Introduction- It’s All About Technology
Real estate photo editing has been steadfastly taking momentum in the real estate industry for a while now. If we’re to believe The Wall Street Journal, house hunters spend 60% of their time scrolling through property photos on listing sites, and only 40% of their time on the house and agent descriptions. The reason is fairly simple- pictures speak louder. That’s where editing comes in handy.
Real estate image editing enhances the look and feel of the property. With features such as background blur, twilight conversions, and green grass replacements, image editing gives them a much-needed boost and captures the best features of a house. Photo editing is meant to increase the appeal and value of a property.
Why professional photo editing is the call of the times to sell a property?
Homebuyers are scouring the internet for listings now more than ever. Property listing sites provide home buyers with more and more insight into a home before they connect with the seller or the real estate agent.
Home listings with high-quality and professional images, i.e., sourced and edited by an expert, get 118% more online views. Not just that, they even sell out 32% quicker than normal. Smart, well-done property photographs are hence necessary to arouse a potential client’s interest.
Pictures pique a buyer’s interest more than numbers. Editing removes all the imperfections and adds quality to the images. Professional photo editing enhances the selling points of the property. Post-processing property images are also used to add objects that complement the space, without actually going through the effort of renting out furniture or home appliances.
What are the latest real estate photo editing industry trends in 2022
With the real estate industry taking leaps and bounds of advancements, a realtor must keep pace with the trending trade secrets. Here we highlight the real estate photo editing trends:
1. Aerial shots
Drone shots have gained a lot of popularity as they help potential buyers get a layout of the landscape. Aerial photography needs a good camera and a drone with excellent navigation skills. Pictures are taken from every angle of the house, and topography of sorts is edited out of the photos.
While traditional photos work pretty well, people are finding that a bird’s eye view captures the entirety of the neighborhood. It also allows the sellers to appraise the clients of upcoming construction projects, inform them of nearby attractions, and assure the customers of the quality of their roofs! Quality images of the area, enhanced to focus on the best features in and around the house, are sure to appease buyers.
2. Mobile-friendly photos
Smartphones, new-age apps, and mobile-friendly real estate websites have made it possible for everyone to browse through property listings on the go. Things become a lot more customer-friendly once the images are edited to fit the mobile phone requirements.
Every application and mobile-view websites has a set of specific prerequisites to include images. Original and unedited images can be jarring for a consumer and may potentially make them look elsewhere. Editing and retouching real estate photos to make them smartphone-compatible is a great strategy to stand out in the competition.
3. Social media
A NAR study postulated that 97% of realtors use Facebook to interact with prospective clients. LinkedIn stands at 59%. The others use Instagram and Twitter to have real-time conversations with the clients. With the whole industry leveraging social media platforms, getting images edited to fit various social media resolutions is an absolute necessity.
Alike smartphone apps and websites, social media platforms too require a specific dimensional preset. Taking the help of professional photo editors will give you the much-needed edge to stand out in the social media rankings. Besides, photo prerequisites and hence editing trends change with every platform.
4. Virtual staging
Virtual staging acts like a regular open house staging where the buyers can visualize their new homes. This makes it easy for them to pick and choose the house they can conceivably see themselves living in forever. It entails editing the photos to include various homely structures, like lighting and furniture. The real estate listing sites should ensure to pick professional image editing experts capable of using graphics to put your house’s best foot forward, lest the resultant image represent the exact opposite.
5. 3D virtual tours
Like drone shots, 3D tours are all the rage nowadays. In the wake of the pandemic, 3D tours enable buyers to walk through the house. Home hunters can view every single nook and cranny of their potential homes, mirroring an actual house visit. A lot of these tours feature a narration, and people love a good storytelling experience. Using technology and multi-dimensional photos, a professional can make your house look like a dream home. Listings with virtual tours more often than not sell at a higher price. Need we say more?
6. Twilight conversions
The first thing any realtor does while listing the house is to describe the interiors of the space. However, an exterior view of the house is as crucial as the interior. A property that looks good on the outside is bound to attract more views. And that is where twilight photography walks into the picture.
Twilight photography or golden hour photography has become a trend since the dawn of photo-sharing apps. The setting sun is used to amplify the beauty of a house. In the golden hue of the golden hour, everything looks alluring, enticing future clients. Since twilight photography is not often feasible, editing regular images to look tasteful is the norm. Apart from highlighting the exteriors of the house, the images also help your listing rake up the social media rankings.
7. Home enhancements
Every house has some other inherent flaw. The rise of online buying and selling has made it possible for everyone to highlight the goods of the house and dim the bad aspects. Real estate image editing makes your house photos look flawless. Golden hour conversions and virtual staging aside, a lot more can be done to make your home look inviting and pleasant.
If you’ve taken pictures during a rainy day, a blue sky is added to give it a brighter look. For the untamed and dying backyard, green grass replacements are available. Not just that, unwanted objects in and around your house are digitally removed to make the surroundings look cleaner. Enhancing the quality of the photos to make the houses look grander is also a trick many realtors use.
Conclusion – Real estate photo editing to the rescue
In a world where people look to the internet for the smallest of their needs, real estate cannot be left behind. More and more millennials are scrolling through their smartphones to find the home of their dreams. In this world full of technological advancements, real estate image editing is gaining momentum like never before. With features such as golden hour conversions, blue sky replacements, aerial shots, and 3D tours, editing real estate photos is a sure shot way to ace up the house listings.
If stats are to be believed, edited property photographs rake 47% more money and at least 2x more commission. Why stay behind? Partner with a good real estate photo company to thrive in the future.
