Enhancing Real Estate Photo Listing Through Image Editing
In today’s digital age, the concentration of real estate searches happens through computers or mobile devices. 9 out of every 10 people search for properties online in hopes to find their dream home. On the other side of the monitor, several real estate businesses jump into the mix of companies that offer properties and posting attractive photos to draw potential buyers in. Real estate photo listing has changed the way real estate does business. It is through the photos that they communicate the property to the buyer which leads to further inquiries, personal visits, and potentially a closed sale. Eye catching photos are like first impressions, people never stop to look at something that does not make an impact to them that is why it is important to acknowledging the role of enhancing real estate photos.
Table of Contents
Real estate photography may sound like a very specific market, but as a photographer you must be aware of the magnitude of this business and making a name for yourself in a market like this is just as important as any career.
Making Your Photos Look Professional
The question is, where does contribute begin to roll in real estate photo listing? The answer is in the planning. Note that good preparation is a step into a successful photo shoot that results in meaningful real estate image editing.
- Planning involves both having the right equipment and the right vision. The right equipment entails bringing the basics needed for the photo shoot and these are your camera, flash, tripod, lenses, and remote accessories. Now you might think that bringing along all this equipment may be troublesome but let us assure you that all this equipment will prepare you for the unexpected conditions mother nature provides. When preparing to bring your equipment, always pack them in advance. By doing so allows you to avoid forgetting anything at the last minute or worse, showing up to the property only to go back and grab the items you forgot. Talk about making an impression! Also do not forget to pack extra for the consumables. These include batteries and flash and if you do have one, an extra camera. The thing is that batteries can drain depending on the length of the shoot. No batteries mean your camera is dead in the water. Your flash can end up with a busted bulb and leave you handicapped during your shoot. That extra camera might just come in handy should anything happen to your primary camera. Remember that a camera is a very sensitive piece of equipment that can shatter or break when dropped or hit.
- Enhancing real estate photos also require staging and/or decluttering. As a photographer, your role is to determine whether a piece or fixture in a room is necessary or not. Some fixtures such as a minimalistic table can bring a lot of pizzas into your photo and boost that buyer’s attraction to that photo. Oftentimes a physical table will be unavailable due to constraints even at the realtor’s end, so be ready to edit one in just in case. There will also be cases where there are unwanted items such as pedestrians on the outside or flashy sports cars passing by. Real estate image editing must consider the fact that these items take the attention away from the reader and must be edited out.
- Always look for the right spot for interiors. Keep in mind that the intent is to bring out the best of the property and not to deceive the potential buyer. Take the photos that bring out the best impression of space should be where you are positioned. For instance, doorways provide a good position since it captures the entirety of the room and puts into perspective what the buyer will see on a daily basis if they choose to purchase the property.
- A real estate photo listing is highly dependent on what people see. On the photo shoot, always remember to showcase the best parts of the house. From an exterior point of view, it is better to take an angled shot of the house to show how far it goes and how wide it stretches. It immediately gives the impression of the size of the structure. Lighting is also a relevant aspect during the shoot. To emphasize interiors, bounce the light off from the walls for it to diffuse evenly. Having a concentrated gob of light in the middle of the room ruins the photo by covering the details which the customer might want to see.
- Enhancing real estate photos requires processing using a software and making the right adjustments to bring out all the best aspects of the photo. Check for warps if you used wide angle lenses, rectifying any blurs and curves that aren’t supposed to appear. Realty editor also means adjusting the amount of light helps on the perception of buyers for real estate photo listings. Brighter and more vibrant photos garner more attention that dark and drab images. Find any dull dreary edges of walls and furniture, chances are the potential buyer might be looking for the details in the room so popping them out can do wonders for your image enhancement. Finally, have an eye out for shadows. Sometimes the natural light from the windows can cast a shadow with the fixtures and conflict with the direction of the shadows your flash creates. Forgetting this important tip gives a perception of an unrealistic photo and breaks the trust of buyers to the real estate company, leading to the same fate for you as a photographer and the real estate company.
Conclusion
Real estate photo listings highly depend on photos in this modern day and age. Real estate businesses rely heavily on photographers not only for real estate image editing but also on making sure the right photos are taken. It is imperative to note that enhancing real estate photos do not begin behind a computer software, but rather days prior to the shoot where proper planning and execution must complement the editing in order to maximize the potential of a property and present it to the market in the most appealing and truthful manner.
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