Given the proven effectiveness of professional photography in marketing properties, a photo shoot with a real estate photographer should be a high priority in your marketing budget. The first impression will be the best impression.
Introduction
Images captured by experts are more appealing to the human eye. That’s why people today are heavily reliant on sharing their photos online via websites like Instagram, Pinterest and Tumblr. While most people use images as a way to share memories with their loved ones, some industries are now using them as marketing tools. In any type of business, one way to attract customers is to provide images of your products, and a better way is to hire professional photographers.
In the real estate industry, photographs are also a proven tool to increase the chances of selling the house. Real estate photography has many benefits; both to the seller and the agent, and here are some of them.
According to Google, 90% of real estate projects start on the Internet and this figure is not about to decrease: the real estate sector is in full digitalization. In order not to be swallowed up by the flood of new digital tools dedicated to the sale and rental of properties, every real estate agency must offer the Internet users concerned the possibility of surfing without soliciting the competition. For this, there is nothing like perfectly illustrated real estate ads.
The space dedicated to your ads on the Internet is not limited as it is on paper, so you will have the possibility to add many photos to flesh it out. And that’s good news: since 41% of Internet users ignore the description of the ad, beautiful photographs are often a more convincing argument than the text! The photograph is an essential asset to attract the Internet user in his real estate search, arouse his curiosity and perhaps finally, lead to a visit.
But taking a beautiful photo of an apartment or a house is not child’s play: certain rules must be respected, especially those concerning the composition. Nobody will be attracted by a photo of a messy, badly lit and/or badly framed living room: the volumes transcribed will be distorted, and the person concerned will click on the next ad in less time than it takes to say it.
Home Seller Benefits of Real Estate Photography
Sell the home faster – for homeowners trying to sell their home, getting the services of professional photographers helps sell the home faster, as people are more attracted to home listings with great photos. When a buyer is looking for a house, a picture helps them easily decide if it is right for them. And so, if the house is presented in a great way, the buyer would be interested in checking the house instantly.
Price the house higher – when a house has a visually stunning photo, the chances of attracting the attention of potential buyers are high. When more people are interested in the property, the owner can set a higher price for the house.
Real estate agent’s advantages of Real Estate Photography
A good photo can enhance the reputation – as a real estate agent, it is important to market a property with good standing, condition and price. When a property is presented to buyers with a professional and attractive image, it can be associated with the fact that the agent is also professional.
Impress current clients and attract new ones – one way to show your clients that you are committed to creating an exceptional presentation of their property is through quality photography. This would allow your clients to think that their listing is in good hands. At the same time, you can attract new clients by showing beautiful photos of your previous clients, proving how professional and expert you are in marketing real estate. Creating an attractive portfolio is a great way to attract clients.
With professional real estate photography, sellers and agents can expect the results they want quickly and easily.
The Keys of good Real Estate Photography
The importance of home staging
Storytelling
When starting to search for a property to buy or rent, the Internet user hopes to be able to project himself in what will become his home, even before having visited it. If when they see a photo of a living room with a fireplace and exposed beams, they already imagine themselves on the sofa, enjoying a large cup of hot chocolate under a woolen blanket, this is a very good point. He will certainly want to discover the other photos of the ad, to know if the property in question really suits him and if it is necessary to push to a visit.
No detail should be overlooked. Dust on the furniture, open drawers and dishes near the sink are to be avoided, of course. To take a good interior photo, start by tidying up a bit. Even the little water bottle by your bed should disappear from the scene! Open the curtains and doors to let the room breathe, put away your personal belongings (the pictures of your friends on New Year’s Eve and the stickers on the fridge are just for you). Since each person is different, it is better to opt for a maximum of sobriety and allow the Internet user to project himself, whatever his tastes.
Once the home is tidy and the room is airy, don’t hesitate to make it more lively by placing pretty flowers on the work surface or books on a coffee table. It is necessary to find the right balance, the room must be neutral without seeming to come straight out of a furniture store.
The brightness
A dark photo is the number one enemy of your real estate ad: the volumes are badly retranscribed, the room seems smaller and more confined. There are several solutions if the light in the room or rooms you want to photograph is poor:
- Open the shutters and curtains, (preferably choose a day when the sun is out, especially for outdoor shots).
- Don’t use the flash: a bad use of it can, in addition to creating ugly reflections, emphasize certain details of the room by leaving the others in the shade, or by distorting the volumes which are not lit.
- Be careful with backlighting: focus your camera inside the room, not outside!If these rules concerning the composition of the scene are primordial, they are no less derisory if the composition of your photo is not worked and thought out. To compose a photo correctly, the material and the framing chosen are essential.
