Getting My Seller Ready for Real Estate Photos

The question that I get asked the most, second only to “what is your turn around time?”, it’s 24 hours by the way, is “what does my seller need to do to get ready for photos?” In this blog post I will explain my point of view as a real estate photographer and my experience as that what looks the best and helps homes sell faster, aside from the rockstar realtors that I work with.

Now, the obvious answers to the second question is to clean (mop, vacuum, dust, pick up), paint what needs painting, and fix what needs fixing (holes in walls, missing trim, etc.). When I get this question however, what I understand the realtor to ACTUALLY be asking is “What does my seller need to get rid of or move for the best photos?” This is the more challenging to answer partly because everyone’s personal tastes as to “what looks good” is different. When I am asked this question by a realtor or seller, if they’re home while I’m there, I’m honest with them. I’ll tell them what I really think and why. If a room is sparsely decorated aside from a lamp on a shelf whose cable is clearly visible, I’ll suggest that we move it and why. If a room is packed to the gills with stuff I’ll leave it for last and ask the realtor and or seller to empty the room and then come back to it. Below, I will show several examples of good and bad rooms and what makes them a “pass” or “fail” in the realm of real estate photography.

This kitchen counter was LOADED with napkins, pen cups, bread maker, blender, decorations, candy dishes, utensils, and everything else under the sun. This apartment on the beach is less than 1000 sqft and the sheer amount of items made this already small space even more cluttered.

This is the same kitchen as pictured above and this still looks cluttered from the point of view of a photographer. In smaller spaces “less is more”. There isn’t a lot of free space to put things around the sink, stove, or immediate counter top. This property was owned by an older couple who had grown children and used the property as a summer home, so it makes sense as to why they decorated in the way that they did. But, when a home is being listed for sale, it needs to appeal to the largest amount of potential buyers.

Please don’t misunderstand. I love walking in to a beautifully decorated home and admiring the passion and tastes of the home owner. But from a marketing point of view, you as a realtor and by extension your seller, need to appeal to the largest audience of potential buyers.

When I look at this image as a photographer, I love the decorative choices. The owners of this home had gathered most of these items in Europe and were very proud of them. I took this photo for them specifically so that they could remember how this was setup and decorated if they ever wanted to replicate it or just look back fondly on the space. As a real estate photographer, this photo by itself is very cluttered. But, if you look at the next photo you will have a different idea based solely on perspective.

This is the same room as above but from the far corner of the living room where it joins the kitchen and dining area. This room is large and the wall on the left side of the room looks much more acceptable in its totality. The entire room is well lit, colors work very well, the pops of green with the light from the windows really show off this living room. This home is 2900 sqft which means the rooms are going to be larger (for the most part).

The rule of thumb is to expose as much of the floors, counters, walls, and ceiling as possible. The further into a room I can see without obstruction the better. The less blocking the foreground of the image, the better. Now, don’t go crazy and tell sellers to completely empty every single room for photos. I’m not saying that and that is just not practical. What I am saying is for sellers to take the opportunity while prepping for photos to downsize. Pack away those things that they’re not going to move with. Donate stuff, sell stuff, or give stuff away to friends. Real estate listing photos should be the easiest part of the whole home selling experience for the realtor and the seller.

My ultimate goal is to capture exactly what I see, accurately. I have many principals that I work from and one of them is this. “Buying a home is the largest financial decision for most people and I want my photos to accurately reflect what that buyer will see should they want to see the home in person.” My job isn’t to come to a home, take listing photos, and leave. My job is to reassure the seller that they’ve done a good job with getting ready and to help the realtor with professional marketing material. I do that through professionalism, honesty, and a willingness to teach.