer can get that right then you know you have found the right one.

And that’s exactly where the ‘small bathroom’ test comes in. This is a great way to see if the photographer has the necessary skills. In other words, if a photographer can take a photo of the bathroom and feature half of the bath, then you know you have a perfect candidate.

If this type of photo does not appear in their portfolio, ask them to take one either in their bathroom (or yours) and send it to you. This shows that the photographer will be able to meet your needs and they can deliver quality photos on demand.

Show off what you’ve got!

The next thing you need to be sure of is which photos you will need to boost the potential of your house. Call it the ‘money shot’ or main photo.

You need photos that will appeal to the home buyer so this means that the photographer should focus on the exterior of your home as well as the interior.

The first photo is always the most important photo because it is the one that will be highlighted in the search engines or on the property listing portals. Let the photographer take the photos during the best time of day (or dusk shoot) so that the garden can boost your curb appeal.

After you have an enticing exterior shot, make sure that the photographer focusses their attention next on other key areas that will help sell your home. Rooms like the kitchen, the bathrooms, and the entertainment area are always good locations for photos.

Closing thoughts

And if you have unique features, make sure to include them (for example, wine cellars, custom mantles, leaded-glass windows, or built-in bookshelves). If you have a lot of storage space, you might want to include that as well.

Consider how your real estate agent will use these photos. Popular online portals usually handle photos differently than other home-buying databases.