1) Verticals - things that are vertical in reality, should be vertical in photos - wall lines, windows, sides of the home - anything that is plumb. Hold your camera perfectly vertical, or else you’ll have the visual effect of looking up or looking down.
2) When possible, capture 3 walls. Your job is to tell a story, of sorts. When photographing the inside of a room, try to get three walls in - this way, you can give a good sense of how deep and wide the space is.
3) Good lighting - Turn on lights, open shades. Flash use should be used only by pros, else you get reflections, harsh light and shadows.
4) Try to show the relationship of one room to another. Don’t just show the kitchen; show how there is a powder room, or dining room, off of it.
5) More is not always better. People think, “I have 50 available slots on the MLS to show pics, so I want to fill them all up!” That might be fine for a house 3,000sqft or over, but you can’t get that many from a small, 1300sqft home. People don’t care about a standard closet, or a junk-filled garage. Don’t take pics just for the sake of having them.
6) No need to be insanely picky about a shot. People will realistically look at a photo for about 3 seconds, before swiping. Don’t obsess over that pillow on the couch you didn’t see that’s just a bit crooked.
7) Less is more, more or less. The less “stuff” in a home the better. Clutter just catches people’s eyes, when they should be looking at the space. Yes, have some stuff, because they live there; but you don’t want those beautiful granite kitchen countertops hidden by stuff.
8) Clear away indications of animals. You and I may love animals, but others might not. They might see that dog bowl in the kitchen and instantly imagine damage or smells because the seller has a dog, fair or not.
9) Your camera doesn’t matter - really. I’ve heard many realtors say they have an expensive camera - meaning, they’ll get better shots. I have some of the best camera gear you can have - if you don’t know how to use it, that’s strike 1; if you don’t do post production work on the photos - as pros do - that’s strike 2. A pro photog could get better results with an iPhone than an amateur could get with a $2,000 camera.
10) A pro photog will always get better photos, and it’s worth hiring them - not only do you get better photos, which gets more interest, more bids, and a higher commission for you - but your client sees you going the extra mile, and very well may make a recommendation to someone else about you.