Tips and Benefits of Enhancing Exterior Real Estate Photos

Photography and photo editing go hand in hand. It is not uncommon to acknowledge that visually captivating photos are not generated by the camera alone. A great deal of post-processing is involved in creating impressive photos. Be it eCommerce, fashion, or real estate, the role of image post-processing is highly significant in transforming ordinary photos into visual masterpieces.

So, when we talk about the real estate market, photography plays a crucial role in convincing potential home buyers to seal the deal. This informative article will discuss the best ways to enhance outdoor real estate photos for property listing sites. From color adjustments to eliminating distractions, we will discuss everything that helps property photos stand out.

So buckle up and delve deep into this insightful journey to elevate the overall visual appeal and quality of exterior property images!

The importance of high-quality photos in real estate listings

Before we get into the real estate exterior photography editing tips, let us first evaluate the significance of high-quality photos in real estate listings and sales. Well, we live in a fast-paced world that’s mostly drawn to compelling visuals. Real estate is one such niche where the competition to stand out is severely fierce. In such cases, the visual representation of a property plays a crucial role in educating the buyers, educating them about the amenities, as well as generating interest.

Check out a few more reasons why realtors prefer using high-quality property photos for listings.

• Capture attention

  It goes without saying that potential home buyers or investors browse through several listing sites online before making their final call. It is unlikely that they will consider a listing with blurry photos or one that doesn’t represent the property well enough. On the contrary, a listing that has well-edited and high-quality images showcasing the property from all angles will immediately capture the buyers’ attention. Furthermore, they will be compelled to explore further and thus land up on the main real estate company website as hot leads.

• Create positive first impression

  As the saying goes, “first impression is the last impression”, it is absolutely important to create a highly positive initial impression on prospective customers. Right in the awareness stage of the sales funnel, if you impress them with compelling photos of the property, the tone is set on a positive note for both parties. This also positively affects the buyers’ overall perception of the property.

• Highlight the USPs

  The most vital function that crisp, high-definition photos serve for a realtor is that they highlight the unique features of the property. These unique selling points are the main game-changers that hold the gaze of the prospect and create an increased interest in their minds. The photos can show fine exteriors, spacious interiors with outdoor spaces, modern amenities, or other stunning views. As a result, the buyers get emotionally connected with the space, visualizing themselves living there.

• Build trust and credibility

  Professionally-edited photos build the trust and credibility of the realtor or the real estate company to a great extent. When potential buyers see clear images capturing all the details of the plot, they get a sense of assurance and confidence. This encourages them to proceed further rather than moving on to another listing. Outdoor property photos are integral to this since most buyers prefer the exterior to look picture-perfect. So, it is always recommended to hire professional photo editors who edit exterior real estate photos using cutting-edge technologies and tools.

• Streamline the buying process

  Property photos also provide a virtual tour to interested buyers, allowing them to check the key highlights. They can evaluate whether the property meets their criteria and preferences. This makes them mentally prepared during the physical visit or open house. As well as, this streamlines the job of the dealer too, as they can narrow down the conversation based on the photos, saving time for the parties.

• Boost online presence

  In today’s digital times, the best way to reach the masses and promote something is to take the visual way. Moreover, as far as the real estate industry is concerned, online visibility is the key to smelling success and cracking high-value deals. The best way to achieve this is to share compelling social media graphics that can increase customer engagement and create buzz.

  So, you see, high-quality, professional photographs are not just a luxury for the real estate market. They are more than that. From creating a positive impression, highlighting USPs, justifying prices, and boosting social presence, the impact of compelling real estate photos is undeniable.

Best ways of editing exterior real estate images to attract potential buyers

Hope by now you have got an idea of how high-quality, professionally-edited photos benefit real estate listings. Now, let’s focus on the outdoor photos of a property and how to edit high-end exterior real estate photos for maximum attraction.

As we know, the exterior of any building or construction is the first thing that comes to an onlooker’s notice. That said, photos of outdoor spaces and landscapes play a great role in appealing to potential buyers. But how do you ensure the exterior shots are “picture-perfect”? By editing them optimally and implementing the best photo editing techniques.

Check out the best techniques to take outdoor real estate photos to the next level!

