How to Take High-Quality Real Estate Photos with Your Phone

Not every listing can justify a professional photography package, but that doesn't mean you have to market your property and your brand with poor-quality phots. Your smartphone can be utilized to provide quick and easy high-quality photos with the help of a few basic tips below:

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• Stage responsibly. Make sure any toys, photos, and clutter is out of sight. Use the existing furniture and decor to create a more appealing environment. If the property is currently vacant, then make sure to keep any construction materials (paint cans, extra flooring, etc.) and clutter out of the photos.

• Find the light! Natural light is always best because you can always edit the photos afterward to create a lighter feel. Overhead light can come across too strong, so take photos with lights turned on and turned off. Remember that the best hours for natural lighting are right after sunrise and just before sunset. Another good rule of thumb is to take photos with the natural light source behind you to avoid too much glare.

• Stay away from vertical photos! This is a dead giveaway for poor-quality photos... So do whatever you can to stay away from it! Always tilt your phone to the side to take horizontal, or landscape, or photos.

• Don't forget to take photos of the whole property. Always try to take photos from every angle of the living spaces, and at least 2 angles in the bedrooms. MLS requires a center front shot of the house exterior (with no 'for sale' sign in the front yard!), plus you should have one from the left and right front sides of the yard. In the back, you want a shot of the exterior rear end and at least a couple shots of the yard. Don't worry about taking too many photos; it's always better to have plenty to choose from instead of not enough.

• Edit within reason! Our smartphones can do wonders with photo editing. They can brighten the spaces and crop or level crooked photos. Feel free to utilize these features but don't go so overboard that your photo doesn't look like the real thing any more. Also remember that you can always send your unedited phots to us at marketing@ure-partners.com to clean them up!