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MLS Photos: The Camera Captures What the Eye Misses

Reblogger
Real Estate Agent with Liz Harris Realty Liz HarrisMBA BR564399000

What a wonderful post on the secrets to taking marvalous MLS photos... wishing you tons of success with your career Kristine Ginsberg... I think you are great at what you do!

Original content by Kristine Ginsberg

 MLS Photos: The Camera Captures What the Eye Misses

 As a Morris County professional home stager and MLS photographer I’ve learned that the camera captures distractions that the eye misses yielding poor quality MLS photographs. Along the way I’ve learn some tricks, tips and techniques to get the best MLS photos the first time around.

Start with a good quality camera (I shot with a Nikon D5000 wide angle lens). Avoid these common pitfalls and you’ll be taking top-quality MLS photos, showcasing your client’s home in its best light. With 90% of buyers starting home search online, this is the first impression buyers will form of your client’s home so it had better be great. They will either decide they must see this home, or move onto your competition.

1.      Pay attention to the sunlight. If it’s really sunny you may consider taking indoor MLS photos on an overcast day. That way you won’t have blinding sunlight coming through the windows which only gets brighter when you bring up the colors/contrast during editing.

2.      A very sunny day also casts a lot of distracting shadows that detract and distract from the overall  look of a room. Moreover there no way to edit them out.

3.      Ask your buyers to vacuum and mop their hardwoods. If you have any dust or lint around or underneath their furniture, the camera polarizes it. If you take the time to clean them, they will shine and look gorgeous in the MLS photos.

4.      Always take a photo with the lights on and off. You never know which will look better until you download them to your computer. Incandescent bulbs cast a bright yellow hue that detracts or changes the room’s actual color or creates a big yellow, unattractive glow. The same can happen with Florescent lighting which has a more bluish hue. In most cases use a flash for the best results.

5.  Pay attention to wires. There are a few tricks you can do like taping them to the furniture, tucking them undernieth or in back of the furniture. If there are a lot of wires like in home offices, use "wire hidders" found at most hardware stores. You can alsoedit them out with some editing programs using the clone feature...if you're really good!

6.      Check for anything underneath the furniture, especially beds because while you don’t notice it with the naked eye, it will show up in your photographs.  

7.      Take down or open all curtains, window treatments and blinds, showcasing the windows. Remember, you’re selling the home, not its décor and people love airy, sunny rooms.

8.      You would think this would be obvious, but if you’ve been on MLS lately you see this all the time. Never take a photo with a pet, person or a reflection of yourself in a mirror.

9.      Sunlight is always best, but it’s not always an option. If a room has only one or no windows bring in extra lighting and put it in every corner of the room and especially the furthest from where you’re standing because you’ll get light from your flash which will actually make the far side of the room even darker.  

10.  As a Morris County Home Stager, I always stage from the room’s entrance because that’s what forms buyers first impression and there should always be a focal point. Keeping that in mind, always take a photo from the doorway and stand as far back to showcase the size of the room.

This is an example of using all the above techniques:




 If you enjoyed this post click:   Thank You! 

Elite Staging and Redesign - Kristine Ginsberg - 201 602 2562

 

Home Staging Morris County - Staged to Sell, Designed to Live!

You have 90 seconds to make a great first impression once your home goes on the market. Consult a Morris County professional home stager serving Union, Essex, Sussex Counties for that competitive edge so your home stands out from the competition, selling faster and for top dollar!  

Elite Staging and Redesign offers home staging services to North Jersey homeowners, real estate agents, banks, builders, and investors in preparing homes to stand out in today’s real estate market. For a consultation on vacant staging, lived in homes or interior redesign projects call Elite Staging and Redesign at 201-602-2562.

Morris County Home Staging Website: Elite Staging and Redesign

Morris County Staging: Portfolio

Email: Kris@elitestagingandredesign.com

 

           

Comments (1)

Kristine Ginsberg
Elite Staging and Redesign, LLC - Short Hills, NJ
NJ Home Stager

Thank you Liz, for your kind words and reblogging my post. I hope this shows sellers and Realtors the importance of preparing a home for the market along with capturing great MLS photos. MLS photos are the first impression buyers will get of your home so they better be great! 

Mar 26, 2012 05:09 AM