1. Exposure balancing

   A professional photo editor must ensure balanced exposure throughout an image, especially if it is an exterior shot. Photographs taken outside usually tend to get over-exposed due to excessive sunlight or under-exposed owing to the shadows. So, the best way of bringing out the minute details is to adjust the contrast, exposure, white balance, and highlights.

2. Adding color vibrancy

   Producing top-quality property exterior images also heavily depends on how well-balanced your color schemes are. Often, the pictures taken with DSLRs fail to generate the desired color vibrancy. Mainly, the foliage, greenery, sky, building colors, etc., these exterior elements need to pop out as vibrantly as possible while retaining their naturalness. But when the photos don’t turn out as expected, expert real estate photo editors utilize their expertise and cutting-edge tools for color correction.

3. Sky replacement and blending

   This is a crucial element in retouching outdoor photos for a real estate property. Most of the time, the original sky in the photos appears too dull and grey or overcast with clouds. Modern photo retouching tools have advanced sky replacement features that replace the gloomy sky with a bright, sunny, or clear blue sky. This dramatically improves the mood and overall visual appeal of the image. However, one must be aware that the blending should appear seamless. The blend between the new sky backdrop and the rest of the photo must appear flawlessly natural. Pro tip: check the reflections on windows or any glassy material, as well as the shadows.

4. Elimination of distraction

   Redundant object removal is a great way to enhance outdoor real estate images efficiently. Most of the time, in outdoor snapshots, unwanted objects come within the frame that are realized later. Such as people, dead plants, tree branches, street light poles, litter, and so on. To bring out the optimum value of your property, ensure no such obstructions to the view are present in the photo. Professional property photo retouchers leverage high-end image retouching tools to remove all such distracting elements from the photo, making it look professional.

5. Lawn replacement

   Another integral element of outdoor real estate photo editing is adding greenery to the lawn or garden (if any). Who doesn’t love a lush green garden with a pristine look; it makes them visualize themselves in the garden, spending quality time with their family. However, maintaining an actual lawn is not only expensive but also time-consuming. Furthermore, one cannot control the seasonal changes, unwanted weeds, etc. To fix this issue and make the exterior landscape look like springtime all year long, real estate photo editing specialists implement the digital lawn replacement technique. They add bright green grass digitally to the otherwise seemingly drab lawn. Adjusting the brightness, color, hue, and contrast makes the property appear more inviting.

6. HDR editing

   HDR photography for real estate is a highly common photoshoot technique to showcase the property in its highest dynamic ranges. However, often these photos must be edited further to create the desired impact. Manual blending in exterior real estate photo editing for high quality results is an advanced method of merging bracketed exposures. This creates an HDR image that captures a wider light and detail range. As a result, the images appear visually stunning, with enhanced depth and clarity. Just make sure the images are not over-processed, as that can hamper the natural and realistic appearance of the photo.

7. Perspective correction

   Perspective distortion happens with a tilted camera, and its correction is done to align the mispositioned vertical and horizontal lines. Property listings having images with distorted perspectives not only look unprofessional but also misrepresent the spatial dynamics. So, utilize adequate perspective correction tools to software and correct the converging vertical and horizontal lines.

8. Addition of objects

   Just as removal of unnecessary elements from the frame is required, likewise, adding certain relevant objects is needed to make an exterior shot of a property look believable. Objects such as garden umbrellas and chairs, artistic sculptures, decorative plants and creepers, etc., add value to the property. However, object addition must only be done by experienced photo post-processing specialists.

9. Editing day to dusk

   Also called “twilight editing”, this technique adds a twilight glow to a real estate image virtually. Usually twilight photography is done for real estate to showcase the property in the dusk time while the sun is setting. Adding this effect or feature to an exterior photograph digitally creates a stunning image that is ideal for capturing a buyer’s attention. This editing of a day-to-dusk image replicates the “golden hour” at sunset and adds a warm, romantic glow to a property image, especially an outdoor one. Usually, if this is tried in real life, chances are high that the opportunity will pass quickly before the photographer has taken the best shot. Fret not. There are several state-of-the-art photo post-production tools that can be utilized to add the twilight effect digitally.

