If you are looking for how to sell real estate photography tips and you’re always how to sell the benefits of virtual staging effectively, you are in the right place.
This article provides vital information to both amateur and professional real estate photographers on how to use and benefit from virtual staging services as an added value.
Working in the real estate photography industry is so rewarding, but with increasing competition, a number of forward-thinking real estate photographers are now curious to boost their services with Virtual Staging.
To put this into perspective, virtual staging is a technologically driven process that uses PC software to transform a real estate property into a fully furnished home with a decorated interior.
With its benefits Virtual Staging is rapidly taking over the real estate photography industry since it helps them save valuable amounts of time, money, and effort by bringing life to photos of vacant listings.
From Where to Start
If you are in the real estate business and you want to dive into virtual staging, this article will help you gain vital information in two parts as listed below:
Part One
- How Photographers Benefit from Virtual Staging
- Types of Real Estate You Can Shoot
- How Photographer’s Clients Benefit From Virtual Staging
- How to Sell Virtual Staging to Realtors
- How Photographer’s Clients Benefit From Virtual Staging
- How to Sell Virtual Staging to Realtors
- How to Sell Virtual Staging to Home Owners
- How to Sell Virtual Staging to Businesses
Part Two
- Types of Camera Equipment You Need
- Camera Lenses
- Type of Tripods
- Remote Trigger
- Flash
- Flash Trigger
- Light Stands
- Light Modifiers
- What is the best focal length?
- Do You Need Tilt-shift Lens?
- What to do Before the Shoot
- Things to do on the Day at the Property
Part One (Real Estate Photography Business tips and benefits of Virtual Staging)
How Photographers Benefit from selling Virtual Staging
Globally, 65% of online audience prefer visual learning, making it obvious that virtual staging is increasingly becoming valuable for real estate photographers. In other words, virtual staging can potentially help real estate buyers to make more informed decisions when stuck or lost for choice.
If you want to combine these real estate photography tips with virtual staging, below are some of the main benefits as well as wide-ranging possibilities that you will gain in the long run:
- To Attract Home Buyers Quickly
The below Real estate photography tips and virtual staging will definitely attract more potential buyers faster. People seeking a space will always envision the potential of a listed property if it’s equipped with digital furniture as a bonus. Empty homes stay on the market much longer because buyers find it challenging envisioning what the space could potentially look like when they move in after the purchase.
- To Customize and Visualise Different Styles
Every home buyer has a different taste and preference of what he/she want to include in a space. The main benefits of Virtual staging is that it helps you customize the photos of your property according to the preferred style of potential customers. You can always display varieties of styles depending on the type of real estate you are selling. Knowing the exact style desired by your audience is vital in customizing the space for immediate satisfaction.
- To Sell for a Higher Price
When you combine the below real estate photography tips and virtual staging, customers will quickly recognize the value of the property compared to others in the market. Photographers can use virtual staging to pitch for more projects with an agent or re-sell the stagings at a higher price. Photographers can also re-sell to both agents and homeowners using other related technologies including 3D renderings and 3D Floor Plans.
- To Win more Premium Listings
Virtual staging and a downloadable virtual tour of a home go a long way in helping the property of your client to gain a competitive advantage over other premium listings, which in turn leads to more requests to evaluate the property.
Types of Real Estate You Can Shoot
It is important to acknowledge that incorporating virtual staging sales with real estate photography works best with specific types of homes. However, you can shoot any home irrespective of the size or space available.
Below are the 5 general categories of various types of real estate properties you can shoot:
- Flats or Apartments
A flat is British, while an apartment is American, but both terms describe the same thing! These residential homes are part of a large building, usually taking the style of an apartment block or a skyscraper.
A company or an individual real estate developer usually owns them and rent them units to interested tenants. Flats are popular among young professionals because of their affordability as compared to detached houses.
Virtual staging works best with flats because their furnishings can be easily computer generated with no connection to reality. Even though the individual units are self-contained, residents share things like lifts, stairwells, receptions etc.