The composition of the photo
The elements to highlight
To take a good real estate photo, the most important thing is to observe the rooms concerned in order to choose what should be highlighted (space, a detail, the layout)…
Once you have chosen the most important elements (a marble fireplace, a beautiful parquet floor, or nice moldings on the ceiling), all you have to do is find an angle of view that will allow you to leave no detail out: a good photo does not improve reality, it enhances it, while giving a faithful representation of what the property looks like
So don’t try to take out the slightly yellowed wallpaper or a swollen floor: be objective (without drawing attention to the imperfections).
Framing
The way you frame your photo can change what you wanted to show in the first place. Don’t stop at one point of view: to get the best result, shoot the room from different angles.
Don’t dive or back dive, as they distort the volumes. Instead, take a picture from a horizontal position, at human height. Finally, respect the perspectives: to avoid that your photo seems distorted, make sure that you respect the verticals and that the horizontal lines all converge towards one or several vanishing points on the horizon.
The equipment
Of course, the equipment used is not to be neglected: we will therefore avoid taking pictures with a Nokia 6300 or other equivalent cell phone. However, a current smartphone may be suitable: the latest generations generally have sufficient cameras to take decent pictures. On the other hand, it is obvious that an SLR camera with interchangeable lenses makes the difference.
Choose a wide-angle lens (short focal length), which allows you to photograph with an angle wider than the human eye. Ideal for small rooms in which it is difficult to stand back, these lenses have some disadvantages and can sometimes distort certain photos.
Finally, to ensure your stability and avoid unwanted blur, get a tripod, or put your camera on a stable surface.
As you can see, it is not enough to press the shutter button to take beautiful real estate photos. But with these few tips and a little practice, each of your ads will stand out from the crowd, to convert your visitors into happy customers.
Advanced services
Creation of virtual property tours
With the advancement of technology, many real estate agents are now requesting a virtual tour or 360 degree tour. As a photographer, it’s easy for you to learn and improve your skills to offer such value-added services to gain a competitive edge.
Real Estate Photography by drone
Aerial images have become an expected addition when marketing substantial properties. An aerial view of a larger property can wow the competition.
Drones have made real estate aerial photography affordable. Drone real estate photography is not only a viable option in marketing today, it is becoming a necessity. There are inexpensive drones that record and take still images – the more expensive the drone, the better the quality of the medium. More expensive drones are also more robust to withstand the elements, like wind.
Real estate drone photography provides details:
- Overall view of the property
- Closer inspection of the roof and hard-to-reach features
- Surroundings, neighbors and nearby amenities
- Property plans and surveys
You don’t have to be a pilot to consider adding real estate drone photography to your list of services. Outsourcing is an option, but, if you can play a video game, you can probably fly a drone.
See this comprehensive guide to using drones for aerial photography
Post-processing techniques and Real Estate Photography
The visual quality of the final results of your real estate photography session can gain a lot by using proper post-production techniques. However, you should plan ahead during the shoot to use techniques like image blending. You may start by watching this great tutorial by Serge Ramelli.
Image blending
Glare
In cases such as a floor creating glare, two exposures are required. Set one shot for the best exposure in the room; set another shot for the floor. These two images can be combined in the editing process for a perfect result. For two exact positions, your tripod is your best friend.
Flambient
Flambient (AKA “A Kiss of Flash”): the combination of flash and ambient light. The idea is to take an image exposed to ambient light and then take an image with flash. For this purpose, the flash can bounce off a wall or ceiling. In Photoshop, the two images are combined to create the perfect image. This process allows you to change the contrast and colors. Again, use a tripod.
High-Dynamic-Range (HDR)
HDR real estate photography is taken by beginners to solve the problem of different exposure ranges in a photo. HDR is a photo technique that reproduces a dynamic range of brightness. HDR takes multiple exposures of an image and then combines them for results that are rich in dynamic nuance and a very polished product. Repeat: a tripod is essential for HDR.
Sources
Photography for Real Estate Interiors: How to take and create impressive interior photos, Nathan Cool, 2017.
How to Make Money as a Real Estate Photographer, Phil Johnson, 2020.
The Real Estate Photographer: A Beginner’s Guide to Real Estate Photography, Riley D. West, 2021.
Explode Your Income with Better Real Estate Photos: How to take photos that will connect with your buyer, make your seller think you are a rock star, and make you more money now, Pablo Terreros, 2019.
https://www.photographie-immobiliere.net/les-avantages-de-la-photographie-immobiliere/
meero.fr