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4 Mistakes to Avoid with Real Estate Photos

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with Nan and Company Properties Christie's International Real Estate

Ninety percent of home buyers are starting their search online. The importance of quality photos is more important than ever, as they are often the first impression for buyers! At Nan and Company Properties - Christie's International Real Estate, our Houston luxury homes require a refined set of marketing. Poorly taken photos can affect a home’s selling price, how quickly it sells and whether it sells at all. Check out these common photography mistakes, and try to avoid them when preparing for your next listing!

  • Photos that are too dark or too light. If there’s not enough light, images can look grainy or blurry. If there’s too much light, the photos can look overexposed. Solution? Balance the light! Choose a day that is sunny, but not too bright. If necessary, pull down the curtains and use additional sources of light to make the appearance of the entire interior even. The photo above provides the perfect example of balanced light.
  • Focusing on the irrelevant. When staging your home, you want to create a space that buyers will fall in love with! However, sometimes, we focus too much on items that aren’t really relative to the sell. That’s why it’s important to de-clutter the home and remove anything that’s going to be too distracting. When photographing, make sure you are showcasing the room, not the flowers on the table or the workout equipment in the corner. Never lose sight of what’s important!
  • Too many photos of one room. Highlighting the home’s best qualities is crucial, but if you have 12 different photos of the kitchen or 10 pictures of the master suite -- even if both rooms are absolutely gorgeous -- this can be frustrating to buyers. Make sure you’re giving an accurate representation of the entire home but be selective with your photos!
  • Not enough photos. On the flip side, not supplying enough photos can also be disappointing for buyers. Show off that house! Get creative and really think about which features might be important to buyers. Although I’ve stressed being selective with your photos, if you’re only providing 6 photos of a home that spans 7,000 square feet, then you’re also not giving an accurate representation of the home!

At the end of the day, what's important is providing quality photos. Steer cleer of these common mistakes and you'll be on your way to creating a great listing that buyers will fall in love with!

Eva B. Liland Century 21 Doug Anderson
Century 21 Doug Anderson - Lancaster, CA
Glad to be of Service 661-714-1643

I have a 24 mm wide angle lens on my Canon camera. It takes wider photos suitable for real estate. Then I edit my photos and then compress them.

Mar 16, 2017 09:34 AM
Mel Ahrens, MBA, Kelly Right Real Estate
Kelly Right Real Estate - Hood River, OR
Customized Choices for your Real Estate Needs

And, please, no featuring open toilet lids

Mar 16, 2017 10:49 AM
William Feela
WHISPERING PINES REALTY - North Branch, MN
Realtor, Whispering Pines Realty 651-674-5999 No.

To many photo's period.

I find I get more calls when I leave a bit of mystery

Mar 16, 2017 03:17 PM
Nancy Almodovar
Nan and Company Properties Christie's International Real Estate - Houston, TX
Leading Luxury Realtor in Houston

Thank you all for your great suggestions!

Mar 23, 2017 09:21 AM