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What Photos Should I Use? How Important are Photos?

Rules on what photos you can use on your MLS listing and advice on how to take great photos.

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Written by James Calhoun
Updated over a month ago

Photo quality is the single most important thing after price that determines how many buyers will be interested in your home.

HomeRise offers professional photography with our Advanced service package.

You may not use any photos from previous listings taken by another agent or that have been used in another listing, even if you paid for those photos, unless you have written authorization by that agent to use those photos in a new listing.  We will be asked to take these down by the MLS and may be fined.  If we find that the photos are from a previous agent listing we will take the listing down until the photos are replaced.

Tips for great photos:

  • Make sure the house is very clean and the TV is off

  • Use natural light

  • Brighten the interior with light and flowers (move lights from room to room as you take pictures if you need more light in the room)

  • Shoot into a corner or shoot from a low angle from a corner with a wide angle lens

  • Make sure to show a blue sky in outdoor photos (avoid rainy days)

Things to avoid:

  • Don't use low quality photos or videos

  • Don't shoot into flat walls

  • Don't make your home look like something it is not

  • Don’t use winter pictures if you are selling your home in the summer

  • Don't show the inside of a closet unless it is the most stunning closet you've ever seen

  • Keep pets, kids, yourself and the flash (reflected in mirrors) out of the photos as this will result in the photo being rejected by the MLS

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