Images are essential when telling a story about your business.
This is true especially in the real estate industry, where images contribute largely in influencing decisions that can result in the best outcomes, particularly between the seller, buyer, and the real estate agent.
In the current virtual environment that comprises a large part of the real estate industry, finding and using the right images to highlight your listings is critical.
What can images do?
Studies show that people engage more with a website that makes good sense and finds content that is relevant to their needs and preferences.
For instance, a potential home buyer comparing websites would rather engage in one with the most relevant information such as property location, price, and condition, as well as having superb quality images that highlight the best features of the listed property.
According to a study published in the Wall Street Journal, the first 20 seconds of the eyes focusing on an image is critical to influencing what the brain perceives as appealing and makes it a driver for decision-making.
Property listings need good quality images
Based on recent real estate statistics, homes are 31% more likely to be sold with high-quality images posted on their online listing and those with more high-quality images sell faster.
A survey revealed that listings with only one photo stayed on the market for an average time of 70 days, but those with more than a dozen images spent no more than 32 days before getting sold.
If you want to enhance your property listings with superb and captivating photos, it would be important to know the key elements of what an ideal image means.
Here are the key qualities of images that can give your property listings the boost it needs from amazing photographs.
Photo quality
This should be the first thing that comes to mind that has everything to do with the size, resolution, sharpness, contrast, lighting, etc.
Standard image dimensions should be at least 2000 pixels wide with a file size of around 1MB to allow for sharper and detailed images when zooming. Also remember to have the images taken in landscape mode which is standard for most, if not all websites where you want your images displayed in.
Make sure the images are clear and sharp, not dark or blurry, and file must be saved as RGB for online use and not CMYK which is commonly used for print.
Also, great practice in photography is lining up vertical lines correctly. For instance, pillars of the house, cabinets in a kitchen, and staircases need to be properly aligned and with crisp vertical values. Images with these vertical elements even when slightly angled can make your photos look bad.
Use new and clean photos
Make sure to always post new images, not old or recycled ones whether it’s from an old listing, online album, or social media post.
Avoid recycling photos from old listings, stock images, or rental galleries. Images used need to showcase updated views of the property and help set the right expectations with potential buyers who expect to see a property in its actual and current state.
Photos should also be framed properly to avoid unwanted photobombs such as clotheslines, hanging wires, dirty dishes, graffiti, or anything that would spoil the image. Thoroughly check subject areas to get the best angles possible.
Also, move or clear rooms of clutter that could create an impression of cramped or disorganised sections.
Plan photo-shoot activities
Having images of the best angles of the property inside and out is very important to provide buyers with a realistic and virtual perspective of the listed property. For instance, photos must be taken from the corners of a room to get the most photo aspect possible.
For occupied spaces, make sure to have the area tidied up. If a photographer is hired to take photos, take time to have discussed plans and ideas regarding the images for your listing so you can share ideas that would make your photos work.
Make sure that you have all the basic areas covered for your listing photos especially the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, etc.
Floorplans
This may not be part of the photography bit, but a key component in a listing’s photo gallery is the floorplan. Providing the layout of the property makes it more convenient for potential buyers to narrow down the things they need to check out on the property. With floor plans available, it’s one item off their checklist and a step closer to their decision-making phase.
However, it’s not just as simple as a scanned blueprint, but it would be more impactful to have it rendered professionally. Some professional draftsmen can do it for you, but it would be move visually appealing when it is a realistic computer-generated image or even an interactive one that could allow users to navigate and see from all angles through wire-frame or 3D renditions of the property.
Photo retouching
For added measure, photo retouching must be considered a key step in the process. Photos with grey skies, dark rooms, or blemishes can be touched up not only to make the property appear more attractive but to also remove anything that might distract the buyer.
Just make sure to avoid too much retouching that would alter the original image or the property. Also, avoid being too creative or tricky and only use retouching as a way to enhance the property and not misrepresent it, which could potentially turn off buyers for being misled when comparing images with the actual property.
Virtual staging and tours
If a property space doesn’t have furniture, consider virtual staging to give buyers a better idea of room size and space.
There are online services that help design virtual staging, especially if you want to give a good perspective of the property you are selling and how it would portray décor styles for potential buyers.
It can also help you save on costs instead of having your spaces furnished for show and avoids the hassles of redecorating or acquiring furniture and appliances, based on preferred staging options.