Selling your house is all about presentation. You can clean it from top to bottom and landscape the outdoors to perfection, but if you don’t post good photos online, buyers just won’t be interested.
The National Association of Realtors reported that in 2016, “44 percent [of home buyers] looked for properties online first.” If you want to get the attention of almost half the market in your area, your online listing needs to stand out with high-quality real estate photos.
Are you ready to put your home on the market? These six tips from The Degnan Group will help you get the pictures you need to make a sale.
Tip #1: Leave it to the Experts
The Degnan Group in Toledo, Ohio has over 150 years of combined real estate experience. If you’re not comfortable behind the camera, did you know that your agent would be more than happy to take the photos for you? With this kind of experience behind them, they know the best angles and practices to make your house shine online.
Tip #2: Take Photos During the Day
If you’d prefer to take your real estate photos yourself, make sure you take them on a sunny day. Natural light is key to making your home look warm and welcoming, so it’s essential to do everything you can to make the most of it. Open your curtains, clean the windows, and turn on extra lights inside. Also, plan to take your outdoor pictures in the morning or evening when the soft light will have your curb appeal looking its best.
Tip #3: Use a High-Quality Camera
A 2016 study found that: “Homes with photos taken using a professional camera typically fetch more money and sell faster. Sellers who used a high-quality camera and lens for their listing photos got an average of $3,400 more for their properties.”
In this day and age, there is no reason to post low-quality, blurry pictures online. If you don’t own a Canon or Nikon camera (or one of similar quality), it may be time to invest in one. Or, simply ask around among your friends and family to find one you can borrow one for an hour or two.
Tip #4: Take Photos of Every Room
There’s nothing more frustrating than checking out a house online to find only one or two photos available. To avoid this common selling mistake, make a checklist and stay organized to ensure you get shots of every nook and cranny of the house.
Of course, you should hit all of the basics like the living room, bedrooms, bathrooms, and kitchen, but don’t forget the garage, basement, and outdoor areas as well. Take multiple angles of each space to give viewers an accurate idea of the size and layout.
Putting all of the details online has two benefits. First, the photos will entice more buyers to visit the house, and second, they’ll weed out buyers that aren’t interested and prevent wasted time on both sides.
Tip #5: Stage Your Home… But Not Too Much
No one wants to see pictures of a messy house or cluttered room. When you take photos, spend some time staging the home beforehand to make it look its best or consider hiring a professional staging company to do the job for you.
However, it’s also important to make sure you’re giving a realistic depiction of the house to potential buyers. Otherwise, you may end up with some disgruntled visitors at your open house who were expecting more than the home delivers.
Tip #6: Don’t Forget About the Rest of the Listing
Even if you have great photos to post online, you can’t neglect the rest of the listing either. That means consulting with a real estate agent to find the perfect asking price, posting on multiple sites, and writing a clear (and grammatically correct) description of the house. A listing that’s clean and easy to read will give buyers a good first impression of your home before they even step inside it.
Use These 6 Tips to Create Real Estate Photos that Shine
Using high-quality photos in your real estate listing can make all the difference when you sell your house. They help grab buyers’ attention online and can even help you make more money on the sale.
If you’re ready to put your house on the market, consider letting the experts at The Degnan Group take your real estate photos. Or, if you’d like to take on the challenge, make sure you use a nice camera, take the pictures with natural lighting, share photos of every room and accurately depict your home online. Keep these tips from The Degnan Group in mind and your listing is sure to stand out from the rest!