- Detached or Single Family Homes
As the name suggests, detached homes are standalone real estate property. They don’t share a wall with another property and are more private. Their heightened privacy makes them more expensive and high in demand in various regions, especially in the US.
With most of them located in suburbs, detached or single family homes work best with virtual staging because they are more spacious and they blend easily with wide-ranging 3D renderings.
- Semi-detached Properties
Semi-detached properties are a pair of houses that share a common wall with the key purpose of saving space. They are very common in the UK as real estate developers use a portion of their piece of land to build two properties instead of one.
The biggest advantage of semi-detached properties is the high level of privacy that comes with them, which many potential buyers seek in a new home. However, apart from expanding it, shooting for virtual staging can be a daunting task, especially if the other homeowner does not buy the idea.
- Cottages
Originally invented for agricultural workers and their families, cottages refer to old-fashioned houses situated in the rural areas of the UK. England style cottages remain popular in the world because of their signature appearance.
The initial purpose of cottages was to hold out the hostile cold weather thanks to their thick walls, low ceilings, structural pillars, small windows, and their characteristic thatched roof. Today, many wealthy people use the term “cottages” to refer to a small vacation home.
- Bungalows
A bungalow refers to a one-storey property having low roofs as well as a wide veranda at the front and/or the rear side for people to sit. The main differences between bungalows and cottages are their history, style, and cost.
Initially, bungalow designs were very simple, but with the rise in computer-generated plans, developers make sophisticated designs. Generally, bungalows are cheaper than cottages, but the former can be hard to sell. To address such issues, most real estate developers usually add an extra floor in order to attract more potential buyers quickly.
The precaution here is that since different countries or regions have wide-ranging types of property, potential buyers or tenants choose them purely based on style, space and affordability.
For instance, houses in the UK come with style variations, such as detached, semi-detached, terrace, and end of terrace. In addition, specific types including single houses, cottages, bungalows, and flats serve completely different purposes based on the homeowner.
If your clients reside in big overcrowded cities associated with long streets of terraced houses, flats will dominate their picks.
If your potential customers live in the countryside, bungalows and cottages will be their preferences along with two or three storey houses due to the abundance of land for use.
How Photographer’s Clients Benefit from Virtual Staging
Apart from the cost effectiveness that the real estate photographer enjoys, there are some additional benefits of virtual staging to the clients.
Not only does virtual staging costs less for the photographer’s clients, but they will also get more than they pay for. This is beneficial especially for the remote buyer who has to spend many hours shopping for a home online.
As a new photographer or if you are reconsidering to change your profession to be a photographer, using virtual staging can benefit your potential clients in various ways. These include.
- Styles and Design Trends
Virtual staging helps you categorize potential homebuyers into specific profiles according to styles and design trends in the real estate industry that you feel they might like or that they have previously purchased with other properties.
This kind of profiling makes it easy for photographers to list properties that clients are highly likely to fall in love with. In a deeper perspective, virtual staging helps photographers to easily target the client groups by matching their profile to top trends in the real estate industry.
- Use Cases
When you take photos of your client’s empty rooms and they ask you to help them sell the property as is, this is an opportunity to show them past virtual staging cases that attracted home buyers quickly. Just showing them the “before” and “after” settings is vital in boosting the marketing image of your real estate photography businesses.
The presentations of virtual tours and staging stay with you as the photographer even after closing a sale. Therefore, using cases saves you a lot of time explaining to your prospective clients how to add specific architectural features to their empty rooms, neglected gardens, or faded lawns.
- Marketing Materials
Virtual staging is not about making a presentation to potential customers and deleting it completely from your PC! Actually, it’s about what you do with the material after the project is complete. You can send the “before” and “after” variations to customers in different sizes that fit websites, smartphones and printed letters.
This is an insightful way of marketing your services by using the virtual staging photos for potential clients to engage with them.
- Pricing
Virtual staging can help you offer potential clients with competitive pricing for your services. The cost of virtual staging varies depending on the company and the size of the property. As a real estate photographer, you can choose to charge clients per image or depending on the volume price, monthly subscription, turnaround time, reliability, accessibility and quality of staging.
