Picture Perfect: Pro Photography Is Key to Home Sale Success

One of the main joys of looking at homes for sale online: the gorgeous photos highlighting the up-to-date kitchens, the decadent en suite bathrooms, the immaculately groomed lawns. No matter if it’s a sprawling mansion or a tidy condo, the photos bring you into the space, giving you an idea of what it feels like to live there.

At least, until you come across the listings with the bad photos.

You’ve seen them during your searches. Blurry bedrooms, awkward angles that conceal, date stamps in the corner, even the occasional vertigo-inducing upside down pic. There are photos taken with an incorrect lens that makes it impossible to see an entire room. There are phone camera “panoramic” shots that look like the living room is a bad EKG result.

They may give you a feeling but it’s likely not the feeling the seller had hoped to convey.

You may have guessed already, bad real estate photography upsets me. I mean, really upsets me.

While a good Realtor brings a lot of important skills to your home sale, one of the most important skills is knowing which skills you don’t have. Owning a smartphone doesn’t make one a professional photographer, the same as owning a flashy sports car doesn’t make one a NASCAR driver.

Prior to real estate, I spent a decade and a half as a magazine editor — I’ve supervised photo shoots, worked closely with photographers, and selected and edited photos that best told the story we were looking to tell. I call on all of that experience working with my seller clients, bringing in the best pro photographers, identifying compelling features, and creating a visual experience that will make buyers move your home to the top of their list.

And don’t forget: Real estate photography is a fundamental building block of a marketing campaign to attract the highest and best offer for your house. If you’re charting your home-owning future and financial security, don’t let someone cut corners and stumble out of the gate.

Whether you’re selling a studio condo or a six-bedroom luxury home, working with actual pros will get you off to the best start!

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