Behind the Scenes: Photo Shoot Days
I woke up this morning thinking I was going to have to cancel a photoshoot that I had on the calendar for today. The clouds from the previous three days were lingering like a dark curtain. The weather this winter has been more dreary than usual, and consequently, my mood has been more dreary. My photographer recommended we push back an hour instead of cancelling right away. Well, thank goodness for photographers and their seasoned judgement, because the sun showed her beautiful face and we ended up getting some gorgeous shots after all!
Photo shoots are big days in the Real Estate world. It’s the day the Realtor starts the process of marketing a property for potential buyers. In my opinion, it’s the real start of the listing. Paperwork, schmakerwork… photo day means this train is in motion, baby!
Sellers have been working non-stop to get their home “show ready” until now. The work always translates to photos. Potential buyers can feel when homes have been taken care of meticulously, especially when they’ve been shopping through multiple homes in one day.
Photo shoots demand a particular kind of energy from me. I try to be relaxed and focused, giving my mind space to decide which elements we should highlight. I always swing by my local grocery store to pick up some fresh flowers that speak to me in that day and season. I feel like flowers add that final pop of color around the home right before photos are snapped. It’s the finishing “voila!”
My photographer, obviously, is an indispensable partner in this part of the listing process. I met Ben roughly 10 years ago while he and his then-very-pregnant wife were walking down the sidewalk across the street from our home. We spotted young people like hawks back then since we were in a similar phase of life. Then when I started out in real estate, I knew I wanted to work with Ben. He hadn’t shot many homes up to that point, but I had a hunch his photography style would transfer perfectly. He’s a natural light expert and sees still life through the lens in such an elegant way, lining up perfectly with my vision for how the homes of my clients should be showcased. Since day one it’s been a successful partnership.
After teaming up with a stellar photographer, here are some tips for making your home photo-ready!
Think VRBO (Vacation Rentals by Owner). Anything you would put away if you were renting your home to someone for the weekend is what you will also want to put away for a listing.
LIGHT IT UP! Natural light in a home sells! Open the blinds, change out old light bulbs for newer and brighter, and keep windows as unobstructed as possible.
Simple is better. Less is always more. When in doubt about an item, just pack it away.
Count how many pieces of furniture you have on the floor in each room. That number should be less than 5. All rooms, especially small ones, should feel welcoming and easy to move around in. No furniture obstructions!
When your photos are shot, how do you choose which ones to showcase? When Ben shoots a home, he typically sends me 40-50 photos to choose from. The max upload for our local MLS system is 25, so sadly, many great photos have had to be dropped in the final phase. I try to choose photos that look the most inviting and dynamic, showcase a unique area or feature, and group them in such a way that a viewer would want to click on every single one.
The power of quality photos can’t be overstated enough. It takes skill, problem-solving, creativity, and if you’re lucky, an awesome team!
This post was originally published in April, 2019.