The Art of Quick Home Sales: Use Good Photography

As a seller, if you have taken all the necessary steps towards readying your home for the marketplace—including improving its condition and pricing it correctly—what else can assure your best outcome?
I have seen it again and again. Good quality photography and virtual photo tours of a home can really work wonders. And when photos are enhanced with corresponding statements affirming a home’s strongest characteristics, there is nothing more potent in rallying qualified buyers to pay your home a visit.

Whether aiming to sell a home by owner or when using an agent, good photography should be a top priority. A good quality camera must be used, and imaging-enhancing software is quite helpful. Many of the photo tour software programs allow some basic enhancing and panoramic photo stitching features that can make a tangible difference.

When creating a photo tour of a home, it is always helpful to have a list of improvements nearby as a resource. Nothing wows buyers more than hearing about all of the good qualities of a home, so list the hard work you have put in over your years of ownership.

What else should be kept in mind while shooting photos? Balance and style are two important principles. I have seen both good and bad photography used by real estate professionals. And I have seen buyers skip right over homes simply because they are marketed with poor photography.

Good photos have crisp images, demonstrate plenty of well balanced light, and are taken in good perspective. Good photos often make a home look better than it appears in person, as minor cosmetic flaws tend to not show up inside the images. Good photos seem to have a sense of balance in proportion, where lines and spaces fit inside the image with an aesthetic purpose.

Often when using photo stitching software, images tend to stretch the space inside a room, making it look bigger than in person. Good photos cause buyers who see them to want to view the home in person. And as a seller, you want as many qualified buyers through your home as soon as possible.

For inspiration when shooting photography, refer to some of the best examples. Stop by the book store and browse an issue of Architectural Digest or Old House Journal. Aim high, but realize your (or your agent’s) images will not likely shine as brightly as those in the aforementioned publications.

Like all true art forms, good photography takes formal training and years of experience to master. But even small steps toward enhancing your photos should lead to measureable results.