As a buyer, a new home is one of the biggest purchases you’ll make in your lifetime. As a seller, your home is likely your largest asset. Most buyers are searching for potential homes online, and deciding whether they are interested in seeing a property just by looking at the photos. The way your home shows in those photos makes a first and lasting impression. Is it an accurate one?
Time and time again, we see listings on realtor.ca with only a handful of photos, most of which are crooked, poorly exposed, and don’t appear to make any effort to showcase the home’s true selling features. Many times they appear to have been taken on a cell phone.
We’ve tried to mimic the types of visuals that are often available online with one of our own listings, to reveal how photography can change the appearance – and the appeal – of a property.
This is the same room photographed on the same day!
This suite has a stunning west view from its balcony, where you can see all the way to the CN Tower. However, depending on the angle of the photograph it can appear blah…or breathtaking!
Whether you are listing a condo or a house, kitchens are one of the primary selling points, and buyers need to see more than the small angle of view a cell phone image can provide. Lights should be on, it should look clean and uncluttered, and there needs to be a sense of how the rooms flow together, otherwise it’s just too challenging for buyers to truly envision themselves in the space.
As a homeowner, you should expect professional images of what it is you’re selling, whether it’s a $2,500 lease, a $700,000 home, or a multi-million dollar mansion. Buyers will simply bypass listings that look small, or dark, or cluttered. Something as simple as switching from a vertical to horizontal orientation, and then improving the composition, lighting, and exposure can make all the difference in whether a listing catches a buyer’s eye, or not.
Just remember – if you don’t love the way your home looks online, neither will potential buyers!
