Real estate photography top tips:
- Ensure there is still furniture in the home. It shows the true size of the space.
- Designate a good few hours to take good photos of varying angles of all rooms.
- Consider hiring furniture or a furniture arranger to flatter the space the best.
- A pop of colour here and there in your décor catches the eye of the browser.
- Know the real estate photography editing laws before requesting alterations.
What is a real estate photographer?
A professional real estate photographer takes professional photos of properties to showcase its best features in marketing materials. They will edit (legally) the images, if required, to balance lighting and other aspects, as well as often assist with prepping the property before the shoot to look its best.
Some photographers will also have aerial photography equipment, such as drones. The technology available these days is making for some incredible footage to draw in prospective buyers from far and wide, before they even step foot in the property.
Why is real estate photography important?
1. You get the best possible photos of your property.
Like a wedding photographer knows how to catch the best shots of the bride and groom, a real estate photographer will do the same for your property. By capturing the right angles, features, lighting and other areas, the photos of your home, office or other property will paint a thousand words.
2. Quality property photos can increase your sale price.
High-resolution images taken by a professional will also stand out online and gives the property a more luxury feel, even if it’s not. This then drives more people to look at the listing, hopefully visiting the property and puts demand on your home, if they like what they see. And as we all know from economics 101, more demand with low supply (as it’s only one property) equals a higher price.
3. Professional real estate photos give you more options for marketing.
When you hire a professional, you’ll often get a whole suite of photos. By having more images, you can market in more places and not have to display the same photos. For example, you can have different feature images on each real estate listing website, social media platform and in printed marketing.
4. You’ll very well likely be following real estate photo editing laws.
There are laws in place to prevent property sellers and agents from misrepresenting residential and commercial premises. This includes ensuring images have not been edited to enhance reality. Even changing the colour of the pool water could land you in the hot seat.
Maximum penalties are around $220,000 for individuals and $1,100,100 for corporations so having a professional who knows the regulations comes in handy.
How much does real estate photography cost?
Every photographer will work a little differently to how much they charge for real estate photos. However, based on an hourly cost, you’re looking at around $150 to $300+ per hour, with many discounting for multiple hours as it does take time to get right.
A lot of real estate agents will include professional real estate photos in their package or only ask for payment if the property sells. However, if you pull your property from the market or wish to use your own property photographer, you’ll probably be facing the bill yourself.
How do you take good real estate photos?
Before you take photos of your property, you’ll want to observe every single room that will be photographed. Is there enough or too much furniture or is the furniture worn or doesn’t suit the space? Are there little repairs that need doing beforehand? Are the toilet seats down?
It’s the little things that matter!
The easiest way to get good real estate photos is to call in a professional. If you need a reliable contact to get good photos of your house before you sell, take a peek on Localsearch.
Feature image: Elisey Vavulin on Unsplash
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