When professional real estate photography is worthwhile

When professional real estate photography is worthwhile

Whether a professional real estate photo is worthwhile depends on the purpose of the image. A winding property requires a different series of photos than an apartment with an easy-to-understand floor plan. Before placing an order, you can use the existing images to check which spatial questions are still open.

Determine the need for new images

A photo session is particularly worthwhile if a specific spatial problem has not been solved. Two separate garden areas or a rear extension provide a clearer reason for this than the mere desire for more pictures.

Before booking a photo session, it is worth taking a look at the existing stock of images. If the existing photos show the front three times and the rear area not at all, the need is quite specific. The task is then, for example, to explain the location of a second residential unit in relation to the shared garden. A photographer can respond to this with an appropriate perspective. During acceptance, the same question can be revisited and determined whether the image actually conveys the desired information.

What should be clear before placing an order

For a simple, free-standing building, an existing exterior photo can clearly show the access route. But if the same question about access to the apartment comes up again and again, a specific photographic task arises. A new series can focus on the path from the street to the second entrance. The decision about effort and number of images can then be based on actual needs, which can later be checked based on the finished images.

To prepare, it helps to look at the weakest image available. Is it just missing a better section or is the line of sight missing overall? In the first case, the existing original file may be sufficient. In the second, the scene must be photographed again. The fact that the solution requires an aerial photograph depends on the property. In the case of a rear part of the building, a higher location can show the connection, while in the case of a narrow front door a view from the ground may remain more understandable.

Set a view before the photo shoot

A short briefing can capture in just a few sentences what the finished photo should show. The address, the desired viewing side and the future intended use are useful. If you include a reference image with a clear marking, it will be easier to agree on the main motif. A second desired view is worthwhile if it answers a different spatial question. Before taking the picture, you can also clarify which parts of the environment are important for understanding and how much of them should be visible in the image.

Show the house and property together

In a property, the advantage of the elevated position is often in the second row. An extension can disappear behind the front house, a garden can start behind a garage. From an elevated position, these parts can be related to one another. The meaningful photo therefore does not automatically show the largest area. What is often more interesting is a section in which the transition between two parts of the property becomes clear and the viewer can understand the location of the buildings themselves.

Tailor the assignment to a testable question

Three pieces of information are often enough for a conversation with the aerial photographer. Which component or area is meant, who should understand it and in which medium does the image appear? This can be used to develop a small series with an overview and a few additional perspectives. After the recording, she can be tested with someone who has never visited the property. If the person can explain the access they are looking for, the material fulfills its purpose.

The article Aerial photos for real estate agents offers another perspective. An exposé must answer several spatial questions. In the gallery Inspections with aerial photography: This is how you can quickly identify errors there is a different focus. If a roof tile is missing in a hard-to-reach place, a picture of the entire building is just the start.