How to Sell Virtual Staging to Realtors
With the rapid development of digital furnishing software, virtual staging has become popular among realtors as it can turn an empty or outdated home into a fully furnished model ready for the market. However, some realtors are still stuck with traditional staging practices, and some need guidance on where to start.
You can sell virtual staging to realtors by offering staged photos of the property using real estate marketing materials showing “before” and “after” 3D variations in different sizes that fit websites, smartphones and printed letters
As a real estate photographer, you can also offer additional services to Matterport renderings. You can work with proven partners skilled in using Matterport cameras to deliver accurate digital versions of residential or commercial properties that realtors want to sell faster. Sprinkle the 3D versions with key data for reference as well as to trends in the RE industry. For instance, 74% of property owners and agents who use 3D virtual tours win more listings!
How to Sell Virtual Staging to Home Owners
Homeowners who want to sell their properties faster can dive into the virtual staging world to get satisfying results effortlessly. The benefits of using this innovative strategy start with hiring a virtual staging expert or company like TallBox or if you are confident in using a virtual staging software(link), go for the DIY method.
Most virtual staging experts charge at least $40 per photo where they use drag and drop method to show homeowners the “before” and “after” 3D variations of their property.
Homeowners will close sales quicker, communicate directly with potential buyers, and increase their satisfaction levels after closing a sale. At the same time, you’ll increase your property sales commissions and reach a wider audience both locally and globally.
How to Sell Virtual Staging to Businesses
Before approaching a business or a commercial company who deals with property, you need to join powers with a virtual staging company. Arm yourself with a selling strategy that will sweep them off their feet. Remember, the aim of virtual staging is to increase the selling price of a property and reduce the selling time.
Therefore, to ensure your plan is comprehensive enough, take the following key steps in advance:
- Carry out a thorough online search and select top real estate platforms that buy and sell properties
- Narrow down on specific types of properties using area/postcodes to gather more information on listed properties for sale
- For comparison purposes, download similar property listings
- Call/email a certified property surveyor to evaluate the chosen property
Once you successfully complete the above four steps, fairly put a price tag on the property and approach the business to sell your virtual staging services.
Part Two (Photography tips and Virtual Staging – Techniques)
Types of Camera Equipment You Need
Using your smartphone or point-and-shoot cameras to take photos for virtual staging is not recommended.
Virtual staging requires powerful cameras with high dynamic range (HDR) to capture intrinsic details of various properties. An HDR image can capture a series of photos at wide-ranging exposure levels and at different shutter speeds to show varying degrees of brightness.
In real estate photography, the wide-ranging exposure to light makes it crucial to capture photos using a DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera; a feature that is completely absent in high-end smartphones and cheap cameras.
The 3D images can be impeccably blended using photo-editing software to deliver a single photo with perfect lighting, highlighting every detail beautifully for potential buyers and tenants to enjoy.
The following cameras are our recommended picks for virtual staging from the cheapest to the most expensive:
- Panasonic LUMIX DC-FZ80
Easily capture transitory moments with the long-zoom range capabilities of this high-tech camera using 4K photo mode. Its high-resolution stills and ultra-high speed focusing helps you shoot photos at up to 30 frames per second with foresight in full details.
Key Specifications:
- 18.1 megapixels 1/2.3″ MOS sensor
- 4K UHD video recording at 30p
- Lumix DC Vario 60x Zoom Lens
- ISO 6400, 10 fps Shooting, 4K Photo Mode
- Post Focus and Focus Stacking
- Built-in Wi-Fi connectivity
Retail Price Range: From £260 to £365
- Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5
Upgraded with out-of-this world features, this state-of-the-art multimedia device shoots remarkable still photos and captures outstanding 4k videos that many real estate photographers yearn for in a single compact camera. Its Post Focus function gives it a competitive edge over its rivals since it gives you the power to focus after taking a shot for a sharpest ever imagery!
