Take Photos That Get A Home SOLD!

With more than 87% of buyers going online first to search for a home, it's never been more important to have top notch photos of a home for sale. The first impression a potential buyer gets of your home is typically the photo they see online, so why would you not want to have the best photos possible for them to preview.

Digital cameras have enabled more agents to be able to take their own photos, but it takes a little more than just point and click to show off a home's features.

House photo tips:

• Declutter the home (interior and exterior) - Remove cars from driveway, close garage doors, put water hose away, kid's bikes, etc from yard. Inside the house, make sure the house is not cluttered. Put clothes, dishes, wires, etc away. If a holiday, remove decor when taking photo or it will date the house while on the market.


• Lighting - Have the house well lit. Try not to use a flash if you don't have to because it tends to make a room look flat in the photo. Use natural light, but not if you have sunlight shining directly into the room. Turn on all the lights in a room. Take the photo in the daytime. Exterior photographs should be taken either late in the day or early in the morning when there is sunlight striking the front of the house.


• Show full house with yard - Make sure you show the entire exterior of the house in your main photos. If you cut off part of the house and don't show the yard, then a potential buyer doesn't get a good idea of what size the house is and what the yard looks like. (Even if it's a condo, show the whole building, not just the door of the unit for sale.)


• Architectural Features - If the home has any special features, make sure you show them off in the photographs. Nice fireplace mantel, arch doorways, marble counters, etc.


• Digital Cameras - If you are using a digital camera, which most people do these days, remember you can take as many photos as possible in order to get a few great shots. Don't be afraid to take too many shots so you can narrow them down to the best.

Regardless of the price of a home, it still needs to have the best photos possible in order to sell the property. Keep in mind, most homes are viewed online first and your job is to find a buyer for the house and your chances only increase when you have quality photographs.