Top Things You Should and Shouldn’t Do with Listing Pictures

Some agents will tell you that your listing pictures are the most important marketing tool for selling your home. While this could be widely debated, no good real estate agent will tell you they aren’t important.

With the internet stealing the show these days, many home buyers are going online to find the home of their dreams. In fact, more than 90% of home buyers first find the home they purchase online. If your listing pictures are average, those buyers may skip right over your property.

You need amazing listing pictures to sell your home. Without great pictures, you may see your home stay on the market for months or you may get lower offers than you would like. Here are some of the top things you should and shouldn’t do with your listing pictures.

Take a Welcoming Picture

A picture of the front door open welcoming people into the home is a great shot to include. Leave the door open and take the best picture possible to welcome your visitors.

Avoid Scaring Visitors

If you have any threatening signs, barriers or anything controversial in your yard or on your property, remove it before taking pictures. Even a “Beware of Dog” sign can come across threatening, which isn’t the message you want to send to those finding your listing online.

Focus on the Selling Points of the Home

There is no such thing as too many listing pictures. You want to show off every single selling point of your home. Don’t skip bathrooms or storage areas if they are selling points.

Make sure you get the best pictures of the best selling points. If you recently turned you bathroom into a luxury spa-like retreat, make sure you capture this and share it with the world.

Avoid Getting a Picture with You in it

While taking the pictures in the bathroom or other rooms with mirrors, be careful. You don’t want pictures with you in them. Not only is this tacky, but buyers will focus on you instead of what you were trying to capture. In addition, if you’re in the mirror, how is the potential buyer supposed to picture themselves in that mirror?

Include the View

If you have an amazing view, include it in your pictures. The view is a selling point of your home and buyers want to know what they are getting. Take shots from the deck, porch, large windows or anywhere else you have a view.

Avoid Photographing your Pets

None of the buyers searching for homes online care about your pets. Don’t include them in any of your listing pictures.

Get a Shot from the Curb

Curb appeal is huge and you want to get a shot from the curb for your listing pictures. A potential buyer should be able to picture themselves walking up to the home and entering the front door.

Avoid Odd Camera Angles

When you choose to take a picture with an odd camera angle, it can distort what you’re trying to show off. This is a big no no when it comes to listing pictures.

Use a Drone to Capture a Bird’s-eye View Shot

If possible, capturing the property from above is a great way to show it off. This is especially true with luxury properties offering extra features, such as a swimming pool, tennis courts, basketball court, water features or other outdoor features.

Avoid using the Fisheye Lens

The fisheye lens will make a smaller area seem larger. This is horrible for your listing pictures as it doesn’t represent the property correctly. It’s best to stick with traditional lens for listing pictures. Let the staging make a smaller space appear larger, not the picture.

Incorporate the Season

In the fall, include colorful leaves and other seasonal items in your pictures. In the summer, include sunny pictures. Including the season is a great way to sell your home through pictures.

Avoid Adding in your Holiday Decor

If you deck out your home with holiday decor be very careful how you show it off. Some buyers may not celebrate the same holidays as you and too much holiday decor can be a bit tacky.

There are several things you want to avoid and things you should do when it comes to your listing pictures. The best thing you can do is hire a stager and a professional real estate photographer to ensure you have the best possible listing pictures. Just ask your New Orleans real estate agent and they can recommend a good stager and photographer for the job.