Key Specifications:
- 20 megapixels Four Thirds sensor
- 9 FPS Continuous Shooting
- 5-axis in-body image stabilization system
- All 4K footage taken using full width of sensor
- Video Frame Rates 4K: Max. 60fps & FHD: Max. 180fps
- 802.11ac Wi-Fi, NFC and Bluetooth
- Post Focus and Focus Stacking
Retail Price Range: £990 to £1,699
- Nikon D750
Captures fast-paced, full-frame DSLR images by switching between stills and video effortlessly. Manages exposure during recording using its cinematic video capabilities, including zebra stripe highlighting; custom-tone curves, in-camera profiles for picture control, and a flat profile for colour grading applications.
Key Specifications:
- 24.3 megapixels Full-frame
- Tilting LCD monitor
- Built-in Wi-Fi connectivity
- 6.5 FPS continuous shooting
- 100-12,800 ISO sensitivity range
- Full HD 1080p Video Recording at 60 fps
Retail Price Range: From £739 to £2,416
- Sony Alpha7 III
With a restructured sensor design, this Mirrorless Digital Camera is ideal for capturing photos and videos for more decisive moments in various working conditions. Its sophisticated low-light performance, advanced speed, wide frame coverage and improved autofocus capabilities easily tracks every still and moving subjects excellently.
Key Specifications:
- 24 megapixels full-frame BSI CMOS sensor
- 10 FPS Continuous Shooting
- 4K UHD video capture up to 30p
- 100-51,200 ISO Expandable to 204,800
- Built-in Wi-Fi connectivity
- Front-End LSI & BIONZ X Image Processor
Retail Price Range: £1,445 to £2,270
- Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
This exceptional workhorse camera is the epitome of still photography and 4K-enabled videos. Its full-frame image processor has the ability to balance performance and sensitivity with fine detail in close-up shots for a meticulous photos that pursue perfection.
Key Specifications:
- 30.4 megapixels full-frame CMOS sensor
- 7 FPS continuous shooting at 30 MP for up to 21 Frames
- 4K JPEG video at 30p
- DIGIC 6+ Image Processor
- 100-32000 ISO Expandable to 102,400
- Built-In Wi-Fi and GPS
Retail Price Range: From £1,670 to £2,880
- Nikon D850
For super high resolution photos with DSLR image quality, Nikon D850 allows real estate photographers to enjoy continuous shooting astoundingly thanks to its amazing sensor design, dynamic range, battery life, autofocus, and Silent Photography in Live-View mode. It is also embedded with Speedlight control, focus shift capability and low-light shooting needs.
Key Specifications:
- 45.7 megapixels full-frame BSI CMOS sensor
- 7 FPS Continuous Shooting
- 4K UHD video capture up to 30p
- Battery life lasts up to 1840 shots
- 64-25,600 ISO Expandable to 102,400
- Built-in Bluetooth connectivity
Retail Price Range: From £1,840 to £3,150
Camera Lenses
Before you spend your hard-earned money to buy a camera specifically for virtual staging, you need to ask yourself: What lens is best for interior photography?
At Tallbox, we hold cameras in the highest regard, but lenses are more important than all other key tools of our trade including cameras, tripods, lighting gear etc.
As a professional real estate photographer, the following list of lenses and their specs will help you take high-quality photos for virtual staging:
- Canon EF-S 10-18 mm
This lens has an impeccable colour neutrality and image contrast, thanks to its wide-angle zoom and incredible focal length range. Its eye-catching optical design comes with a large diameter and an ultra-low dispersion element to reduce chromatic anomalies throughout the zoom range for immaculate image sharpness and clarity.
Key Specifications:
- Dimensions: 2.9 inches (diameter), 2.8 inches (length)
- Filter Size: 67mm diameter
- Focal length: 10-18mm
- Closest focusing distance: 0.72 feet
- Aperture Range: f/4.5-5.6 to f/22-29
- Diagonal Angle of View: 108 degrees to 74 degrees
Retail Price Range: £186 to £440
- Tamron 10-24mm for Canon EF
This wide zoom lens is not only convenient in low-light properties, but it is also fixed with a weather sealing to prevent it from catching dust and moisture when shooting. The front element lengthens to approximately a-quarter inch so most of the focusing and zooming takes place internally. For properties with landscapes and skylines, its super-fast autofocus definitely pays off.
