The Six Deadly Sins of Real Estate Photography

When a real estate buyer lands on a listing page he decides if he's interested in just three seconds or less. Bad listing photos can make buyers question a home’s value and desirability. Good listing photos will lure in the best buyers who will love the home for it's unique attributes and character. 

Our experience has shown us that most people decide to purchase a home when they make an emotional connection to it. Great photographs will convey a sense of what it's like to live in the home and help the potential buyer began making a strong emotional connection. 

It isn’t always easy to know what makes a good photo, but you can’t mistake a bad one. Avoid these seven deadly sins if you want your home to look it's very best online. 

1. Not Using a Pro Photographer: great real estate photos are created by professionals who know how to make a room look it's very best. 

2. Furniture Store Shots: showing the furniture instead of the room is one of the most common mistakes. The wrong angle can make the furniture look disproportionately large and make the room look smaller. The photographer should stand far enough back in the room so that furniture appears in context to walls and windows.

3. Dark and Gloomy: bad lighting or pointing the camera directly at a window can create a cave-like effect. Bring in extra lighting and open drapes for to make the rooms appear light and bright. 

4. Coney Island: crooked or blurry photos will cause the viewer to think there is something wrong with the house. Bad angles will distract viewers from seeing the home as aif they were standing in the room. Face rooms straight on and make sure that the photo is perfectly focsed.

5. Cold and Uninviting: Potential buyers want to envision peaceful gardens and summer barbecues when they see photos of a home. They don't want to imagine themselves shoveling snow and salting the driveway. Provide a true picture of the property when it's listed but also include cheerful, sunny photos from warmer times of the year. 

6. Cluttered and Unkempt: A home with lots of visible floor space and a limited number of personal possessions allows buyers to more clearly see their furniture, art, and keepsakes. Stowing away the normal clutter of a household showcases the home’s cleanliness and potential.

At BRIX Real Estate we use the services of Spacecrafting, the Twin Cities largest and most professional photography company. When you're ready to list your house, we'd love to show you how professional photography and world-class marketing will make your home stand out online.