5 (More) Things You Can Do To Prepare For Your Real Estate Photographer
With warm weather already here, it’s time for you Naples-area real estate agents to kick your marketing efforts into gear and start hustling as the buying market gets more competetive. One of the ways to boost your efforts and get a leg up on your competition is of course to hire a professional real estate photographer to display your properties in style.
To help your photographer do his or her best work, there are things you can do around the property to make sure things will look good on camera. Last spring, I did a post on the 5 easy things you can do to help your real estate photographer before an appointment, but seeing as that was nearly a year ago (boy, time does fly!), I think it’s time to expand on the topic — so here are 5 more!
- Create Maximum Curb Appeal
One thing we certainly struggled with for a long period this season in Naples, Marco Island, Bonita Springs and anywhere here in Southwest Florida for that matter was the aftermath of Hurricane Irma.
For what seemed like forever, we waited for the debris to be cleared and streets to return to “normal”. Even now, there are still a lot of blue tarps that can be seen in aerial shots!
But things are returning to normal here in Naples and palm trees are filling back out, streets are clean and the grass is green. Make sure you take a little time with the front of the home before your photographer arrives and clear away any fallen branches, garbage cans and other things that may look out of place.
- Clean The Windows
With the views here in Naples, a home that has a lot of windows will be a major selling point that you will want to showcase. And how will you showcase it? Through photography of course! This means that your photographer will want the windows to be in the shot, and with how clear the resolution of your professional images are going to be, if the windows are dirty, that’s what your clients are going to see.
You don’t want their first impression to be dirty windows blocking out the light, so have them cleaned!
- De-Personalize The Space
If you can, you will generally want to take out any family photos or items that are specific to the current owners of the home. It can be hard for your clients to visualize themselves in the home if they are looking at family photos of someone else. Likewise, remove any knick knacks or pieces of art that take away from a room. Take down all of their items pinned to the refrigerator and try to make the space as generic as possible.
- Less Is More
I mentioned decluttering in my previous post, but it bears repeating. You should remove as much clutter as you can from every room. Again, your client wants to visualize themselves in the home and will picture how they would want to decorate themselves. Every little item that is there will make it more difficult for them to make it their own.
So do a sweep of the entire home and remove anything that isn’t necessary to help eliminate distractions.
- Showcase The Home’s Natural Features
Deciding how to arrange furniture can be largely subjective and based on current trends, but in general, you should capitalize on any natural features that are in a room. Your photographer will want to be sure they capture features like a fireplace or decorative pillars, French doors, built-in cabinets, views leaing to the pool or golf course, etc. Since the photographer will surely take photos from angles that will include these features, you can arrange the furniture in a way that compliments the built-in decor.
A side note here touching on a point from earlier: you should also pay attention to how the light fills the room. If it is a room with a lot of windows, natural light, and built-in features, the photographer will move through the room to capture everything, so you can arrange items in a way that best shows off the whole space. It’s a lot to consider, but you can make it work!
Don’t stress too much with any of these suggestions — your photographer will be happy to work with you to arrange the home in such a way that shows it off best. After all — they’re professionals who specialize in this niche for a reason!
If you’re looking for a professional real estate photography in Southwest Florida, Jon Kreider at Sun Services SW has served the area since 2013. A commercial photographer serving the Naples, Marco Island, and Bonita Springs communities, Kreider specializes in real estate photography and video, bringing homes to life online before they are viewed in person. Visit Jon’s website or shoot him an email today to discuss your real estate photography needs.