Selling Your Home - Taking Better Real Estate Photos

Thanks to online real estate listings, today's homebuyers are forming their thoughts about your home well before they even see it in person. With a few clicks of a mouse, potential buyers can see which homes they want to explore further, and which ones they want to avoid.

Since the shopping starts before the buyers even set foot on your property, it's more important than ever to make sure your real estate photos show your home at its best.

Here are a few simple (yet very effective) things you can do to improve the quality of your real estate pictures:

1. Clean & de-clutter: Hide the remote control and take the cell phone and keys off the countertop before you take your shots. Tables and countertops should be bare other than decor items. Take magnets, pictures and school calendars off the fridge. Remove any visible garbage cans and tissue boxes. In the washroom, hide room sprays and toiletries, and remove shampoo bottles from the shower. And don't forget to put the toilet seat down -- a simple but often overlooked step!

2. No people or pets: Your photos should have nothing but the room and its furnishings -- no people or pets allowed! While browsing a local website I was shocked to see the photo the homeowner had chosen to best show off their front hall. Your attention wasn't caught by the entryway, its flooring, wall colour or closet...but by the person peering in through the front door! Unfortunately this is a common occurrence -- I've seen many photos of kitchens with someone washing dishes and living rooms with someone watching TV or bending over to pet a dog. Good real estate photos have no living creatures!

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