How to Take Real Estate Photos That Help Your Home Sell

To grab buyers’ interest in today’s real estate market, high-quality listing photos are a critical, seller-centric tool—not just a marketing nice-to-have. For example, listings with HDR photos sell about 50% faster and increase online views by 118%.[1]

So should sellers invest in a pro or go DIY with their real estate photography?

Every seller will need to weigh the pros and cons of each approach. To help, we’ll provide clear guidance on costs, logistics, and photography tips so you can make the decision that best fits you and helps you get the most from your home.

Whether you hire a professional real estate photographer or DIY, you’ll want to make sure your listing photos are high-quality, appealing, and highlight your home’s best interior and exterior features.

Why listing photos matter for sellers

As a seller, you need to capture potential buyers’ interest quickly. Investing in your home’s “screen appeal” can help your listing stand out online. These images are often the first impression a potential buyer has of your home. And the photos can determine whether the buyer clicks to explore your listing or moves on to the next one.

For many homes, the listing photos can make or break buyer interest, especially with all home buyers using the internet when looking for a home, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR).[2] In fact, 83–85% of buyers say photos are key in choosing which homes to visit.

High-quality photos and media may also lead to higher sale prices. A 2025 Zillow/Harris Poll found buyers pay 2% more for homes using high-resolution images and 3D home tours.[3]

For Sale by Owner (FSBO) sellers also must compete visually or risk losing out on potential buyers, especially if using online websites like Zillow. For instance, FSBO listing photos need to be high quality and high-resolution to capture buyers’ interest. Otherwise, buyers will likely scroll past — focusing on listings with better images.

Professional vs. DIY: Who pays and who benefits?

When deciding whether to hire a professional real estate photographer or DIY your listing photos, you may want to consider the costs and benefits of these options.

Who usually pays?

Sellers using a realtor can typically expect their agent to pay for their home’s listing photos. Agents include photography in their marketing budget. While many agents have a professional photography partner that they use regularly, make sure you ask who is taking the photos — a hired professional or the agent — to ensure you’re getting high quality photos.

FSBO sellers will have to pay for their own professional real estate photography. FSBO sellers who plan to DIY their listing photos will need to consider the costs of purchasing gear or renting equipment.

Cost ranges & pricing

Professional real estate photography sessions typically cost $150 to $500 depending on the size of your home, number of photos, and where you live.

Adding additional imagery like drone photography or a virtual tour can add $100 to $300 to that total.

If you’re looking for a professional real estate photographer, consider comparing photo packages and prices among different professionals in your area. Read online reviews to gauge the quality of their work, and talk with them first to make sure you’ll like working with them.

Seller benefit

Taking time to ensure your listing has high-quality photographs that showcase your home’s best features can potentially help you sell faster and sell at a higher price — giving you a higher return on your investment.

For instance, a Chicago-area study found professional photos reduced listings time on the market by about 32% (from 123 to 90 days).[4]

High-quality images can also help your listing stand out on real estate websites, giving you a chance of being displayed more prominently. As a result, this can help your home be seen by more potential buyers.

Deciding whether to hire a pro

While most sellers know photos that capture your home’s appeal make a difference, the decision on whether to DIY or hire a professional can be murky.

Brandon Hays, principal broker of Stellar Realty Northwest and Clever Partner Agent, says real estate photography is needed for a quick and profitable sale.

"If I had to choose a few things that I can point to that are responsible for a quick and profitable sale," Hays says, "I would start with the French term mise en place, meaning everything in its place. Schedule the photos and pay for a good professional photographer. I promise it's worth it!"

To decide, you’ll want to consider factors like:

• Market expectations 
• Competition
• Budget
• Experience taking high-quality photos (interior and exterior) 
• Access to quality gear
• Time 

While taking your own photos can seem like a more budget-friendly option, the cost in time and equipment rentals (if needed) can add up. You may find yourself re-taking photos and still not getting the right angle, lighting, and results that attract buyers’ attention.

A professional photographer knows how to line up shots to show off your home’s interior rooms and exterior to its best advantage. And they’re also experienced in using advanced photography techniques and tools to ensure your home looks amazing.

FSBO DIY Photography: Setup & shot execution

If you decide to DIY your listing photography, give yourself plenty of time to prepare your spaces and find the right angles and light to show off your home.

Before getting started, take a little time to look at the photography used in other home listings in your area. Pay attention to:

• The angles used
• How the photo captures the light
• What types of features are being shown
• How the shot is lined up to showcase the room or exterior
• Number of photos uploaded

You can also get a feel for what type of photos draw you in and those that make you want to move on to the next listing.

You’ll want to make sure your photos don’t look amateur. Be careful to avoid images that are too dark, shadows that obscure your home’s features, or reflections of yourself or the camera flash in a mirror.

Here is a guide to help you prepare and take listing photos that help your home’s interior and exterior stand out.

1. Preparation and staging

You’ll want to prepare and stage your home before you take any photos. To keep yourself on track, it may help to first do a walkthrough of your home looking as if you’re a buyer.

Make a list for each room of what you can do to make it feel even more open and inviting. Then, as you clean, declutter, and stage your home, you can follow the list and check off items as you go.

During this phase, keep an eye out for personal items you can remove, such as family photos, and ways to make spaces feel more open and less cluttered. This allows buyers to visualize themselves living in your space.

Also, make sure your exterior is well-tended, the grass is mowed, flower beds are inviting, and patios are decluttered. Depending on how much you need to remove, you may want to consider renting a storage space.

