You've decluttered, cleaned, and staged your home. You've chosen a Realtor, the local market is good, and you've agreed on a listing price. It's time to make sure your online photos are what it takes to make buyers schedule a viewing.
In exactly the same way that out-of-date interior decor makes your home look less desirable, photos that are "old school" style can lower your home's perceived value. Let's look at the current photo trends that will help sell your home.
What makes good photos
Buyers are spoiled by what they're used to seeing on home renovation shows, design websites, and social media. They expect online photos to be bright, accurate, and appealing. You don't need an expensive makeover to get in the game. Once you know what today's professional photographers are doing differently, you'll have a much better chance at attracting interested buyers.
So, if you are serious about selling, one of the smartest things you (or your Realtor) can do is to hire a professional photographer before you list.
Unprofessional photos show colors that are dull or garish. They are usually awkwardly framed because they are shot from eye level and pointing down, instead of a more flattering level. They might have a mix of warm natural lighting alongside cooler artificial lighting, creating unnatural color clashes.
A pro will have the equipment and experience to deliver a series of photos that show evenly lit rooms, with good verticals (no slanting walls or bowed ceilings or stretched-out furniture), and the overall impression of an inviting, well-maintained property.
A hero shot
The so-called Profile Shot is now being replaced with what's called the Hero Shot. It's that one photo that tempts someone who's just scrolling online homes to want to see more of the home. The Hero Shot may not be the usual curb appeal shot -- the building's front facade. Instead, it will show a major asset, perhaps your beautifully staged living room, the inviting entryway, or a gorgeous kitchen.
It will most likely be a vertically framed photo, taller than it is wide to accommodate the proportions on Instagram, Facebook, and other social media sites. It might even be a short video like a Facebook Reel.
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| A Hero Shot can feature whatever you and your listing agent consider an outstanding feature. |
Better lighting
If you have ever photographed a room with a window on a bright day, you probably ended up with a photo that was either overexposed or underexposed. Even with a sophisticated smartphone and some practice, you'd need editing skills to get a good picture that flatters your room and the view outside.
Real estate photographers know how to prevent what they call "window blowouts" -- where windows look like glowing white rectangles. They have the expertise and equipment to deliver photos with accurate interior details and natural-looking outdoor views.
Every room in your home has dark areas and also areas that are well-lit. The pros use a technique they call "flambient lighting." The term blends two words: flash lighting from their equipment and ambient light available naturally. Flambient lighting yields more accurate colors and the inviting appearance of natural light.
Drone photos
Whether stills or videos, customers appreciate drone and aerial photography for its ability to show what's special about lot size, outdoor living areas, neighborhood, local landmarks, special views, and landscaping. Buyers like to see things like the condition of your roof and driveway from above.
Similar to drone images are floor plan videos that let buyers see how room sizes, closets, hallways and exits all relate to each other. AI lets photographers, real estate agents, property appraisers, lenders, and insurance companies gather realistic information with floor plans created using a smartphone app.
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| Especially popular with larger properties and luxury homes, aerial and drone photography gives people a complete picture of the home in its surroundings. Photo: Jade Mountain Builders |
Virtual staging
When a home is vacant, some Realtors recommend virtual staging, so that rooms get styled with computer-generated furniture and accessories. Rooms staged with AI look better than empty ones, and home sellers like virtual staging because it's faster and easier than hands-on staging. Whether it's cheaper than normal staging depends on what the homeowner already owns.
Although virtual staging has merits, it also has some drawbacks. When buyers come to tour the property, they're often surprised or even disappointed when they encounter empty rooms instead of the furnished rooms they saw online. Different states and different professional organizations have different rules about whether agents must disclose that online listings include these images. Most virtually staged photos are well done, but some are not convincing. Also, buyers touring the property don't get to easily imagine themselves in the home when rooms are bare.
Editing techniques
Over time, computer editing has changed the look of real estate photos. An experienced photographer will shoot three or more images at different exposures ("bracketing" them) and combine them for the perfect balance of light and colors. Or, he may use programs like Photomatix or Adobe Lightroom to edit his photos, adjusting brightness, contrast, and color. But many photographers outsource their editing to specialists who can quickly turn ordinary photos into polished marketing images.
Some of the most popular editing techniques involve replacing the sky behind a home, or turning an unevenly lit exterior into one that looks like a photo taken at sundown or sunrise. It saves the photographer from making two visits and also not being dependent on the weather.
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| Here's an example of an unedited exterior shot. |
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| Here's the same photo once it is edited to correct the lighting and coloring. Photo: PhotoUp |
Editors can also use tools to correct walls, doorframes, and vertical lines so they are strictly square and plumb, or make ceilings and trim brighter, or remove things like reflections, stray electric cords, and blemishes. Usually, the more expensive the home, the more editing goes into the photos.
Lifestyle images
Traditionally, real estate photography has avoided including people or animals. But now, upscale photographers are adding what's dubbed "lifestyle images." These pictures might even show a person preparing food in the kitchen, relaxing in an outdoor living area, or walking up an attractive staircase. They are designed to tell a story of the carefree, happy life lived there.
Additionally, close-up images of details in a property, like luxury towels on a bath vanity, a staged mantel over the stone fireplace, or an attractive office desktop, can remind buyers what it will be like when they live there.
Photos might even include the family pet. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 49% of American homes have a companion animal, so it makes sense that buyers feel good when seeing an indoor dog or cat photographed.
Since home exteriors with wood siding need to be
painted every three to seven years, close-up and
detailed photos like this will reassure buyers that
the home has been well maintained.
painted every three to seven years, close-up and
detailed photos like this will reassure buyers that
the home has been well maintained.
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| When people are part of the photo, they are always edited to appear unidentifiable and even insignificant to the picture. Photo: Jade Mountain Builders |
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| Adding details like flowers, food, and even people makes rooms look more natural and interesting. Photo: Jade Mountain Builders |
Get the look, get the book
