Picture Perfect Real Estate: the Importance of Quality Photography in Today's Competitive Market

There is an increasing number of real estate buyers scouring the internet in the hunt for the perfect home.With the prolific use of internet search engines and real estate websites, prospective buyers have access to an incredible amount of information. This information can be helpful for them. It can also confuse and overwhelm them. Rest assured, top notch, stand-out real estate photos will hold strong, clear and bright in the mind of any buyer.

As buyers begin to search and narrow down the margins of their search, the key enticing element of their initial search will be photos- and we are not talking one good photo. For a home to sell quickly and at top dollar, it needs to entice as many prospective buyers as possible. For this to happen, the listings must have strong visual appeal. There needs to be numerous photos of the property in question, all of a standard size and of superior quality.

Lets take at these and other elements that make for a good real estate photo, and how you can take these photos yourself.

As mentioned, the size of the photo is important. Shots should be large enough that the details of the room can easily be seen. On the flip side, they need to be small enough to be viewed within seconds of clicking on them. Internet users have become accustomed to images appearing within the click of a mouse, and if this does not happen they are likely to move on to view another property. Likewise a property listed with only one photo, not only gives a limited amount of visual information, but can also imply a sort of laziness and lack of caring on behalf of the seller and any agent associated with it. Generally folks are looking for homes that have been well cared for, and their judgments may start as soon as they click on a listing. Make a solid first impression.

Yes, you can have your home professionally photographed, but there are many good digital cameras that will do the job well. Consider an investment in a digital camera, or the use of a camera with a wide angle lens. A good quality digital point and shoot camera with a hot shoe attachment can work, but most important, it must be wide angle or accept a wide angle teleconvertor. Choose a camera with a minimum 24mm lens for photographing interiors.

Although shooting with available light is an option, in many cases an external flash will be helpful for the challenging lighting situations you will encounter. Experts recommend the following cameras: Canon powershots (G series, Pro 1) or the Nikon Coolpix line. Likewise a knowledgeable sales agent at a reputable camera store can guide you through other appropriate options. Film cameras with the aforementioned features are certainly an option as well- but consider that they are not as convenient as a digital camera. The film needs to be scanned to a cd when it is developed.

A decent tripod is another necessary tool for your kit. The camera shutter's speeds are much slower when shooting interior photography, and so your images will be blurred without the use of a tripod. Your camera should have a remote. Inquire about this feature, before the purchase of your camera.

Now that you have a camera, consider the following tips:

The Photo's Purpose

The purpose of a real estate photo should be to sell real estate. Although staging rooms to look appealing is always helpful, be careful not to focus all the attention on furniture and decor. The buyer is not purchasing the either. A strong, real estate photograph will focus more on the building's/room's architecture, design and space.

Simplify Space

Remove everything from the image that distracts from your purpose of making the home look attractive. Avoid including things like door frames and chair backs in images. Remove extra furniture adding only striking decorative items. Keep an eye out for things that can be done or simply removed to improve the photo. Some examples are towels hanging from the oven door, or small piles of "things" that don't do anything to produce a clean, strong and desirable image.

Know Your Color

Pick up some photo editing software and begin to learn and play around with editing. There is a lot you can do to improve your images, notably with color. White-balance and the type of light source are two major factors that photographers must understand and control. Don't let an bad color detract from the purpose of your image. On this note, render interiors light and bright. Bright interiors are more appealing to buyers than dark moody ones. For this, you either need an external flash unit or long exposures shot on a tripod.

Image Priority: The Front Exterior Shot is the Most Important Featured Image

Make sure the exterior shot it is strong and communicates as many of the properties main selling features as possible.In web and print advertising, realtors repeatedly need to use one image to promote the property. This, in most cases is the front exterior shot- so it should be the cream of the crop! You might consider spending some extra time on this shot.

Size and Crop Appropriately:

Vertical format (portrait) images don't work well for most real estate advertising unless you know the shot is for a flyer or a magazine ad that requires such a format. Most real estate websites are designed to work best with horizontal (landscape mode) images. A mixture of horizontal and vertical format images on a website or gallery can be very distracting. Nothing about your images should confuse your viewers.

Think clarity, appeal and punch- and you will be on your way to producing stellar real estate photography.