You’ve heard it before, to be successful you need to surround yourself with an experienced and knowledgeable team. To have the strongest team, you need each person to know what they do, and do it well. 

It’s important to remember that even though we all have a role, we still work together. As the leader of the team, you the real estate agent, want the home to be ready for each stage of the real estate selling process. 

That means preparing your client for real estate staging and photography. 

Things Real Estate Staging Pros Do Better Than Photographers

They know the best furniture layout for the space. 

Knows where and how many accents and accessories should go in the room. 

Knows who the potential buyer of that type of home is. They then cater the interior design to appeal to that buyer profile. 

Experienced in explaining to home owners that personal items should be removed without offending anyone. 

Know what ways to update the home to get the greatest ROI 

Things Real Estate Photographers Do Best

Understand how the lighting currently looks in the home and how to make it look great on camera. 

Where to place the camera to get the best angle of the room. 

What elements of the room are visually interesting and will make the best picture. 

What type of images will appeal to potential buyers. 

They know the images you need to stand out among other real estate listings. 

What If You Don’t Have a Stager?

When most home owner’s think of staging, they think of what they see on HGTV. A full home makeover where old and new furniture get mixed together to outfit the home in a completely new way. 

We know real life real estate staging isn’t always like this though. For most owners, it’s about cleaning out the excess clutter and removing personal items. 

Family Photos

This can be tough for home owner’s though, those family photos aren’t just decorations, they are a lifetime of memories. But it’s important to explain that they are their memories, and will distract from potential buyers from imagining themselves in the home. 

What Is Clutter?

It’s also important to remember that clutter and trash to one person, doesn’t mean the same to another. So it’s important to be clear when you tell your client to make the home ready for photos. 

For example, no cleaning supplies or personal items should be left out in the bathroom. Or any dishes or food items left out in the kitchen. 

Another thing in the kitchen is storing away all small appliances. Sure the home owner may use the coffee maker, blender, and mixer every day. They shouldn’t be in the pictures though. 

These items on the counter will only make the counters look cluttered and smaller. We don’t want to distract people from the kitchen with the appliances. 

The Furniture 

Sometimes all you need to do is clean the furniture. If the homeowner has pets they should remove any hair or stains. 

If the room seems crowded you may need to remove one piece of furniture to help open up the room. 

Making Sure the Home is Ready

When you schedule time with a photographer you want them to spend their time taking great photos. They can do this if the home is ready when they arrive. 

You don’t want them to spend their time doing real estate staging. While they can provide you with insight, you won’t be using your team in the most effective way. 

Schedule your next real estate photography session today and add to your team.