Improving estate agent photography

Few business sectors have been more affected by the advent of the internet than property. Gone are the days of walking into every local estate agent and registering your details; now, the vast majority of applicants click onto the portals, input in their search criteria and within seconds they are virtually viewing a list of properties in their area and price range.

Having completed their internet search, the next thing your potential buyer views is a photo. A good photo has the applicant calling the estate agent, a miserable set of photos and whoosh! – that potential purchaser (and maybe your next vendor) has already moved on to the next property.

So although photography is a relatively small part of the property industry, it plays an absolutely vital role in bringing the buyer and seller together. Not to mention the obvious advantages that your good photography brings when a property is listed with multiple agencies.

Good property photos will not just attract more potential purchasers but also help achieve quicker sales and, quite probably, higher prices too.

TIP: check your camera’s white balance setting, if in doubt set it to AWB (auto white balance). There is nothing more unattractive than a yellow photo!

I believe that, whatever the price is set at for a property, vendors deserve to see their property presented in the best possible light. Estate agents should not just be showing a property, they should be showing it off!

TAKING THE HIGH GROUND

Most good professional photographers will also offer ‘elevated photography.’ This is where the camera is placed on an extendable pole and the photo is taken from height 20-40 feet. This method is particularly good for showing outbuildings, such as stables, or shooting over high walls. Elevated photos can also help the property stand out from the crowd and get noticed among the hundreds of other photos on the property portals.

TIP: If you do not want to invest in a elevated pole, extend your tripod to it’s maximum length, put the camera on a 10 second timer and then hold the tripod above your head to gain some extra elevation (great for busy streets when you need to shoot over a car/van). The photo above, of the house in its corner plot, for sale with Tatlers, was taken in this way.

BAD, GOOD AND TRULY GREAT

We have established the importance of the property photo, but how can you tell a bad photo from a good one and a good one from a great one?

A professional property photographer will use a quality DSLR camera, not a standard point and shoot camera, or worse still a mobile phone! They will also undertake a degree of post-production using software like Photoshop, to maximise the quality of the photos.

A good quality property photo should be:

• Sharp and in focus

• Taken with straight walls, not at angles

• Clear, without burnt out windows, which cause a distraction

• Correctly exposed

• Light and bright

• Correctly colour balanced

• Well composed– look around before you shoot!

TIP: Wherever possible remove, or at least open, net curtains, especially if the sun is out! They become one big ‘softbox’ and look terrible!

THE WIDE APPROACH

The POOR photo, above, was taken with a point and shoot camera. The GREAT photo, yes, of the same kitchen, was taken by a member of the Property Photography Academy, using a DSLR camera with a wide-angle lens, it is a good example of what a professional property photo should look like. Which agent would you instruct?

THE GOOD NEWS

The good news is that digital cameras have made huge advances, for instance Canon’s flagship camera is a 1DX (£5000), a five year old model has 10 mega pixels, the same as a new entry level Canon 1100D(£220)! Not only have cameras got better they have got cheaper too! The Property Photography Academy recommends the following gear to get you started:

CANON 600D DSLR (camera must have AEB – automatic exposure bracketing) – £300
Tripod: nothing fancy is needed – £20
Hot shoe spirit level – £15
Wide Angle Lens: Sigma 10-20mm f4-5.6 EX DC HSM Lens – £324
Memory Card – £10
Camera Bag – £20
Total – £689

SPECIAL OFFER!

If you would like to learn how to take property photographs that really stand out, join one of our courses! Every booking taken in April with the reference: PROPERTYDRUM APRIL will be entered into a draw and the winner will have their course fee refunded!

For further advice or information on courses at Property Photography Academy please contact Stuart Willis: 01763 272767.
W: propertyphotographyacademy.co.uk