The Do’s + Don’ts of Listing Photos

When you’re preparing to put your house on the market, you are probably already aware that most of the first impressions made on potential buyers will be via your listing photos. It is important to take the time and make sure that the photos taken will attract those buyers, not send them running. Here are some do’s and don’ts to ensure your listing photos get the attention you want them to have.

DO:

• Make your house look welcoming. A warm entryway and clutter-free front door area will set the tone for the rest of your images. So tuck shoes and coats away neatly behind closet doors.

• Declutter each room as much as possible.  Tuck away things like the bathmat, hand soaps, extra bath towels, kitchen towels, laundry hampers, etc.  A clutter free space is attractive to buyers.

• Capture the best parts of your home. While you may think skipping certain rooms is the norm, it is better to show off what it is that makes you love your home. Do you have a beautiful kitchen? Make sure you it’s ready to show off!

• Stage your rooms. Make sure potential buyers can see how great your space can be so they can picture themselves in it. This may sound overwhelming but we’re here to help you with this part.  We can make great recommendations on what to tuck away or what to move around.  Alternatively we can offer a free home design and staging consult to get things looking amazing! We want you to have amazing pictures!

• Show off the view – if you have one. If you’ve got a beautiful porch where you love to have your morning coffee because of the tree line, make sure you get a photo of that. If you have a nice outdoor space, be sure to pull the curtains back, show off those windows and views.

• We always start with lots of exterior pictures so make sure the outside is cleaned up and looking its best too.  Curb appeal is important with first impressions. Tuck away outdoor toys, ensure patio furniture is neat and tidy too.

DON’T:

• Try to do take your own pictures.  Leave it to the professionals – always!  This is something we strongly believe in and won’t settle for anything less than amazing!

• Shove all your clutter in the closets.  Buyers will open closets to get an idea of the space, and they won’t want any surprises behind closed doors.  Pack things away neatly in boxes.

• Capture the everyday mess of life. While in most cases it is important to show reality, this is the one case where it is key to not capture what your home actually looks like on a day to day basis. Your home should be clean and organized when listing photos are taken because potential buyers may have a hard time picturing themselves living in your home if they can’t look past the mess. It’s worth the time and effort!

• Show off your furry children or their accessories. While there are plenty of pet lovers out there, featuring your pups or kittens will often detract from what your home looks like and lead clients to worry about potential pet damage or smells.

• Leave too many personal photos around.  Some are okay (you do live there after all) if you have a large collection of family or baby photos out it may be best to tuck some of them away so the buyer can picture their family living there.
• Leave anything in worn out or broken condition.  Patch holes in the walls, replace burnt-out light bulbs, cracked tiles etc.  You’ll do better if your home is in move-in ready condition.
• Pack everything up.  An empty room or house will not show as well as one staged nicely.

Photos are one of the best marketing tools for a house.  It’s what captures peoples interest and brings them in the door.  Professional photos from reputable companies will create more interest in your property which leads to prospective buyers and more excitement and momentum.  This ultimately leads to a sale.

We feel that every listing deserves to look its best!  This is the reason why we bring in our professional staging and design consultants BEFORE you list, and then our amazing and highly skilled photographers capture the best possible pictures for us to get out in front of as many people as possible!

Want to know more about how we can make your listing stand out?  Contact us today for details.