A picture tells a thousand words according to the saying, and this is never truer when it comes to property pictures. Whether it’s in an agent’s window or in an online advert, images are what will draw prospective buyers to the listing and make them want to see more.

You can have the best property in the world, but if the photography is bad, then the chances are, you’ll have fewer people asking about the property or clicking on the online advert, and even fewer physically coming round to view your property.

While we all have cameras on our phones these days, taking photos of property is a skill. Dirty lenses, uneven angles, dark and out of focus images will not help sell your property.

Quite simply, if the photography isn’t showing the property at its best, people will move onto the next advert.

Here are our tips to having great photography.

Prepare the space

First and foremost, make the room look good. Declutter, clean, plump up cushions, straighten pictures and add welcoming flowers. Remove excess furniture and, where possible, very personal items and pictures; while you may love that modern art image, or that battered footstool, it might not be to everyone’s taste.

Also turn on all the lights. The lighter a room is the better.

The same applies to the exterior. Mow the lawn and cut back foliage, and remove cars from the driveway.

The best view

Identify the best viewpoints of a room. Ideally, you want the image to show space or demonstrate how one room flows into another. If a room has a superb view, show it. The best place to take a photograph of a room is usually from a corner. In today’s world of digital photographs, take several images from more than one viewpoint so you use the one that works the best.

Effective composition

When it comes to real estate images, there are some rules to follow. Make sure vertical lines are vertical, and the photograph is taken from a height that suits the room. For instance, a picture taken at chest height might be suitable for the kitchen as you want to show off the floor to ceiling cupboards as well as the work surfaces too. However, the bathroom which has lower objects, a photo taken from hip height may look better. Ultimately, you want to fill your image with the contents of the room, not dead space.

Quantity

Yes, quantity does matter. Generally, we’ve found the more images the better. While 20 or more pictures of a studio apartment is probably overkill, you do ideally want to have at least one picture of every room. One study found a property listed with 2 – 4 images got 35 percent more clicks than the same one with one or no images. When it was listed with 5 or more images, it jumped to a 50 percent click through.

Our talented team are constantly looking for new and innovative ways to ensure your property stands out from the rest and your real estate experience is exceptional – this is why we continue to remain at the forefront of Newcastle’s property market.

Drop into the office or give us a call on 02 4954 8833. Or send us an email to: mail@apnewcastle.com.au. We’d love to hear from you.

And don’t forget to check out our Facebook page for handy tips on selling your property or what to look for when buying a property