Your First Showing Happens on a Phone
For many buyers, your first showing happens on a phone.
They may see a thumbnail of your kitchen while standing in line for coffee.
In seconds, they decide whether to open the listing, swipe to the next photo, save the home or keep scrolling.
That's why photo preparation matters.
Reduce Visual Noise
Start by reducing visual noise.
Countertops don't have to be empty enough for surgery, but buyers should notice the counter—not twelve appliances, prescriptions, mail and yesterday's cereal.
Rooms, Kitchens and Bathrooms
In bedrooms, make beds, clear floors and simplify nightstands.
In bathrooms, put away toothbrushes, toiletries, toilet brushes, bathmats and personal products.
Close toilet lids.
Replace obviously worn towels with simple clean ones if available.
Remove What You Don't Want Photographed
Remove things you do not want photographed.
Photographers are there to document the house, not decide which personal documents, family photos, expensive collections or embarrassing objects should disappear from view.
Light and Glass
Open blinds where appropriate.
Clean glass and mirrors.
Replace dead bulbs.
Make sure light fixtures work.
The Exterior
Outside, remove trash cans, hoses, toys and unnecessary clutter.
Clean the entry.
Pick up after pets.
If there's a pool, it should look like something a buyer wants—not an unsolved biology experiment.
It Can Still Feel Like a Home
Don't obsess over making the home sterile.
It can still feel like a home.
The objective is to let the architecture, rooms, light and features dominate the images.
Professional photography cannot manufacture square footage or move your neighbor's house.
What it can do is give the property the strongest honest first impression possible.
And that first impression may determine whether the second showing—the one inside your house—ever happens.
If the house needs decluttering or cleaning before the photographer arrives, the cleaning guide and the fix-it guide cover what matters most.
Want to Know What the Records Say About Your Property?
Request a free Property DNA report. Property DNA can include available property, ownership/history, mortgage-related, comparable, neighborhood, school, risk, public-record and other property information depending on available sources.
Current typical turnaround is approximately 40 minutes during normal business hours, and many reports are returned within one hour or the same business day, but turnaround is not guaranteed and can vary.
Property DNA is free through Lisa. Request a free Property DNA report.
Important
Property DNA uses third-party, public-record and other available data believed reliable but not guaranteed. It is provided for informational purposes and is not an appraisal, title search, title commitment, title insurance policy, inspection, survey, legal opinion, tax opinion, environmental report or guarantee of value.