Key Specifications:
- Dimensions: 3.3 inches (diameter), 3.29 inches (length)
- Filter size: 77mm diameter
- Focal length: 10-24mm
- Closest focusing distance: 0.78 feet
- Aperture Range: f/3.5-4.5 to f/22-29
- Diagonal Angle of View: 108 degrees to 60 degrees
Retail Price Range: From £307 to £599
- Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 16-35mm
Released in February of 2010, many amateur and professional photographers have praised this superb ultra-wide lens for its ability to capture landscapes and interiors without sacrificing brightness or depth of field. Its focal lengths sweep an extraordinary broad range thanks to its handheld steadiness, sharp focusing, image stabilization, vibration reduction, and rich colour rendering.
Key Specifications:
- Dimensions: 3.25 inches (diameter), 4.92 inches (length)
- Filter size: 77mm diameter
- Focal length: 16-35mm
- Closest focusing distance: 1.0 feet
- Aperture Range: f/4 to f/22
- Diagonal Angle of View: 107 degrees to 63 degrees
Retail Price Range: From £780 to £1,170
- Tamron SP 15-30mm for Nikon F
This high-speed lens covers a resourceful range of ultra-wide-angle focal lengths to provide sharp and flawless images even in peripheral properties. Its improved optical design along with image stabilization makes it a suitable pick for capturing architecture and landscapes with stunning foreground features.
Key Specifications:
- Dimensions: 3.87 inches (diameter), 5.61 inches (length)
- Filter size: None
- Focal length: 15-30mm
- Closest focusing distance: 0.92 feet
- Aperture Range: f/2.8 to f/22
- Diagonal Angle of View: 110 degrees to 71 degrees
Retail Price Range: From £674 to £1,101
- Canon EF 16-35mm lens
Whether you are an amateur or an expert real estate photographer, this high performance lens is ideal for you not only because of its outstanding wide-angle performance, but also its edge-to-edge image quality even in low-light conditions. It perfectly fits most full-frame Canon cameras, and maintains clarity, even when you can hardly get the best lighting in a property.
Key Specifications:
- Dimensions: 3.5 inches (diameter), 4.4 inches (length)
- Filter size: 82mm, P=0.75mm/1 filter
- Focal length: 16-35mm
- Closest focusing distance: 0.92 feet
- Aperture Range: f/4 to f/22
- Diagonal angle of view: 108 degrees to 63 degrees
Retail Price Range: From £650 to £1,365
Type of Tripods
The right selection of a tripod will always have a positive impact on the photos you take in various properties. Therefore, it is advisable to avoid shopping only for the cheapest ones around. As a professional real estate photographer, ensure the tripod you are going for comes with three key qualities: great stability, great durability, and great extendability.
As you search for the most suitable one for your professional needs, we recommend the following:
- Neewer Camera Tripod Monopod Carbon Fiber
With an incredible extendability of up to 1.9m, this tripod tops our list when it comes to capturing interior photos. You can easily adjust the legs for extra height in elongated rooms like the kitchen.
Key Specifications:
- Weight: 2 kg
- Load Capacity: 12 kg
- Leg sections: 4
- Min Height: 62cm
- Extended height: 191cm
Retail Price Range: From £111 to £130
- The Manfrotto BeFree Advanced Tripod
Due to its ability for quick setup and pack up, this small and light tripod is the best companion for professional photographers who are constantly on the move. With 3 independent angles that inspire creative framing, it is an excellent choice for taking beautiful panoramic scenes.
