Most buyers start their property search online, using portals to view what’s available.
This means the images of your home act as the digital equivalent of ‘kerb appeal’ - so it’s important to make sure they present your property in the best possible light. They’re the strongest visual of your property you can get.
Listings with professional photography sell significantly Zoopla says that property listings with 15 or more photos receive a 38% higher click rates in search results than those with just five.*
With so much riding on those first few images, it’s worth understanding the difference a professional photographer can make when selling your property.
Why are professional photos so important?
An image taken by a photographer with a high-quality camera can make a real difference when presenting your home. Expertise when taking the photos can ensure the right framing, lighting and staging that can be the difference between a potential buyer booking a viewing or scrolling past your property.
Lighting and time of day
Natural lighting is the best way to capture a space, and a professional photographer will aim for mid-morning or early afternoon on a bright day.
Composition and angles
A professional photographer will shoot from corners and at chest height to accentuate the space and keep clean, vertical lines. Small adjustments that can make a world of difference to the final shot.
Decluttering and staging before the shoot
Making your space tidy and free of personal photos will help a buyer imagine themselves in your home. An experienced photographer will get the best angles for this, and stage slightly on the day. For how to stage your home before the photographer gets there, read our blog.
Editing and post-production
For property listings, editing means slight tweaks to warmth or brightness - things that emphasise what’s already there rather than misrepresenting your home to a buyer.
How to prepare your home before the photographer arrives
While a professional photographer is needed to improve the quality and composition of your imagery, they can only work with the space they have. So, ensure what they’re working with is presented in the best possible way. You should:
- Tidy and declutter every room, including surfaces and floors.
- Maximise natural light by opening curtains and internal doors.
- Remove personal items such as family photos and children's artwork.
- Think of kerb appeal and mow the lawn, sweep the path and clean the front door.
- Add small finishing touches with fresh flowers.
Add more than just still shots
There’s no doubt that professional photography is important when presenting your home to potential buyers. However, still images aren’t the only thing to bear in mind when listing your property.
Today’s buyers spend more time than ever online, and social media is playing an equally important role in how they discover and engage with homes for sale. That's why we offer a full marketing service, including floor plans, video tours, property trailers and social media reels designed to maximise exposure for your home.
Short-form video content, such as property reels and trailers, help bring a home to life in a way that photographs alone cannot capture. They showcase the flow of a home, highlight key features and help buyers imagine a life in the property. Just as importantly, they can help capture attention quickly on social media platforms, reaching potential buyers beyond the traditional property websites.
Buyers want to understand the layout and the full picture of a property, and listings with a floor plan receive 9% more interest than those without, with video tours and social media content helping to drive engagement even further.*
Does better photography mean a better outcome?
Simply put, yes. All the above - from high-quality photos to floor plans and video tours - can help build an idea for a buyer before they set up a viewing.
Buyers are more engaged with your listing, and those that book a viewing are more likely to put in an offer as they’ve got a good idea from the online presentation of the property - and they like what they see.
The bottom line is that if your online listing is stronger, then you’re likely to see stronger enquiry volumes and a faster sale.
