When people shop for a home, they usually begin their search online, either on their own or with a Realtor. 

 If your online photos don’t do your home justice, you could be out of the running before buyers even check out your curb appeal with a drive-by.

Have you looked at your online listing? 

You’ve worked hard to get your home in good shape, organized, cleaned, and staged. 

Do the photos capture all the major selling points of your home, or do they skip some of its best features? 

 Do they show your home in the best way, or are there some slip-ups?

Whether your Realtor took the photos herself, or hired a pro, or let you photograph your house, there are lots of things that can go wrong. Here’s a checklist. 

Drone images are increasingly popular,
especially in areas where the location
is noteworthy, such as nearby waterways.

Out-of-season picture 

Your profile shot should show the house in the current season. If it's summer and your house shows snow on the ground, the message buyers get is that the home has been on the market for a long time. Buyers assume there must be something wrong with it. 

If your Realtor won't take or pay for a new photo, perhaps you have or can take an image of your own that is current or seasonless. If your home is a vacation home, such as at the beach, a lake, or the mountains, show it in the most popular season.  

Duplicate shots 

This is a common mistake. Buyers don’t have to see a room from multiple angles. Your pictures should whet their appetites so they schedule a viewing. Choose the one or two photos that flatter each room the most. Unless your home is being marketed as a luxury estate or a historic property, you don't need closeup photos of things like faucets and light fixtures. 
 
Notice how the photographer shot this 
kitchen from the height of the counters. 
This means you can see both
the floor and the ceiling. Photo: BHG

Missing rooms

Buyers want an overview. Give them a room-by-room sampling as best you can. 

Omitted rooms are a red flag to buyers. 

But some Realtors have to pay extra for extra photos, so if you are forced to choose, choose the important rooms: kitchen, living room, dining room, baths, and master bedroom.  Always include that all-important exterior picture.

Flash

If a professional photographer takes your photos, he’ll have the camera to do the job with natural light, in-home lighting, or lights he brings to the job. 

If you or your Realtor take photos, turn the flash off. A flash illuminates only a few feet in front of the camera, and it leaves harsh shadows.

 The flash is not your friend. If you are working with a point-and-shoot camera or older smartphone, you might need to do some photo editing to help the pictures along after uploading them.

Wrong angle

Good lighting and the proper angle are the two most significant ways to make your home photos look better. 

 Inside, the most common mistake amateurs make is to shoot from too high a level. Crouch down to get a more interesting view. 

Outside, move around your home’s front and shoot multiple times. Shoot high and shoot low. Shoot from the left side of the house and from the right, even at different times of the day, and then choose the picture that makes your home look extra good.

This split-level home looks okay
 in the photo, but a little
 too boxy, small, and dull.  
But when I moved to one side
to take another picture and shot 
from a lower position, 
the building looks more interesting.

People or pets in the room

The message buyers get when they see people relaxing in the home is that you were in such a rush to get your house photographed that there was no time to ask people to step aside. It’s an affront to the buyer. Or they might assume it is a rental property and the tenants do not want the property to sell, which spells problems. 

Pets in photos are a distraction as well. Don't let your pets photobomb your photos. 

Empty room

Of course, this blog is about home staging, so I never recommend a home be shown with empty rooms. A photo of an empty room is sad. Usually, it’s all flooring and blank walls and windows, giving no indication of size or possibilities. 

 DIY home staging is not rocket science and does not need to cost you big bucks. Stage your rooms.

What's wrong with this picture?
The photographer is reflected in
the mirror. She's using a flash. 
The picture is crooked. It's not cropped.
The room's not staged, and the lid is up!

Signs of ordinary life

Real estate pictures should not show full laundry baskets, a display of everyday toiletries or medicines,  stacks of paperwork, garbage cans, or cars parked in the driveway. Tweak your home for its photo op. It takes only a moment to stash the pool toys, hide the cosmetics, and put the lid down on the toilet.

How to fix

If a review of your online listing tells you that the photos fall short of what they could be, you have a few options.

Talk to your Realtor about improving the images. If you are selling your own home FSBO, replace the offending photos with better ones. Whatever cost and effort it takes are worthwhile. Your photos are your front-line salespeople. They can be the deal-breakers or else what gets people excited to see your home.  

A good photographer will be able
to shoot pictures that indicate the 
floor plan. This kitchen photo goes
wall to wall and 
includes entrances on both sides. 

Replacing poor photos could mean that you need to spring for the cost of a professional photographer. What that will cost depends on where you live, the experience of the photographer, and how many photos you need.

Or, you might have a friend who has the camera, the eye, and the experience to do the job gratis. If you take the photos yourself, edit them. It's not difficult to straighten, crop, brighten the colors, and increase the contrast as necessary. Get help if this editing task is overwhelming.

Maybe your listing has enough photos of your home to whet the appetite of home buyers, and you still have the opportunity for additional photos. More than 50 photos is overkill. But don’t be shy about adding photos from other online sources. 

I added captions on photos of
a property I sold, to make prospective 
buyers aware of local amenities.

If you can grab a photo of your charming downtown, or the community pool, the local golf course, an annual festival, or whatever makes your town or neighborhood special, go ahead. Stay within bounds, however, because too many generic shots will make it appear that your home itself has little to offer.

Photos speak louder than words. Make sure your photos tell buyers how desirable your home is.

For more tips on making your home attractive to buyers, download my eBook, DIY Home Staging Tips to Sell Your Home Fast and for Top Dollar. It’s one sure way to be successful at staging your own home.