Key Specifications:
- Weight: 1.5 kg
- Load Capacity: 8 kg
- Leg sections: 4
- Min Height: 40cm
- Extended height: 150cm
Retail Price Range: From £129 to £177
- Manfrotto 290 Xtra Aluminum 3-Section Tripod
This amazing tripod is designed for savvy amateurs who are just starting out. The entire set is easy-to-use as it effortlessly fulfils the demands of the most challenging shoots.
Key Specifications:
- Weight: 2.52 kg
- Load Capacity: 5 kg
- Leg sections: 3
- Min Height: 42cm
- Extended height: 160.5cm
Retail Price Range: From £129 to £177
Remote Triggers
In real estate photography, a blurry image is a big no-no. Sometimes this can be difficult if your camera keeps shaking once you press the shutter-release button by hand or you want to capture a shot from afar. For clear images, the remedy to this is using a remote control trigger. Below are our 3 top picks:
- Canon RC-6 Wireless Remote Control
Covering a distance of up to up to 16 ft. (5 m), this remote trigger allows you to capture scenes effortlessly by changing between an immediate or 2-second delay. It has a nice minimalist design and fits well in your hand.
- Nikon ML-L3 Wireless Remote Control
This remote trigger is fitted with infrared and lets you shoot photos and videos from 6 ft. (5 m) away. It comes with an immediate release mode and 2-second delay mode. It’s a suitable choice for your night-time photoshoots.
- Panasonic Remote Control for Lumix S Series DMW-RS2E
The Panasonic remote control is compatible with all Lumia S Series digital cameras and allows you to shoot continuously. The connection cable tethered to your camera extends up to a maximum of 80 cm and it also comes with another 2 m long extension cable.
Flash
If you want to capture photos with optimal lighting, flashes will help you capture a rich image with less shadows. Below are our recommended flashes for taking decent photographs of real estate interiors.
- Profoto D1 Air 1000W/s
This relatively light weight and compact flash comes with an air remote among many other practical features. For better outcomes, you can blend it with other real estate photography equipment to get a better detailed colour.
- Yongnuo 560 III
This powerful, affordable and durable flash is a great fit for professional real estate photographers who work around the clock. You can make it an integral part of your interior photography lighting setup without worrying about losing or breaking it.
- Canon Speedlites
If you need to take impeccable shots in a small room that is dimly lit, bring with you Canon Speedlites! This small and highly portable flash will be useful in reducing the time you would spend editing real estate photography after every shoot.
Flash Trigger
Currently, the market is flooded with many affordable flash triggers, which can make it difficult for you to determine the most suitable one for your real estate photography. Below is a list of our top 3 flash triggers.
- Yongnuo RF-603
For a higher sync speed and pleasing performance that does not fade with extended usage, Yongnuo RF-603 II flash trigger is all you need. It also works well with many non-Canon and Nikon cameras at unbeatable prices!
- CowboyStudio NPT-04
For real estate photographers who are comfortable using manual flash settings, this flash trigger is a great way to activate some off-camera flashes. Its exceptional durability gives you the liberty to throw them in your bag along with some spare batteries and you are good to go.
- Yongnuo RF-602C
This flash trigger comes with a hot-shoe mounted transmitter with a PC sync port and a receiver that feels quite solid in the hand. And for its affordability, you can hardly go wrong.
Light Stands
The most important thing to note before buying a light stand is that you need the same number of speedlights. Below are our top 3 picks:
- Manfrotto “Nano” 5001B
The support strength of this light 5-section stand is perfect for holding in place small light fixtures on location. It is ultra-compact, light and retractable to 19 inches, which allows most of the columns to remain within the main shaft.
- Cheetah Stand C8
The light weight 3-section light stand has automatically collapsing legs that allow you to move it safely and easily if you are shooting in a crowded room without the need to put down your camera.
- Impact Black Light Stand 6’
This is one of the most inexpensive light stands available that fits the bill. It is easy to set up and sturdy enough to operate in a crowded place.
