Kwik Clicks Real Estate Photography FAQ

Why get professional photography for real estate? 

Professional photos help your property stand out but, not having professional photos also makes your property stand out for the wrong reasons. Years ago professional real estate photography was not as common as it is today. Back then people used it to help make the property stand out, today not having professional photography just encourages people to click on by as most now use professional photographers. Worse still they may target your listing for low ball offers, they will be thinking you do not care much or you can't afford the megre cost.

What is the benefit of professional real estate photography?

Real Estate Photographers know the right angles and lighting to use to highlight your properties best features. The images should be inviting, make the viewer want to see more and most importantly call the listing agent. Great real estate photos are like bait, they are there to attract buyers and hopefully help achieve a great price for your property.

If an agent doesnt use professional photos they may be inadvertently affecting their business. Many vendors scan the real estate portals checking the listings of potential selling agents, they're not only looking at what is selling in the local area but also for someone who will represent  their property the best. If you are not using professional real estate photography you are already starting behind the rest that do.

How many real estate photos do I need?

Well that depends! How big is the property? How many living areas do you have? Are there extensive gardens, pool, sheds etc... In general I have found that the most important spaces to photograph are Kitchens, Bathrooms, Living Areas and outdoor ammeneties. Bedrooms are essentially 4 walls a window and a door. Unless they are spectactular I will usually only photograph 2 bedrooms, with a typical 4 beds, 2 bath and 2 car property 10 - 12 images is usually more than enough. Larger homes may need 15, rarely is more than that required. Remember, you do not want to show potential buyers everything, we are not trying to document the property. The goal is to get the phone to ring and have buyers visit the property, that is when the agent can do their best work. For more info check out my blog post on this subject.

Do I need a Floor Plan?

There are a few opinions in this regard but my view is they are a good to have item, especially when attracting buyers from out of the area. Often investors or people moving to the area will not want to waste time travelling to view every property that comes on the market. The floor plan gives them a good idea of the property size, dimensions of the rooms and importantly helps them understand if their furniture will fit. We always include refridgerator dimensions on our plans, often this is important to potential buyers, especially those with big fridges and ice makers!

Can you edit out telephone towers?

Editing real estate photos is an important step in the process, images straight out of the camera are often lacking in vibrancy and saturation. Also, real estate photographers often use techniques that involve multiple images and layering. They might make the sky brighter or change it, green up the grass and remove that tennis ball that was left on the front lawn. What they cannot do is alter the property or its surroundings. They cannot fix a hole in the wall, delete power lines, poles or phone towers. These actions will misrepresent the property and may cause a buyer or potential buyer to complain or take legal action.

How to prepare my home for Real Estate Photos?

Most agents will give good advice with regards to preparing your property for sale, this might include some gardening, painting, minor repairs and often declutter. Decluttering can involve moving out large pieces of furniture, storing items at others homes or sheds. Essentially creating space so that your property doesn't feel too cramped.

The next job is preparing for your photoshoot or video.

This involves making sure the home is clean and tidy, removing smaller items like shampoo bottles, dish drainers, dog bowls etc.. We want to make sure that only the things we want to see are in the photos are visable (Photoshop is not the answer).

We have prepared a "How to prepare your home for a Photo Shoot guide". These are things we have found make the biggest difference in achieving great Real Estate Marketing images. To view the guide just head over to our Blog post on the subject.