PROFESSIONAL REAL ESTATE PHOTOGRAPHY IS THE KEY TO EFFECTIVE DIRECT MAIL MARKETING.
High-quality real estate photography will show off what makes a home worth buying, and professional real estate photographers will be able to capture just that. Pro photographers have the experience and expertise you need to effectively market your new listing.
How to choose a real estate photographer:
When hiring a photographer, make sure you go over the key elements you want to highlight in real estate photography and your goals before the shoot. Communicating clearly in advance will make sure everyone will be happy with the finished product.
In case you aren’t sure where to begin, we’ve collected seven tips to get the best photos for your listing.
1. Discuss the timeline.
It takes time to capture professional real estate photography! Professional photographers often are scheduling multiple clients. They also need to wait for the perfect weather for outdoor photos, the home may need to be staged, and processing and editing the photos can take time. Make sure you let the photographer know when you need the images ready.
Make sure your clients know when the photographer is coming so the home can be in tip-top shape.
2. Great lighting is essential for real estate photography.
Real estate photography looks even better when the photos are well lit. If it’s a darker home, ask the photographer to bring lights to help make the home look even more inviting and open.
Try scheduling a photography session in the hour or two before sunset to increase the photos’ warmth.
"The hour before sunset, or 'golden hour,' will provide great light for outdoor photos, and will make the home look warm and inviting."
3. Image quality is key when it comes to real estate photography.
You will need high-quality images if you plan on using them for both print and digital marketing.
The higher quality the images are, the easier it will be to use them in your marketing from print to digital, and beyond!
4. Go over image ownership.
Make sure you discuss the ownership rights of the final photos. If you want to use the images for other direct mail marketing, social media posts, or your website, you need to explicitly get the rights to do so.
5. Consider getting neighborhood photos, too.
When someone buys a house, they are also buying the neighborhood! If the community has lovely parks or nearby shops, highlight some of those in the photos. It gives potential buyers a sense of place and lifestyle.
"Show off the area and the neighborhood the home is in! Sell buyers on the lifestyle they can have when they move into this home."
6. Use real estate photography to highlight the unique features of the home.
Selling houses is what you do best, and capturing those homes is what the photographer does best. Point out the special areas, unique features, or recent upgrades in a home so the photographer is sure not to miss them.
7. Collaborate to keep the photos accurate.
Your photographer will edit the photos, and part of editing includes retouching. Editing out some puddles in the driveway from some recent rain or making the sky a little bluer is fine to do. However, make sure the photographer doesn’t edit out anything the new owners won’t be able to change easily.