Light Modifiers
Light modifiers are artificial lights that can improve the lighting in real estate photos by softening harshness, highlight the mood of a scene or flattering a subject. Below are our top 3 picks:
- Photography Umbrellas
Due to their affordability, portability and easy-to-use capabilities, umbrellas are widely used by real estate photographers. They are of two types: diffusion umbrellas, which soften the light by pointing the light source at the subject, and reflective umbrellas, which bounces light on the subject by pointing it on a silver or white surface in the opposite direction.
- Softboxes
Softboxes are usually placed over a light source to soften and diffuse it through a panel of white fabric. The larger the box, the softer the light.
- Scrims
These are a large piece of diffusion fabric stretched over a frame. Typically, they are very costly, but large enough to diffuse light from an illuminated interior and create your own shade if shooting outside.
What is the best focal length?
In real estate photography, the best focal length depends on the size or space available in the property. Fortunately, all the above mentioned camera lenses can give you the best focal lengths!
Generally, whether it’s the exterior of a normal-sized property or a decorously spacious interior, you can take magnificent shots at approximately 24mm, 35mm, and 50mm. For distant or more detailed shots, you can go for about 70mm or 85mm. For more squeezed interior spaces, you can go wider (16mm, 14mm, or 11mm).
Do You Need Tilt-shift Lens
A tilt-shift lens lets you shoot the entire height of a property without the need to tilt your camera. Generally, you won’t find any zoom lenses that are tilt-shift, and that’s why they are very costly.
Since real estate photography is more about producing volumes at much lower price points, the tilt-shift lens is not a great fit because it lacks the zooming ability, which will force you to switch lenses frequently.
If you are an amateur real estate photographer who wants to incorporate virtual staging, we don’t recommend tilt-shift lenses unless you are specifically working with luxury homes, which demand a more architectural shoot.
What to do Before the Shoot
In real estate photography, preparation is very important. Therefore, before the very day of the actual real estate photo shoot:
- Prep all your gear – DSLR camera, tripod, wide-angle lens, charger, extra battery, memory cards, a secondary camera etc.
- Make a list of the number of shots needed per room/space, e.g. 1 photo of the bathroom, 2 wide-angle shots for the living room, kitchen and bedroom, etc.
- Confirm the address of the property with the homeowner or real estate agent to ensure you have enough time to get there.
- Additionally you can check ten tips from rightmove as well: link
Things to do on the Day at the Property
You already know that great photos draw attention and improve your chances of selling a home faster, and for higher returns. Therefore, when you arrive at the property:
- Declutter
Ensure all surfaces and floors are free from paper, clothes, shoes, dust, books, post-it notes, or any unnecessary stuff that steals the impeccability of your shots. Dust surfaces until they are dry and conceal all cords and wires that may distract the eye during the photo shoot.
- Plan your shoot by walking around the property first
All homes are unique. Therefore, familiarize yourself with the surroundings of each and take notes on how you want to carry out the shoot, the best angles, the rooms that need cleaning, and even ask the homeowner for extra help where necessary.
- Do some creative shoots
Look around the house and start photographing anything. This creative idea will help you see various objects from up close, and inspire you to take unique and interesting photographs during the actual shoot!
- Turn the lights on/off
In every property, you have to decide whether the lights should be on/off. Turning lights on instantly makes the house warmer and more welcoming, but introduces fluctuating light temperatures. Turning lights off gives a light temperature with a cold feeling. Generally, both cases will still need some photo editing after the shoot.
- Watch out for lens distortion
Ensure your camera is straight when shooting different angles to avoid lens distortion. If you tilt the camera, you’ll notice vertical lines starting to slant in one direction. The ideal height in most homes is usually about 5 feet (152.5 cm). A higher angle may expose too much ceiling and lower one may capture too much of the furniture.
Conclusion
To make real estate photography a dependable income stream, incorporate and sell the benefits of virtual staging and be consistent in your work.
With the above real estate photography tips+ virtual staging tips discussed, you’ll be on your way to creating a full, profitable portfolio!
Looking for more tips?
Contact us for a no-obligation consultation. Phone: +44 7934 88 38 47; Email: office.tallbox@gmail.com
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