Good marketing is key so getting your home sold under the best conditions for sellers. And one of the most important things we use to market your home is high quality photos and videos. So, what can sellers do to make the home look its best?

Here are some

Tips for The Perfect Listing Photo Shoot

Think like a buyer

That means putting yourself into the shoes of a stranger who's seeing your home for the first time. What kind of first impressions are you hoping to get? Do you want buyers to easily imagine themselves in the home, and to feel comfortable and welcome? Of course you do. You want your home and property to be experienced in its best light. 

Do basic yard work

Long grass, weeds, overgrown shrubs, and dirty siding aren't pretty. A few hours of outdoor work, mowing, weeding, trimming and power-washing can do wonders before a shoot. You can even go a step further and do some landscaping, like planting shrubs or flowers for extra curb appeal. And these look amazing for marketing materials. 

Organize your home

At very least, tuck away stuff that's accumulated on top of desks, sideboards, countertops, chairs. An organized home looks more spacious and better taken care of. For a thorough view on decluttering click here: https://bit.ly/HowToDeclutterYourHome 

Do a deep clean

If there are smudges on the sliding door, dirty footprints in the kitchen or... "matter" left in toilets, they may show up in photos and videos. Our media guy will do his best to edit them out, but sometimes it's inevitable. If you're not in a position to clean much yourself, we can help you find a company to do so. 

One more thing as a note from a photographer: make sure the tops of fans are dusted off. These are impossible to photoshop and are clearly visible if you don't clean them. 

Go somewhere during the shoot

During the pandemic, there weren't many places to go that were open, but now that limitation is gone. 

Having owners in the home means having them shuffled from floor to floor several times while rooms are shot. And the process gets slowed down as it often involves conversations between the photographer and the homeowner that do nothing to make your property look its best on video or photo. Our photo/video/media guy has shot hundreds of homes, so letting him do his job uninterrupted means the job is done faster and more efficiently. 

Avoid Hovering 

If you need to be at home, make sure to avoid hovering. Hovering could mean following the camera person throughout the house. Or it could mean giving tidbits of info on the home that slow them down out of courtesy. 

It could also mean accidentally showing up in the background videos or photos, which means having to take time to reshoot, or edit you out. Your presence can also impact the photographer's deep focus and creativity during a shoot, so just be mindful of where you are and "give them the floor". 

Bonus:

• Turn on all the lights
• Wait until the shoot is 100% complete to turn off any lights 
• Don't book painting, cleaning, drywalling, or moving things around for shoot day, as the photographer will be forced to wait idly 
• Stage your home if your home if it needs it (e.g. if its barren)