They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but when it comes to selling your home it could be worth a lot more. That’s because high-quality, professional photography can make all the difference in attracting potential buyers, generating interest, and ultimately securing the best possible price.

Listings with sharp, well-lit images stand out in online searches, create an emotional connection, and encourage more viewings, while poor-quality photos can cause buyers to scroll past without a second thought. Investing in great photography isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s a powerful marketing tool that can help sell your home faster and for more.

Aaron and Shannon Radford from InHouse have been shooting property for over a decade, and say great imagery can be the make or break when it comes to your home’s marketing campaign.

“You've got three seconds to grab someone's attention, and if the photos don’t do that then people will move on to the next one” they say.

They also believe that cutting corners could leave you with images that do more harm than good.

“We’ve re-shot a lot of things for clients whose houses haven’t moved. We’ve captured new images for them and then they’ve suddenly sold.”

“So sometimes it’s about putting more time, effort and budget into it to get things over the line.”

HOW CAN YOU GRAB ATTENTION?

“A lot of it is in the adjustment and application of different photography techniques as a whole. But you also need to plan around lighting and talk to vendors about when the best times are to be in the house” says Aaron.

He often spends up to six hours on site trying to capture the essence of a property, whether it’s a new-build or an established character home.

“There’s a lot of difference in the way you can choose compositions within the frames of a photo, so we're not just going, here's a corner of a room, snap, here's another corner of a room, snap.”

“There's a lot of those things that can be changed to evoke the feeling of a property.”

The pair also believe a lot of importance should be placed on shooting and choosing an impactful hero shot.

“In today’s fast-scrolling digital world, attention is everything” says Shannon.

Homebuyers, investors, and vendors make decisions in mere seconds whether to engage or not, and it’s often based on the very first image they see. That’s why high-quality, emotion-driven real estate photography is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity.”

HOW TO GET THE RIGHT PHOTOGRAPHER?

Aaron and Shannon say a lot of the time it’s salespeople who choose the photographer, so they say it’s important to ask lots of questions about their marketing approach and campaign plan.

“Definitely having those open conversations with the agent to learn about the details of the marketing strategy for your home is the first step.”

“Each photographer is very different so the agent needs to decide what will work best to capture your home” says Shannon.

The pair say there’s a lot of talented shooters out there, but their specialty might not be what you need for your property.

“For example, we’re really known for our sunset shots, but that might not work for everyone and every home.”

“So, it's just about having that conversation with your agent about what's needed and what's not.”

HOW TO GET YOUR PROPERTY READY FOR A SHOOT?

Aaron and Shannon say a great first step is talking to your agent about what needs to be in and out of the shot, but as a general rule of thumb they say decluttering is key.

“You want people to be able to walk in and think they could live there, not that someone else lives there.”

The pair say that clutter is hard to hide in a shoot, and both agree that less is more.

“In camera, a small amount of clutter looks like a lot of clutter. Agents are usually pretty good at encouraging people to hide things, clear tables/bench surfaces, remove pet bowls, personal photos, toothbrushes and hair straighteners” says Shannon.”

While it can add to marketing spend, they say there’s a lot of merit in staging a home too.

“I think it just helps someone to visualise themselves in the space and see how open it is. Sometimes the right stagers use the most amazing furniture that the buyers then want to purchase.”

But it’s not just about the items on display, it’s also about how they’re presented.

“Cleanliness is also really important. So that’s things like window cleaning, house washing and doing the lawns” says Shannon.

WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT WITH A SHOOT?

Aaron says the process starts by really understanding the brief of the property.

“The first point of call is to ask the agent what they believe the key features are. Then it’s about identifying what the agent is writing in the listing blurb which is going to entice people there.”

“That helps to paint a picture. So is the house all about the outdoor living, or is it all about the desirable location? Then that’s what we focus on.”

The pair also often ask the agent what the homeowner is going to miss most about the property.

“That could be the walk to the local cafe, or their back garden and all their trees. We've got to make sure the homeowner looks at it and feels warm fuzzies when they look at these photos.”

Shannon says an open dialogue between them, the agent and the vendor is important to help shape that creative direction.

After that they’ll come to the property, walk around it and visualise the shots.

“If we need to, we’ll communicate if something needs to be moved. It may look lovely but sometimes there can be some extra fine tuning for the camera.”

The shoot can range from one to six hours at different times of the day, but the extra care taken means a photographer can properly tell and sell the story of the property.

The pair say the approach is the same whether it’s an old or a new house.

“By that I mean we’re focused on getting top dollar scroll-stopping images. Yes, they'll physically look different and they're in a different price range, but it'll still stop people who are scrolling or scanning in that price range.”

For basic shoots they capture around 30 images and photograph most spaces except for areas like toilets, untidy garages, and with high-end shoots they deliver more than 50 images so an agent can choose exactly what they want.

“We generally focus on the key features of a property to entice buyers to come to open homes. Sometimes less is more but sometimes more is more too” says Shannon.

“There’s nothing worse than wanting to see what the ensuite looks like online, but the listing doesn't show it.”

When it comes to retouching, Aaron and Shannon say they spend some time editing photos but do it in a realistic way.

“We don’t remove powerlines or things that are unmovable.”

ARE PHOTOS REALLY MAKE OR BREAK?

Both Aaron and Shannon agree photographs really can be the difference between whether your property sells or not.

“A great photographer can actually help an agent sell, rather than just popping in, taking a few snaps and leaving” says Shannon.”

“Our role is to help agents get more eyes on the property and more feet through the door. The marketing of a property is a hugely collaborative effort.”

Because without those feet through the door, empty open homes will often mean offers are few and far between.