When selling your investment property through Hubzu’s Signature Seller Auctions, gaining a potential buyer’s attention is part of the process. So how do you get your listing to stand out?
One way to distinguish yourself is by taking professional-caliber photographs of your property. Real estate photos are essential to providing investors with a realistic view of your home. And by highlighting your property’s best features in high-quality images, you can generate interest among prospects and encourage potential buyers to request a showing.
Take a look at some of the tips and tricks below to best show off your property and bring in investors.
1. Clean Up Clutter Around the Property
Before taking pictures, spend time cleaning your yard and removing any clutter from the inside the property. This entails getting rid of any excess items from tables and countertops, as well as clearing out other knick-knacks.
Once you’re done tidying up or if the property is empty, you can add small touches that make the property look inviting.
2. Shoot when it’s Nice & Sunny Outside
Sunlight makes us happy, so it only makes sense to ensure you aren’t snapping pictures when it’s raining or dark outside. You don’t want to risk posting images that convey feelings of gloom.
When scheduling your property photoshoot, be sure the weather is going to be nice and sunny. No other light source can compare to natural light due to its ability to make your photos look as realistic as possible. Open all the windows to let in sunlight and, to add another dash of warmth to your photos, turn on all the interior lights.
3. Get the Right Camera
When taking pictures of your property for an online auction, start by checking the photo size limitations. Once you’ve got the correct specs, use a camera with the best possible resolution for professional-looking shots. If possible, try out different lenses to figure out which one best optimizes the space you’re shooting.
This may not be the time to use the camera on your smartphone, but if you must, make sure you use the right settings for the best results. Many apps are also available to improve the quality of your photos. Take several shots from different angles, and then compare them for the best overall effect. Also, play around with your flash to ensure your pictures aren’t too light or dark.
For more inspiration on what makes a great photo, check online for examples and comparative photos produced by professional real estate photographers.
4. Invest in a Wide-Angle Lens
While the type of lens you use depends on the area you’re photographing, you’ll often find that wide-angle lenses are most effective for real estate photography. This is due to its ability to capture larger areas and deliver greater context within your photos.
Imagine photographing a property with a particularly large living room area. In your first attempts to take a picture of the room, you notice that it’s difficult to capture the grand size of the area while also highlighting its features with a normal lens. After installing a set of wide-angle lenses, you’re now able to easily snap a picture that accurately portrays the positives of the large living room while also capturing other details of the room. Doing this ensures that online investors are adequately viewing the property.
For more tips on shooting with a wide-angle lens, take a look at this article.
5. Capture What Investors Want to See
Posting too many pictures from multiple viewpoints can be confusing, so it’s best to limit your photos to a number that gives house hunters an accurate representation of your property without going overboard.
Exterior front and back shots are important, as are the deck or swimming pool if you have one. Interior shots are also essential and could raise concerns among investors if they aren’t provided. Most property investors want to see the kitchen, the master bedroom and all of the bathrooms – that said, including pictures of the living room and a finished basement (if applicable) is also a good idea. Remember to eliminate reflections in mirrors or windows to keep your shots professional.
As you prepare to sell your home, staging it correctly and making it look its best prior to snapping photos may entice investors.
6. Use Editing Software
Even when you follow the steps and do everything right, there’s always a chance that a particular photo may not come out the way you would’ve liked. If this happens, don’t assume you’ll have to go back and reshoot.
Photo editing software makes it easy to adjust for qualities like color, contrast, brightness, picture size and a number of other areas.
For ideas on photo editing platforms available for use, take a look at the list below:
• Adobe Photoshop
• GIMP
• PIXLR
• Fotor
• Luminar
As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Adding high-quality photographs to your listing can make all the difference for prospective buyers and potentially increase interest in your property through Hubzu’s Signature Seller Auctions. For more tips on enhancing your property listing, visit our Tips & Advice page.
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