The old adage says that a picture is worth a thousand words, but in real estate – in today’s digital climate – a picture’s probably worth more than that. Most buyers begin their search online, and all they have to go on is your listing photos. These are what make them want to come and finally view your home in person. So you must get the best listing photos you possibly can, especially if you want to sell fast and at a better price. With that in mind, we offer these photo hacks to help you sell faster in Ventura County.
Declutter and Depersonalize
The first step in taking great photos to help you sell faster in Ventura County is the same first step for any part of the selling process. And that is to begin by making your house look its absolute best – which means decluttering and depersonalizing.
“We all know that a shining, spotless house is almost certainly not a lived-in house. But the reality is, home buyers, do not want lived-in houses. They want an ideal one. Show them this idea by getting rid of any clutter, such as piles of papers and magazines, unsightly wires, remote controls, and more. This will also help to give your home the feeling of a spacious area and expansive views.”
But you can’t just clean and get rid of the junk and leave it at that .. . if you want the best listing photos.
Remember, potential buyers don’t want to see photos of a lived-in home, but an ideal one. And that means a home that does not have your personality imprinted all over it. The goal is to create a blank palette so that buyers can envision your house as their home, which means you have to depersonalize as well.
“When photographing your home, remove all personal items such as family pictures, sports memorabilia, books on political or religious topics, collectibles, and similar items. When a potential buyer sees such photographs, they are more focused on these objects and not your space. Moreover, images that express strong personal opinions or views can be an immediate turn-off.”
Optimize Natural Lighting
The second of our photo hacks to help you sell faster in Ventura County involves lighting – natural lighting. Artificial lighting and your camera’s flash are poor substitutes for good natural lighting.
So open curtains and blinds before taking listing photos. Harsh artificial lighting and camera flash can create shadows and unwanted reflections off mirrors and glass. And, as a corollary, avoid taking photos on overcast days to avoid a gloomy effect.
Get the Right Angles and Compositions
You also need to consider angles and composition when taking listing photos. To sell faster in Ventura County, here’s what the pros recommend . . .
“The best way to show off a room is to shoot from a corner or doorway to include as much of the room as possible. This provides context and makes the room look more spacious than a tight shot does. When photographing your home’s exterior, stand at an angle to the home rather than straight-on, allowing buyers to see the home’s depth. As much as possible, avoid photographing objects that obscure your home, like poles and wires.”
Emphasize the Positives
But just getting the right angles and compositions isn’t enough, You also need to make sure you take photos that emphasize and underscore the positives, that is, your home’s best features.
Important here to sell faster in Ventura County is assessing “what areas of your house are ‘must-see’ and click pictures accordingly. Negatives such as a busy street view or tiny workspace can wait until buyers come for physical inspection.” Creating a great first impression with your photos is paramount.
Touch up Photos
Even if you’ve done all the things mentioned above, your photos still aren’t listing ready. Many of them will still need some touching up and tweaking.
Choose the best photos from the many you’ve taken and determine whether they need any extra work. For example, maybe you have a great shot of the living room, but it’s just a little too dark. Or maybe that great exterior shot that shows off the new deck includes some distracting electrical poles or telephone wires.
In such cases, you can still use the photos if you adjust brightness/contrast, edit, and/or crop them appropriately. To do this, you can use online editing tools such as Picnik or Snipshot.
Don’t Forget the Rest . . .
Absolutely, top-notch listing photos are needed to help you sell faster in Ventura County. But, as important as the photos are, there’s more to a compelling listing. There’s also the listing description – a species of copywriting that you’ll probably need your agent’s help with.
The thing is local markets vary widely, and a great description (which works in tandem with your photos) in one local market may not work in another. That’s why your local real estate agent’s expertise is so critical. So if you really do want your house to sell faster in Ventura County, contact us today at 805-232-8503.