There you go! A complete checklist of the best possible ways to enhance outdoor real estate photo editing workflow, especially if you are a beginner. By implementing these techniques, you can preserve the natural look of the outdoor scenes, as well as augment the aesthetics of the property as a whole. Remember these real estate exterior photo editing tips and start bringing in more clients and referrals.

Benefits of hiring a professional company for editing exterior property images

As explained above, top-grade quality exterior property photographs are vital to increasing the stature of the listing and also to attracting buyers. Now, let’s understand the benefits of hiring a professional real estate photo editing company and how it can transform ordinary photos into visual masterpieces.

• Highest-quality photo editing

  Professional real estate photo editing companies are backed by seasoned experts skilled in the latest editing techniques and best practices. They know their job and are thorough in industry standards, ensuring each image brings the best out of the property and increases its marketability. Professional retouching of property pictures leads to faster sales or rentals and allows the broker to bid a higher selling price.

• A diverse pool of experts

  This is the best part of collaborating with a professional photo post-production agency. Real estate companies can get a diverse talent pool with niche-specific expertise working dedicatedly for their projects. Their years of hands-on experience enable them to execute tailored editing for property images.

  These companies also have seasoned real estate photographers thoroughly fluent with the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) guidelines that can increase the appeal of your property. So, from expert photo retouchers to photographers, you get everything under one roof. When a real estate firm hires such external agencies, they can harness the collective experience of the latter’s skilled workforce.

• Consistent across all listings

  This is another significant benefit of working with a professional external photo editing team. Professional photo retouching reinforces brand recognition and value across all property listings for a real estate company. This visual consistency is the key to fostering a sense of reliability and professionalism among the target audience.

• Access to cutting-edge technologies

  Needless to say, professional image post-processing firms have unlimited access to the latest software and tools. They are always equipped with the latest technologies, have full-on licenses for modern photo editing tools, and are fluent in using them. Thus, when hiring such companies, one doesn’t have to worry about the expensive license fees.

• Saves time and effort

  Outsourcing your photo editing requirements to a professional company saves you more time and effort than editing them manually. Whether you are a full-time property photographer or you own a real estate company, editing the images individually can drain your productivity and take most of your time. On the other hand, if you have a professional image editing team managing everything end-to-end, you can focus on the more critical business development areas.

• Cost-effective

  Hiring professional property photo editors is much more cost-effective than maintaining a dedicated internal team. External agencies have unbelievably reasonable pricing with flexible payment terms. Furthermore, as discussed above, they have fully paid subscriptions and licenses for costly tools, implying companies do not need to pay for these licenses. No payroll headaches or other monetary liabilities are involved. Hence, in the long run, it proves to be a much more cost-effective option.

• Advanced editing workflow

  Professional image retouchers utilize modern and advanced property images editing techniques to enhance property photos that go beyond basic adjustments. From HDR blending and seamless sky replacements, to virtual staging and architectural visualizations, a professional agency has a wide range of service offerings to make your property photos stand out.

• Highly scalable

  Experienced companies are best known for their flexibility and scalability. They can increase or decrease their workforce based on each project requirement. Whether you require large-scale bulk image editing, a project with a smaller scope, or urgent ad-hoc requirements, professional teams can upsize or downsize their team strength accordingly.

So you see, availing of real estate photo editing services from a professional company drives a lot more benefits than we can think of. Right from cost and time savings, scalability, and consistency, to quality editing, industry best practices, and enhanced marketability, an external team offers all these and more. Furthermore, these professional companies also provide high-end services like virtual staging, MLS (Multiple Listing Service) photo editing, drone photograph editing, and more.

Conclusion

To conclude, enhancing exterior property photos creates a long-lasting impact on potential buyers, presenting the property in the best possible light. As the real estate market becomes all the more fierce, the goal of photo editing and retouching is no longer simply making adjustments to a photo. It is rather about creating an emotional connection with potential investors and home buyers.

The real estate photo editing tips for enhancing outdoor shots discussed above can be a good start for beginners and intermediates in the photo retouching domain. Especially when it comes to real estate photography, one cannot go wrong.

Realtors must invest in professional photo post-processing process for meticulously edited visuals that are consistent across all property listings. Only then can they attract more leads and stand out in the crowd. So, follow the tips above and enhance outdoor real estate photos for better marketability. Find a luxury real estate photo editor near you who can enhance the curb appeal of your property.