Preparing Your Homes For Photography And Video

Unfortunately this happens more often than not, and usually it’s because the listing agent has failed to refer a home stager or provide a list of work items for the homeowner to accomplish before the photography/videography session.

Our team is not there to:

• Move or re-arrange furniture
• Make beds, clean, dust or de-clutter
• Pick up toys or yard items
• Touch personal bathroom supplies (shampoo, toothbrushes, deodorant, towels)

The best way to avoid these scenarios is to visually inspect the property BEFORE your photography or videography appointment.

Commonly people might ask us to “photoshop” away unsightly items like vehicles, oil stains, damaged walls, power lines etc. however this service is NOT included in our regular fees. We do not use Adobe Photoshop to edit our real estate images. Our editing software is designed to be quick and efficient and helps us manage the hundreds of images we need to deliver each day. As such bringing ANY individual image into Photoshop will incur an additional charge. 

This is also not suggested practice according to RECO. Remember there are “rules” regarding advertising and marketing best practices in accordance with RECO. Misleading and/or false information is strictly prohibited (included modifying images). Failure to comply with the guidelines means registrants can be brought before a RECO disciplinary panel for breaking the Code of Ethics; they can be brought to court for breaching the Real Estate and Business Brokers Act 2002 (REBBA); or RECO can revoke or refuse to renew their registration. In other words, if those power lines are actually there, is it worth trying to have them removed to make an image “look better”?

In order to avoid any such issues we recommend that you always make sure any unsightly items are dealt with before the photographer’s arrival. The best policy to ensure a house looks its best is to assume that unwanted items will not be able to be edited out.

Our regular pricing includes up to a maximum of one hour on site. This typically allows the team to accomplish everything they need to in 90% of all homes (providing the home is properly prepared as per the guidelines on this page). Unless it’s a $1,000,000 plus listing, our team has been trained to create quality media within these time lines.

If your listing is larger than 3000 sq/ft or worth more than $1,000,000 or you for some reason believe we will need longer on site, please book extra time using the booking form found on this website. Due to the busy nature of the industry we may not be able to accommodate additional time unless it was booked and scheduled prior to the session date.

This also means that punctuality is incredibly important. If for some reason something comes up and you are not able to make the appointment on time, please let us know as soon as possible!

While the tips and advice below can definitely get your and your clients on the right track, please note that ultimately there is no substitute for professional home staging. There are a number of reasons that leading real estate agents use professional home staging as a key component of their home marketing program.

1) Home staging is proven to sell homes faster and at a premium price

The days of basic template feature sheets and agent-taken photos being used for the MLS listing are long gone, and replaced with professional home staging, professional photography, motion video, and a variety of on-line promotional methods, including a heavy emphasis on social media channels such as FaceBook, Twitter and YouTube.

Numerous realtors provide a staging consultation as part of their listing package.

4) Stagers are adept at helping sellers deal with sensitive issues that can be an obstacle to a successful sale

Generally speaking, realtors do not want to start off a relationship with a new client by reciting a laundry list of what needs to be done by the client to improve the home’s presentation and ready the property for the first open house.

Agents would prefer to help their clients by bringing in a professional stager to advise on what edits should be done to prepare the property, and when appropriate, stage the property, whether this be blending the clients existing furnishings with the stager’s inventory, or placing rental furnishings (as is typically the case for vacant properties).

Stagers are adept at very tactfully helping sellers understand what modifications need to be made, why they are required, and the benefits they will deliver. This helps both the seller and the agent achieve a win-win outcome.

5) Home stagers allows the agent to focus on selling the property

When agents can focus on developing and executing their property marketing plan and finding buyers for their listings, instead of worrying about the condition of the seller’s home, they can put all their efforts into doing the job they excel at, and deliver superior results for their client.

As a general rule of thumb, here are some common items to add to the pre-listing checklist:

The exterior of the home is typically the first thing a potential buyer will see, whether online or in person. A good first impression is the key to creating interest.