North Sound Property News

One of the points I always make to sellers in my listing presentations is that photography is the key to making their listings pop online, and having a listing that “pops” is part of what it takes these days to pique buyer interest and get an offer - assuming you are not listed at some rock bottom, “I don’t care what it looks like” price.

 I have a couple of photographers I like to work with, and on occasion I take my own shots and I have an interest in what it takes to make a good real estate photography.  Showing as much of a room as possible, having good lighting and preparing the room for pictures are part of the equation.  There are other tips and tricks as well.

Here are a few resources for help on real estate photography.

Sometimes the day you have scheduled to take pictures does not grace you with a lovely blue sky, potentially leaving you with a drab exterior photo.  I must admit this is a frequent issue in the Seattle area!  Never fear - there are ways around this.  As long as the light is generally good enough to illuminate the exterior of the house, the sky issue can be dealt with by using a “replacement sky.”  This is done in Photoshop or other photo editing software by cropping out the old sky and inserting the new sky in a second layer.  Vince DeStefano has been kind enough to post some free replacement skies on his website - looks like Australian skies are beautiful!

Photography For Real Estate has a popular post on how to control window lighting.  This is the classic real estate photography issue - on a sunny day, bright light floods in through the window, causing the interior to look dark.  This issue can be difficult to correct in post production unless you know the secrets. 

PFRE has many other tutorials and tools, including this great basic guide to photography for REALTORS and this $35 e-book that shows you how to create the great shots you need for real estate marketing.

Photography really is one of the most important factors in marketing homes these days so it’s really important to understand what to look for, and how to get the results you are seeking.

About the Author: Sandy Kaduce is Associate Broker of Gallery Homes Real Estate. She serves buyers and sellers in North King and South Snohomish counties. She is 2009 Board President of the Mukilteo Chamber of Commerce, as well as Vice President of Site Selection for Habitat for Humanity of Snohomish County. For more information, visit Sandy on the web at www.sandykaduce.com! Read more from this author