5 Things Not To Do When Taking Real Estate Photos

Photos of your listings are an absolute must have these days. And with simple-to-use free photo editing software, there’s no reason why the pictures you take shouldn’t show off the property in an accurate yet positive way.

That said, here are five mistakes you can easily avoid:

Fish-eye lenses cause distrust

Fish-eye lenses are designed to give you a wider view than standard lenses. While in the hands of a pro, these lenses can lend a truly artistic touch, you don’t want that distortion in photos of your listings. Straight lines become curved and objects in the room take on a weird look. Every time I see a photo that’s stretched wrong I figure the agent is trying to fool me into thinking the house or the room is bigger than it is. Distrust is set up immediately. Use a standard lens for your real estate pictures.

Don’t leave the toilet seat up

It’s probably a gal thing, but I think every woman I’ve talked with agrees, that photos of the bathroom should show the toilet seat closed. We all realize we probably won’t see it that way when we live there, but in photos an open toilet seat cover looks if not ugly, at least careless.

If there’s something really ugly, don’t skip it

You’ll get different opinions about this, but if there is something ugly about the house that isn’t likely to get fixed, I say show it. Here’s why: You don’t want your buyer to be surprised by paint pealing from a bathroom wall or an ugly stump in the front yard. Sure, if your seller will fix it before the open house, you can skip that picture and come back and add it. If, however, a buyer walks in and is shocked to see the stump or the pealing paint you’ve probably lost a client. It’s not worth it in my opinion.

Don’t leave out the kitchen

I always hated it when I looked at the pictures of a home in a location I liked and there was no shot of the kitchen. Kitchen’s are important! And the picture needs to represent that kitchen fairly.  To do even a small kitchen justice you usually need at least two shots from different angles.

Don’t skip the outdoors

It’s tempting, particularly with condos where the outdoors is a tiny balcony, to skip it. But the home’s outdoor areas are important. Take a picture of the front door, a shot from the curb, and at least one or two shots of the back yard – even if that’s a balcony for one.

You want your pictures to entice people to call about the listing, but you don’t want a total disconnect between the photos they see on your website and the actual property. Sometimes it’s a tricky balance. Mostly, however, it’s a matter of your common sense about what will actually help sell the house and what is likely to turn your clients off.

Think about these tips of what to avoid, then trust yourself to make the right decision.

Feel free to ask me questions about your pictures and I’ll do my best to answer them here.