Everyone is talking real estate these days so I figured, why not us too?
Over the last year real estate has sky rocketed into a seller's market. With a large demand for homes and a shortage for sale, it's appreciated over 15% which has made it a real cut-throat competition. Luckily for me, it's made real estate photography a bit more fast paced!
Essentially, my job is to photograph residential and commercial properties in an aesthetically pleasing way. I work with realtors who list my photos onto the housing market to sell. But why is it so important? - because an appealing image can ultimately sell a property which is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
In order to get the inside scoop of what realtors REALLY look for in their listing photos, I went to the best agent I know - my husband, Josh! He gave me the top 3 things agents look for and today I'm going to break them down for you..
It's crucial for all of your photographs to be level and using a tripod is the best way to achieve that. We don't live in homes with slanted floors and tilted walls so why would you want them in your photos? Make sure to look at your bubble level on your tripod before shooting each room. If you're shooting with a wide angle lens (if you're not, you should be! - see #2) it tends to make everything look warped. You can use lens correction in your post editing to straighten your verticals or opt to use a tilt shift lens which will eliminate any distortion.
Wide-angle lenses are soooo important for real estate photography! They have a wider field of view than normal lenses which allows you to fit more in the frame. These lenses emphasize the space of each room in a home while still accurately representing the property. They're especially beneficial for tighter spaces and smaller rooms such as bathrooms. You have the option of choosing between a prime or zoom lens. However, with a prime lens you're locked into one focal length and you'll quickly find the versatility of a wide-angle zoom lens is the way to go!
If you're a portrait photographer then you already know the importance of consistency. Make sure your lighting is even throughout the home - are you shooting with the lights on or off? Or are you using natural light? Lighting can create different variations of color temperatures in each room. Make sure you balance them for a professional look. Don't forget to keep things level and fix your verticals as discussed in #1. Potential buyers should be able to get the full image and character of the home just by viewing your photos.
Real estate photography was never a niche I'd imagine myself being passionate about. I assumed my days would be spent in solitude listening to nothing more than the echo of my shutter clicking (don't get me wrong, I love the sound of a good shutter click). But it didn't take long for me to realize that not every shoot was going to be a vacant building. These are HOMES and nestled inside are real people who are choosing to part with it. I've stepped into the lives of some truly wonderful people, even if it was only for an hour or two.
There were a lot of excited sellers - moving to enjoy a warmer climate, relocating to be closer to children or grandchildren, celebrating their retirement with a new home, or just simply having a new house built in PA. I have the opportunity to get to know them and if I'm lucky, I get to hear their stories. Stories about the hard work and time they dedicated into making their house a home along with the memories they created along the way. Their enthusiasm is so easily contagious.
Unfortunately, life isn't all sunshine and rainbows and I often encounter some heartbreaking moments too - foreclosed homes, widows, those who can no longer care for themselves, or more recently, parents moving in order to grieve over the passing of their child. As a true empath, I'd be lying if I said I never drove away from those homes in tears, but I never let it stop me from engaging with the sellers. If you're willing to listen to the joyful stories you have to be just as eager to bend an ear to the mournful ones. And let me tell you.. I've heard some amazing stories!
If you're a real estate agent or just so happen to know one, share my blog post! I'm always delighted to photograph a new home.. and hear new stories :)
xx Melissa
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