Here is a list of common preparation and staging you’ll want to do to get yourself started:

• Deep clean all interior rooms
• Clean windows, blinds, and curtains
• Remove family photos
• Declutter table tops, counters, and shelves
• Replace faulty light bulbs
• Make a note of any imperfections, like nicks in walls, that you’ll want to avoid in the photos
• Mow the lawn
• Pick up outdoor spaces and patios
• Make sure pools or water features are clean and inviting
• Trim bushes and tend flower beds

2. Equipment & composition

Your equipment can elevate the quality of your pictures, allowing your home’s interior and exterior features to stand out.

Before getting started, make sure you have access to a quality camera or a recent smartphone. Ideally, you’ll want to use a DSLR camera with various settings, which allows you to use different lenses so you get sharp images.

You can consider renting a DSLR camera. But if you’re not sure how to use the features, a recent smartphone can possibly work as a substitute.

If you’re using a smartphone, you’ll want to make sure your software is up-to-date. Also, be sure to turn on the HDR camera functions so you get better-quality photos.

Whether you’re using a camera or a smartphone, you’ll also want to use a tripod. This will hold your camera or phone steady and level. A wide-angle lens can also help you take photos that have more depth and make rooms feel more open.

When taking the photographs, be sure to shoot in landscape mode. You’ll also want to line up vertical lines in shots, otherwise they look crooked. For example, cabinets in kitchen photos, the pillars on the house, and the staircases all need to be aligned. Use your camera’s grid lines to help you.

Compose shots so things like furniture, doors, or windows aren’t chopped off. Walk around rooms to see which angle or position provides the best shot. Standing in a corner often will allow you to capture most of a room.

Don’t angle your camera or phone up or down when taking photos, as it can distort the walls. Shoot photos from chest height. Your tripod can help.

3. Lighting and timing

Your lighting and the time of day you take your photos can make a big difference on how well your pictures turn out.

For interior shots, you’ll want to let in as much natural light as you can. Open curtains and blinds, and use your interior lights. 

Try taking pictures with different light setups to see what works best in the space. Taking photographs during the golden hour or mid-morning can produce the right type of light. But light quality can vary based on room locations and window positions. 

When shooting interior shots, avoid pointing your camera directly at a window. This can cause your photos to look too dark.

For exterior shots, try to shoot your photos on a nice day. It can be a little overcast, but not dark and gloomy. You’ll need to work around the sun, so plan to take pictures when the sunlight works to your advantage instead of casting big shadows on the house. Don’t shoot photos that look directly into the sunlight, either. This can lead to poorer quality images.

4. Shot list essentials

To keep your photo shoot on track, make a list ahead of time of all the essential shots you want. This ensures you get every shot in one go. This also will help you make decisions during the shoot and in post-production.

Know how many photos you’ll be able to post in your listing. You’ll want at least 10 to provide visuals to capture attention. Most MLS services also have a limit of how many you can post, typically a maximum of 25 photos. You should take more photos than you’ll actually post so you can select the best ones.

Knowing how many photos you’re going to post will help you determine the number of shots you’ll need for each space. You’ll want to prioritize some spaces, like the kitchen, living room, main bedroom and bathroom, and exterior, including multiple angles to best capture these spaces.

Write down any special features you want to capture, like a pool, shed, or fireplace. You may end up including multiple photos of those spaces.

5. Post-production consistency

Once you have the photos you want, take time to do at least basic editing. This step will help ensure your photos capture attention and show off your home at its best.

When editing your photos, you may need to adjust the brightness, contrast, and color balance. You’ll also want to edit your photos so they are cropped to the same ratio and have a consistent white balance.

If you’re using a smartphone, your phone may have the editing tools you need built in. There are also free apps available to help you.

Drone & virtual tour options

Real estate aerial photography and virtual tours are popular and used in many listings. But are they really useful or just nice-to-haves?

Aerial photography uses drones to capture overhead photos of your properties. It can give potential buyers a better sense of your home at a quick glance.

Virtual tours can allow potential buyers to experience your home’s layout so they can decide if your property is a good fit.

These tools can be especially helpful for out-of-town buyers, who may not be able to attend a showing in person and add appeal to your listing. Also, listings using aerial shots are 68% more likely to sell.[5]

However, these innovations come at an additional cost. Before using drone photography, you’ll need to be aware of local regulations and restrictions, including whether you need permits.

Keep in mind for DIY that drones start at $400 and will require skill and practice before using. So paying a professional may be more economical.

Virtual tours can range from $100 to $500, depending on your location and size of your house. However, if you’re hiring a professional real estate photographer, they may have a package that includes a virtual tour as part of their service, which can save you money.

There are some DIY virtual tour options available. That said, virtual tours may give a less personal or skewed perspective of your home, especially if they’re not done well.

Conclusion and seller checklist

High-quality listing photos are an essential part of your home’s marketing. These images are must-haves if you want to gain buyers’ interest.

Hiring a professional real estate photographer can save you time, help your home sell faster, and lead to a higher sales price. If you’re using a realtor, they may even pay for the photographs, although make sure they are using a professional.

If having professional real estate photographs isn’t possible, you can DIY your listing photos — with some prep.

Here is a checklist so you can decide whether hiring a professional or going DIY is the right choice for you:

Ready to line up your listing photography? Talk to an agent to get suggestions for photographers, schedule a professional inquiry, or gear up for DIY.

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Work with a Clever Partner Agent and you'll get professional real estate photography as part of the deal. Call us today at 1-833-2-CLEVER or fill out our online form to get started.