Real Estate Photography Trends for the Ultimate Selling Image

Selling a home is never as easy as people think, and it’s true that there isn’t a one size fits all policy when it comes to making a quick, successful sale. Yet, there are some golden rules that realtors swear by – especially when it comes to real estate photography.

In recent years, real estate photography trends have emerged, which help photographers to capture the perfect selling image. Some of these are popular classics, while others look to the future. In any case, they are all great trends to consider when you want to create the ultimate selling image.

Natural light

Making the most of natural lighting has always been a golden rule in photography, and especially in real estate. Without great lighting, a room can look small, stuffy, and unappealing to buyers- even if it isn’t in real life. With it, small rooms can look bigger, airier, and cleaner. As you need to make a good first impression from an image, it’s wise to embrace a property’s natural light in every room.

If your property doesn’t have much natural light, you can use strategic lighting to add more definition to a space. Sometimes, doing a deep clean and adding more mirrors will also help. Luckily for photographers, working with natural light is a valuable skill to have. They can promote these skills and  market with a photography business card after creating a flawless selling image.

Home staging

Many buyers would agree that is it difficult to know from an image if a home is right for them. A lot of the time, a lack of furniture in a property can make it look sterile, and not quite as inviting as a buyer would hope. Traditionally, furniture staging in empty homes allows buyers to get a rough feel of how their own belongings would fit, while decluttering and adding small touches to an occupied home can really sell the highlights of a room.

More recently, real estate photographers have started to use virtual staging in their images. Not only does this save time and money, but it can help buyers who are already thinking about how to decorate their new interiors.

Local geography

It is no secret that buyers don’t just look at the property when they are finding a new home, but the local area. This is something real estate photographers are beginning to home in on as they consider how to take their images to the next level. If a photographer can show the beauty of the local geography, this can truly make a difference in selling a home.

In some cases, they might even make use of seasonal differences in the weather. For example, if a local area is known for its glowing, fall colors, it would be a better decision to take geographical photographs at this time, rather than in the gloomy, gray of winter.

Mobile optimization

Unlike in previous years, many property buyers search for homes on their mobile phones. In fact, 20% of real estate searches are done from mobile devices. This means that any photographs taken must be optimized for mobile phone use, as well as real-estate websites.

Perfecting your image comes down to which size you take it in, and how high the resolution is. If it is too large, it will offer a clunky user experience, and if the resolution is too low, then the photograph may be blurry to users. One of the best ways to get around using different images for desktop, mobile, and laptop is by making use of responsive images.

Having plenty of light and a de-cluttered room can also help with mobile optimization.

Drone photography

Like many other areas of real estate, real estate photography is stepping into the future. Over the last few years, more and more home sellers have been using drone technology to capture the perfect shot.

This is largely because drones can capture a stunning, bird’s eye view of a home, which some other photographs may not have. With large homes, and homes with swimming pools tennis courts, or sweeping grounds, this kind of shot is the best way of showcasing the impressive size of a property.

There are various drone options on the market currently. It is an investment, but it ensures realtors stand out from their competition. In some cases, drones can capture video footage, meaning buyers can get a better feel for a home from the comfort of their computer screen.

Virtual reality tours

It isn’t just drone technology that real estate photography is adapting to, but virtual reality tours. This is a big step up from traditional imagery, but it has proven popular within the market. As much of the home buyer market is now made up of millennials, 77% of buyers would now like to take a virtual tour of a home before seeing it in person.

There are many reasons for this. Topping the list is the fact that it is not only more convenient for long-distance buyers to take a VR tour, but it enables them to picture how their own belongings would fit into the property space. Many virtual tours are also optimized for mobile viewing, so buyers aren’t limited by which device they’re browsing on.