Exceeding Expectations with Best Practices in Real Estate Photo Editing

Exceeding Expectations with Best Practices in Real Estate Photo Editing

Being in the real estate business is both a privilege and a challenge. The opportunity of being part of one of the biggest industries is tantamount to having a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Now the rules do not change no matter where you are within this industry. What matters is that the end goal is achieved, and that is to make sales happen. One of the vital contributors to this business is real estate photo editing. Oftentimes, we overlook the power that photos can bring especially in an industry such as this where people flock the listings in search of their next purchase.

Real estate photographers must acknowledge this fact as it will be the driver to bring out the best in all aspects of the property in a single photo. Their grasp of real estate photo editing then, should be nothing short of excellent for every project.

What Real Estate Photo Editing is and What it is Not

Prior to jumping into what a photographer must embody to embrace the best practices of real estate photo editing, it is imperative to understand what this artform is and what it is not. There are several elements that dictate the boundaries of real estate photo editing. They are ethics, intent, and trust.

  1. Ethical Considerations

The power to be able to manipulate an image to look ten times more attractive should meet the on-site visit expectations. This means that as real estate photo editing works it magic, it must realistically retain the features that are fixed on a property. This could be in the form of a tree standing on the lawn, a lamp post that obstructs the view of the home, or perhaps showing the minimal distance between the property and the neighbor. Taking away any of these in the image can ultimately disappoint potential buyers as they walk up to the property and see that the image simply does not stack up.

  1. Intent to Sell

Real estate photo editing needs to help sell. It needs to capture the heart of the viewer to get them off their thinking chairs and make them decide to purchase the property. Keeping this in mind, the property needs to exude an inviting feeling that invites people to look deeper rather than to turn them away. This might take the form of making the necessary lighting corrections, color adjustments, and background enhancements.

  1. Trust of the People

People would want to see an accurate photo, one that they know that will live up to their expectations when they pay a visit or make a purchase. Any experiences of mistrust will eventually lead to the degradation of credibility of the real estate company, and this is why real estate photo editing is important in being at the forefront of the marketing efforts.

Familiarizing Yourself with the Best Practices

The concept of what is ultimately the best a set of known practices that stack up to transform an image in the right direction. It is important to lay down the foundation of what constitutes an excellent enhanced image in real estate photo editing, and this is where execution and creativity will revolve in before jumping out into more uncommon grounds.

  1. Assess the liveliness of the image

The first best practice on this list for real estate photo editing is keeping a sharp eye out for things that make the image dull. On most occasions, images will not look their best. Skies will be dark, interiors will be dull, even exteriors will probably look plain. At this stage, you must check for any element that needs a touch of vibrance. Some techniques to help you here are sky replacement, overlays, and object removal.

  1. Make the image visible

When the term visibility is used, it is meant in the context of being able to see what is in the photo and allowing details to show without the effort to scrutinize it. Unfathomable images can be due to too much lighting, glare, or the lack thereof. In all cases, post-processing software can help make the adjustments so your potential buyer can see the property in all its glory. Some techniques associated with this best practice are window pull/window masking, and brightness and color correction.

  1. Project a property that is habitable

Not all properties come with furniture. Some might even find themselves at the opposite end of the straw by being a messy home. Realty editor endeavors to create a middle ground in the photo that shows that it is filled, but not cluttered. This means that furniture must be put in virtually in the absence of actual physical furniture to help exercise the imaginations of buyers on what they can do with the property. Bring in a couple of stock images of chairs, tables, and lay them out as if they have always been there.

  1. Never forget to tidy up

There are instances where properties have bits and pieces of clutter to clean up. These do not refer only to objects tied to the property but also point to unwanted objects such as passers-by or cars parked along the street. Images with a busy scene might detract the buyer from focusing on the home and efforts could go to waste if these distractions become the focal point of the viewer. Some tools and techniques that can help you out on this are clone stamping or spot healing.

Conclusion

The best practices are the ones that bring out the potential in anything. For real estate photo editing, they are the elements that make a photo shine and stand out amid the sea of competitors. There are techniques, tips, and tricks, that revolve around the three important spheres that encapsulate real estate photo editing which ensure that even the most vivid imaginations cannot cross. More than these, the photo can be detrimental to the business and overall reputation of the real estate company. Having said this, the reality of real estate photo editing is to execute to the best of your ability as photographers, the best practices that exist, exploiting them to make the image stand out and ultimately lead to that coveted sale.

 

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