Some people say photos sell homes, well actually professionally shot photos sell homes. The most important photo is the exterior shot associated with the home for its MLS listing.

Hiring a professional real estate photographer for any serious real estate agent is a must!

1. Shoot in the Spring. If possible, plan ahead with good images of your home in the best season – spring. Any exterior photos of the property with new fresh leaves on the trees and shrubs, flowers blooming and lush green grass offer a great curb appeal.

2. Stage your Property. Home staging is just as important on your front lawn as it is in your living room—in fact, it can be more important! A little prep time on your home’s exterior may be the difference between a photo that sells and a photo that turns buyers away.

  • Put away toys, tools and stash the trash cans!
  • Close garage doors and all other exterior windows and doors.
  • Park cars away from the house.
  • Sweep walkways and driveways.
  • Plan for landscaping to be done.

3. Choose the Best Time of Day. The direction your home faces, the amount of shade it gets from trees, and even its paint color can make a difference. Especially, when the photos have been taken at the wrong time of day. Try a couple shoots at dawn, mid-morning, mid-afternoon and at twilight. This will tell you the best time for your home.

In general, remember:

  • Keep the sun at your back.
  • Watch out for glare in windows and other shiny surfaces.
  • When taking early morning or twilight photos, be sure to turn on all interior and exterior lighting.

4. Frame the Best Shot. A head-on view of your home will not be its most flattering angle. Try shooting your house from each of the front corners of the property. You’ll probably find that an angle opposite the driveway gives you a better overall photo.

  • Find an angle with as few obstructions as possible.
  • Use a tripod and make sure it’s holding the camera level.
  • Remember that you can crop out smaller things on the sides of your photos using photo editing software. Use a wide-angle lens if you can’t capture the whole house at once.
  • Include highly desirable features like a paver-stone driveway or sidewalk, a wraparound porch or an obviously new roof may be good selling points.