We insist on professional HDR photography in order to present your home to the market with the best quality photos. Home listings with professional photography historically sell faster and for more money than listings without professional photos. The cost of this photography is included with our services.
If your home is being professionally staged, we will usually schedule the photography appointment after staging is completed but before your property is switched to active on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). The photography typically takes about 30 minutes. We will receive the digital images about 24 hours after your photography appointment. We will forward them to you for review and upload them immediately to the MLS.
(Click here to download the Home Selling Guide)
Which rooms are photographed?
- Front and rear exterior facades
- Patio, decks, balconies, yards
- All interior common areas
- Finished basement
- Master bedroom and bathroom
- Other bedrooms and bathrooms
- Finished laundry room
Related Reading: Steps to Sell Your Home
Which rooms are not photographed?
- Walk-in closets
- Storage areas
- Garage interiors
- Unfinished basement
- Utility rooms
- Poorly finished laundry rooms
Related Reading: Home Staging Tips for a Quick Sale
How do I prepare for the real estate photographer?
There are some easy ways you can prepare your home to photograph perfectly. You won’t always have to have keep your home like this, but you should go this extra mile for the photography appointment.
Start preparing the evening before and then put on the finishing touches the day of the appointment. Many times, sellers are not in the home for the photography appointment, but someone from our team will be with the photographer. We will follow any suggestions the photographer might have to show off your home even more:
LIGHTING
- Turn on all interior and exterior lights. This includes floor lamps, table lamps, under-cabinet lighting, stove-top lighting, bedside lamps, ceiling fan lights, and other secondary light sources.
- Ensure that all light bulbs work.
- Replace bulbs as needed.
KITCHEN
- Clear off counters except for a few decorative items (this includes removing dish soap, paper towels, phones, cleaning supplies, etc.).
- Put away all dishes.
- Remove magnets, photos, kids’ artwork etc. from the refrigerator.
BATHROOMS
- Close all toilet lids.
- Clear countertops of non-decorative items.
- Remove toiletries from bath/shower area (curtains/door are often opened to show off tiling/fixtures).
WINDOW TREATMENTS
- Open curtains/blinds all the way in every room. Blinds should be twisted open, not pulled up.
PETS
- Keep pets out of the way during the shoot (in the backyard, garage or unfinished basement, for example).
- Put away pet supplies, including food/water bowls, crates, toys, etc.
HOLIDAY DECOR
- Remove all holiday decor (examples include pumpkins, Christmas trees, menorahs, Christmas lights, wreaths from the front door, etc.).
VEHICLES
- Ensure that no vehicles are in the driveway or on the street in front of the home.
- Close garage doors.
NEIGHBORS
- Let the next-door neighbors on both sides know about the scheduled shoot so that they can ensure their yards are clean, cars are out of the driveway, and garage doors are closed.
FRONT AND BACKYARDS
- Take down flags.
- Put hoses and other equipment away.
- Organize patio/deck.
- Pick up pet waste, put away garbage bins, and generally clean up yard.
- Make sure your lawn is freshly cut and landscaping is in good shape.
YARD SIGNS
- Please remove any for sale signs. The MLS does not permit these signs to appear in exterior pictures.
OTHER
- Turn ceiling fans off.
- Put all personal items away.
- Generally make the house as clean as possible (remove streaks from mirrors, sweep/mop floors, etc.).
- Turn on the fireplace.
- Make the beds.
When is the best time to activate your listing?
We prefer to activate listings on Thursday. This ensures that your listing is emailed to potential buyers who are a match for your home first thing on Friday morning. Potential buyers will review the newly listed homes and notify their agents if they want a showing of your home. By Saturday, most buyers who might be interested have seen your home online and showings should be in full swing.
Remember, our real estate team is here for every step of your home selling process. Call 719-321-0800 or email susanna@co-regroup.com. Note: We are based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. If you are planning to sell your house in a different area, we can match you with an excellent local agent.
