Today, just about everything has a home on the internet. Whether you’re buying a new pair of shoes, tickets for an international flight or even a new home, the majority of Americans do the bulk of their initial research on the World Wide Web.
Since so many prospective home buyers and sellers are dipping their toes in the housing market water via the internet, the importance of staging and photography has never been greater. As a real estate agent, your goal should be to give the interested buyer the most accurate idea of what the home looks like before they even step foot inside. And for sellers, you will want to present their home in the most flattering light possible in order to attract higher-end buyers. Quality photography can go a long way in making this happen.
Using photography to accentuate the positives of a home
These days just about everyone considers themselves an amateur photographer. The fact is though that just because you have a camera attached to your smartphone doesn’t mean you should be taking professional home staging photos. You’ll need some top-flight equipment and a little bit of know-how to get the most out of the listed home’s appeal. For example:
– Lighting. You’ll want to use both soft and natural light and snap photos both day and night to get a feel about which room looks best under which circumstances. For instance, a window-filled kitchen might look best in the daylight hours when natural light floods in, giving the prospective buyer an idea of what it would look like to eat breakfast every morning in their new kitchen nook.
On the other hand, a master bedroom might look best with soft light emitting from a bedside lamp during the nighttime. This would give the buyer the feel of what it would be like to retire every night under the comforter with their favorite book.
– Clutter is a no-no. It’s common sense that a home set for staging should be thoroughly clean and organized, and being conscious of clutter is no exception. Universally, buyers are looking for homes with space and roominess. In order to accentuate this trait, all the furniture in the room should be grouped into a welcoming formation, giving the person the idea that when they enter the room they will feel comfortable and welcome due to the positioning of the furniture, but also have plenty of space to move about.
Sealing the deal with staging
While the staging aspect isn’t the be-all-end-all of the purchase process, it will go a long to getting serious buyers into homes they had a genuinely strong first impression of thanks to the photos they’ve seen. It doesn’t matter if you’re working with a buyer or a seller, presenting gorgeous yet accurate photos of listed homes for sale will lead to quicker closing times and happier clients.
