Real estate listings live and die by their photos. In 2026, buyers scroll through online listings on their phones, making split-second judgments. Bad photos mean your property never gets a second look, regardless of its actual quality.

I’ve photographed dozens of properties over the years, both professionally and helping friends sell their homes. Here’s what actually makes real estate photos work.

Equipment You Need

A camera with manual controls. Any interchangeable lens camera works. You don’t need the latest model. A five-year-old entry-level DSLR or mirrorless camera is fine.

A wide-angle lens. This is essential. Real estate photography requires showing entire rooms. A 16-35mm lens on full-frame, or 10-24mm on APS-C. Kit lenses (18-55mm) are too narrow for most interior work.

A tripod. Non-negotiable. You’ll be shooting at slow shutter speeds in dim interiors. Handholding produces blurry images.

Optional but very helpful: an off-camera flash for filling in shadows. This gets more advanced, but even basic flash use improves results dramatically.

Preparing the Property

This matters more than photography technique. You can’t photograph a messy, cluttered space and make it look good.

Declutter ruthlessly. Remove personal items, excess furniture, random objects on counters. Less is more. The space should feel open and neutral.

Clean everything. Spotless. Dust, vacuum, wipe down surfaces, clean windows. Dirty windows ruin exterior shots and any interior photos that include them.

Turn on all lights. Every room light, every lamp. This helps fill the space with light and makes rooms feel welcoming. In daytime, combine natural light from windows with indoor lighting.

Open curtains and blinds fully to maximize natural light. But close them if the view outside is unappealing (neighbor’s fence, bins, etc.).

Straighten furniture, fluff cushions, make beds perfectly. Stage the space to look lived-in but immaculate.

Remove bins, hoses, and garden tools from outside shots. Clear driveways and paths.

Camera Settings

Shoot in aperture priority or manual mode. You need control over your settings.

Aperture: f/8 to f/11. This keeps the entire room in focus from foreground to background. Wider apertures (f/2.8) create blur, which is wrong for real estate. Narrower apertures (f/16) work but need more light.

ISO: As low as possible while maintaining a proper exposure. Start at ISO 100-400. You’re on a tripod, so shutter speed doesn’t matter. Let the camera use whatever shutter speed it needs.

Shutter speed: Will be slow in dim interiors. Often 1/10 second or longer. This is fine because your camera is on a tripod.

White balance: Auto white balance often struggles with mixed lighting (daylight from windows plus tungsten indoor lights). Try setting white balance to Daylight (5500K) and adjust in editing if needed.

Shoot in RAW format. This gives you flexibility to adjust exposure and white balance in post-processing.

Composition and Angles

Shoot from corner to corner. Position yourself in one corner of a room, shooting toward the opposite corner. This maximizes the sense of space and shows multiple walls.

Keep vertical lines vertical. This is critical. Tilting the camera up or down makes walls lean inward or outward, looking unprofessional. Use your camera’s level or grid overlay to keep the camera level.

Shoot from chest height, not eye level. About 1.2-1.4 meters high. This feels more natural than eye-level shots in interior spaces.

Show flow between rooms. Position yourself so doorways lead the eye into adjacent spaces. This helps viewers understand the layout.

Include key features. If a room has a nice window, fireplace, or architectural detail, make sure it’s prominently visible.

Don’t go too wide. Yes, wide-angle lenses are necessary, but shooting at the widest setting creates distortion that looks unnatural. Around 16-20mm (full-frame equivalent) is ideal.

Lighting Challenges

Mixed lighting is real estate photography’s biggest challenge. Windows are much brighter than interior lights, creating blown-out windows and dim rooms.

The professional solution is bracketing: take multiple shots at different exposures and blend them. Shoot one exposure for the windows (darker overall), one for the room interior (brighter), then combine them in Photoshop or with HDR software.

A simpler approach: expose for the interior. Let windows blow out slightly. This looks more natural than a room that’s too dark. You can recover some window detail in RAW editing.

Flash or external lighting helps balance interior and window light. Point a flash at the ceiling or walls to bounce light into the room. This fills shadows while looking more natural than direct flash.

Exterior Shots

Shoot the exterior in the best possible light. Early morning or late afternoon provides warm, attractive light. Avoid harsh midday sun.

Shoot from the street or the most flattering angle. Capture the whole property, including some landscaping and sky. This establishes context.

Make sure the lawn is mowed, paths are clean, and no cars are in the driveway (unless it’s a spectacular car that adds value).

Include detail shots of gardens, outdoor entertaining areas, or special features if they’re selling points.

Room-by-Room Approach

Kitchen: Show the whole space, plus a detail shot of key features (island, high-end appliances, nice backsplash).

Living areas: Show the flow of the space, natural light, and key features like fireplaces.

Bedrooms: Make beds perfectly, remove personal items, open curtains. Show the space is large enough for furniture.

Bathrooms: Spotlessly clean. Toilet lids down. No personal items visible. Show the whole space if possible, or the vanity and the shower/bath separately if the room is small.

Outdoor areas: Decks, patios, pools, gardens. These are major selling points and deserve multiple shots.

How Many Photos?

For a typical three-bedroom house: 20-25 photos total.

1-2 exterior shots 1 shot of each main living area 1-2 kitchen shots 1 shot per bedroom 1 shot per bathroom Detail shots of special features

For larger properties, increase proportionally. For apartments, you might only need 12-15 images.

Editing Real Estate Photos

Real estate editing has a specific style: bright, clean, accurate colors, straight lines.

Adjust exposure so rooms are well-lit but not blown out.

Correct white balance so colors look neutral and natural.

Straighten verticals using perspective correction tools. This is essential. Leaning walls look terrible.

Increase shadows slightly to show detail in darker areas.

Decrease highlights to recover blown windows when possible.

Increase vibrance moderately for appealing colors without looking fake.

Sharpen appropriately. Real estate photos should look crisp, not soft.

Remove minor distractions (power cords, security system panels, exit signs) if possible.

Don’t over-edit. Real estate photos should represent the property accurately. Buyers who visit will feel misled if the photos don’t match reality.

Common Mistakes

Using phone photos. Phone cameras struggle with wide interior shots and mixed lighting. They’re better than nothing but noticeably worse than proper camera photos.

Shooting without preparation. Photographing a messy, cluttered property wastes your time. The photos won’t be usable.

Not using a tripod. Blurry photos from handholding in dim interiors are unprofessional.

Extreme wide angles. Fisheye lenses make rooms look distorted and unnatural.

Bad lighting. Photographing at midday with harsh shadows, or with all lights off so rooms look dim and uninviting.

Crooked verticals. This screams amateur work and makes properties look wrong.

When to Hire a Professional

If you’re selling a high-value property ($1M+), hire a professional real estate photographer. They have specialized equipment, know advanced lighting techniques, and produce consistently excellent results. The cost ($300-600 for a typical shoot) is minimal compared to potential value differences.

For mid-range properties, good DIY photography following these guidelines is acceptable. Learn the basics, take your time, and your photos will be far better than mediocre agent photos.

For budget properties or rentals, phone photos might suffice if you can’t access proper equipment. But still follow the preparation and composition guidelines.

The Impact of Good Photos

Multiple studies show listings with professional-quality photos sell faster and for more money. We’re talking 5-10% higher sale prices and weeks less time on market.

Good photos get your listing clicked on. They get people to inquire. They get buyers excited enough to book inspections.

Bad photos mean potential buyers never see your property’s best features because they scrolled past the listing in five seconds.

Photography is one of the highest-return investments in the selling process. Whether you DIY with proper technique or hire a professional, don’t skip this step.