There are many ways to showcase photos and images for ecommerce. Digital platforms and listings have raised the bar in photography standards, especially for real estate. Due to the rising demand for properties in the digital market, real estate photography has become an art form on its own. Outdoor and indoor photography sessions have evolved from the simple point and post.
Nevertheless, you can’t prepare for everything on the day of your shoot. There are instances when you’d need unwanted objects removal services, especially when it’s a thing or two disrupting an otherwise perfect picture.
Why You Should Remove Unwanted Items in Real Estate Photos
Forbes recommends staging your listing to increase likeability and sales potential. If you’re selling multiple apartments or studios, you can conduct virtual staging to repurpose the spaces creatively. Virtual staging is also suitable for marketing properties with bare living areas.
However, staging may not be appropriate for one-time transactions, especially when you only need to remove a couple of minor things in the foreground and background. There are instances wherein some of the elements can be easily replaced with a cloning tool or retouch.
Here are some of the confirmed cases when you need to declutter your real estate photos:
1. Furniture and objects not part of the sale
There are times that you need to take photos before you moved some of the items out. If the room is not empty by the time you’re shooting photographs, real estate item removal could help clear some of the space, especially when you need to remove critical design pieces. Unlike home staging, wherein you only want to retain the actual area or walls.
Here are some of the objects that you might need to remove:
- Photo frames
- Mismatched tables or chairs
- Wall stains you’re planning to repaint before selling
- Dishes or utensils
For example, this photo only needed a few items removed since the homeowner wanted to sell the furnished property.
2. Uncontrollable natural outdoor details
The animals, weather, and all other natural elements cooperate to give you that picture-perfect moment in an ideal world. However, things don’t always happen according to plan, and a stray animal or plant may disrupt the process. You can reshoot, but when you’re short on time and resources, the only option is to take care of the clutter in post-production.
Here are some of the natural elements you may need to declutter:
- Leaves from the lawn
- Animals
- Stray clouds
- Trash bins
- Power Lines
For this example, the photographer didn’t notice the obstruction until post-production. You can see the before and after photos below.
3. Glaring signages or window/mirror reflections
Real estate listings are competitive, so it’s essential to have great photos go with your descriptions. Marketing is a significant factor regarding what makes a property sell online. But actual signages or signs may look glaring on the images, or sometimes the big red letters distract the viewer from the overall appeal of the property.
You may want to perform unwanted objects removal on the following items:
- Reflections or bright light from the windows
- Address or mailbox
- “For sale” signage
- Uneven surfaces
For this example, the real estate photographer wanted to remove the address and signage to keep the photo clean. Check out the before and after photos below.
Final Thoughts
Real estate item removal may be the next best thing to virtual staging, allowing buyers to imagine the different possibilities in your property. You should eliminate distracting elements so that the potential customer can focus on the appeal of your listing. Sometimes, a simple digital decluttering service can go a long way.