Whether you’re listing in real estate marketplaces like Zillow and Redfin, or you’re using your landing page on your brokerage’s site, by being more creative with your real estate photography you can increase the amount of leads as well as improve lead quality.
Below you will find 7 techniques to make your listing photos more appealing to potential buyers. Some of these tips will help increase the quality of your leads (because who wants to spend time on buyers that aren’t serious) and others will help convert more people from website visitors to buyer leads.
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No More Fisheye Photos
Yes, fisheye photos make your home and the rooms inside look bigger. But this sets false expectations that will cost you time and money.
If people come expecting large rooms and are disappointed when they see the property in person, you’ve now lost money on the marketing materials they take and time that could have been spent with a serious buyer.
If your open house is packed, a serious buyer could have come and gone because you were spending time on a lower quality lead who expected more space.
Stick with regular lenses that capture the beauty of the home and avoid photography tricks that drive more exposure but decrease lead quality.
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Clean All Patios, Walkways and Driveways Before the Shoot
Make sure to power wash all outside surfaces and don’t take a short cut by having dirt photoshopped out during processing.
Buyers are going to want something clean and fresh to see. If there is dirt or grimy walkways, you’re making the initial impression of the home unappealing. Clean pathways make curb appeal more welcoming and can bring you more foot traffic as an added bonus.
And don’t consider photoshopping the dirt out. If the buyer shows up and the pathways are dirty, you’ve likely got them questioning what else you photoshopped inside. The precedent is now set to be skeptical about your listing.
If you take the extra step to have everything power washed ahead of time you can create a cleaner and more welcoming photo as well as a great first impression when the buyer walks up to their new home.
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Drone Footage
Lots of people are taking drone photos now. But not everyone is using a drone in more creative ways.
Why not use the drone to take ariel shots and also create a video traveling inside and outside of the home? You can create a real experience of visiting the home and touring parts of the neighborhood to get the person ready to fill out your form and connect.
Drone footage on its own is exciting, use this excitement in your listing page by creating a video can help your property to stand out and potentially bring more leads.
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Repair or Replace Shutters, Doors and Screens
Just like the walkways you want the visual appeal of the property in tip top shape. Details the seller aren’t worried about may matter to a buyer.
By painting these features with a universally loved or neutral tone, and a couple quick repairs, you can make the difference in the curb appeal of your real estate photos.
Think of shutters, doors and walkway linings as accessories to an outfit. It could be like adding a necklace, bracelet, watch or tie for that confidence building and finished look. The home you’re selling should look and feel the same!
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Shoot During Sunrise and Sunset
Sunrise and sunset are incredible for photography. But this also applies to your listing photos. Instead of using mid-day like everyone else, use the sun’s natural glow to enhance your shots.
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Shoot From the Outside Into the Room With People
One unique real estate photography tip is to shoot real estate photos with people inside mingling. The goal here is to help the person visualize their families, friends and themselves enjoying a party or everyday life.
By having the photographer stand outside and take a photo with happy people talking or celebrating by the windows you can help the buyer picture their own happy moments and celebrations in their new home.
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Take Property Photos from Angles, Not Directly Facing the Home
If everyone takes photos looking directly at the house, why not stand out by taking those shots from an angle. You can stand at the corner of the property and show how large the yard really is. Another option is to stand to the side of the house and capture what it feels like to look forward and see the view.
Bonus tip – Try angling up from the ground, and angling down if there is a boring blue sky to really accent the house.
Real estate photography doesn’t have to be boring. You can get creative to make more people want to tour the property and also set realistic expectations to drive higher quality leads.
