Advanced Editing Service
Why do you need quality photos for your real estate photography? To build your brand image, better sales prospect, creates credibility and reputation, high social media presence.
Our advanced editing services include Sky Replacement, Photo Stitching, Portrait Corrections, Background Removal.
In our highly competitive marketplace, the role of digital photography and social media presence is crucial for the success of any small and big business. Posting anything on your accounts is not enough. Profiles with low-quality pictures may have a hard time getting good engagement and can affect your brand image. With the short attention spans of the digital age, it only takes a few seconds for a consumer or client to know if they’ll push through with the deal after looking at the photos. Properly edited photographs and high-quality visuals can deliver the desired message about your brand and business to your respective audience.
Let’s summarize the need for advanced editing services for real estate photography.
Building the image for your brand - your photos can say a lot about your brand signature and how professional or casual you might want to be.
Vibrant Images - dull, dark, and raw images wouldn’t really help in creating an appealing photo listing. Photo enhancements make sure that your property is seen in the best light possible without misleading your potential buyers.
Better Sales - making your images visually stunning will attract more audience, thereby increasing engagement and eventually garnering better sales prospects.
Creating credibility and reputation - high-quality photos provide a reason for people to rate you as someone who values their customers more than those profiles with low-quality photos. Using your own original image instead of stock also builds your reputation.
Social Media Presence - with our technology nowadays and current situation, social media is “THE PLACE TO BE”. You’ll always want to create a stronger social media presence for your business through high-quality images, be it through Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest to name a few.
Apart from providing Standard Quality Editing Service for property photos, we can go the extra mile for your specific preference or provide a better image outcome when we face environmental challenges during the photoshoot. Our advanced editing services include:
Photo Masking and Layers
Photo Stitching - combining multiple photographic images to produce a high-resolution image or a panorama.
Portrait Corrections - fixing the complexion and features of people in the photos
Background Removal - removing cars. people, birds, and everything else you want to remove from your image to make it picture-perfect.
Sky Replacement - a pretty neat feature in most photo editing software, making it easier for photographers or editors to replace the sky in any photo with a different one.
Advance Editing is essentially the icing on your cake!
On average, there are 276 sunny days per year in Maui County, so there would still be no sunny days that are not suitable for a perfect photoshoot. Achieving a perfect and bright blue sky in the background of the property for listing is also easier said than done. For one, you can’t control the weather, and waiting for the ideal conditions for photoshoots is not always feasible especially for those back-to-back vacation rental units.
SKY REPLACEMENT
Notice the difference in the 1st photo which is the raw image of the property from the 2nd photo or after editing.
Sky replacement has been used to replace the dark gray skies with a vibrant blue sky. We will ensure your photos have BLUE Sky, even on rainy or cloudy days.
The following four pictures are from the same property listing. Photos are of “before photo editing or the raw images” and the “after editing photos”
The cloudy or rainy weather conditions causing gray skies can definitely affect your real estate photo listings. Take the opportunity to highlight the beauty of your property through advanced editing services. This will give your listing an instant boost with the pop of vibrant colors.
Car/Object/People Removal
Given a time when your camera and subjects are all set, but you’re also outside in a public area where you don’t have any control over who is parked in front of your lanai and other objects that may suddenly appear in your captured image. What do you do?
We use the handy tools of post-processing to clear the view from any distraction. Does it make misleading content? No, as it uses the same view less the cars or other objects. Does it provide you and your clients a better view of the property’s outside features? Absolutely yes!
Here are a few more examples of the before and after car (circled) removal editing process.
***Depending on the number of objects subject for removal or the complexity of the photo, advanced digital modification may cost extra fee.
Ocean Views
Love Ocean View?
See the comparison on the ocean between the same photo. This was taken just before the rain. Unfortunately, we cannot control the weather, but we will try our best to make it look more appealing.
Now, take 5 seconds to look at the ocean in these next pictures.
Let us know in the comments down below how you felt seeing the blue ocean.
Richard Shuster, PsyD, clinical psychologist and host of The Daily Helping podcast has this to say about how the beach gets us feeling more Zen. “The color blue has been found by an overwhelming amount of people to be associated with feelings of calm and peace,” says Shuster. “Staring at the ocean actually changes our brain waves’ frequency and puts us into a mild meditative state.” There is also the book “Blue Mind: The Surprising Science That Shows How Being Near, In, On, or Under Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected, and Better at What You Do” that has been backed by research that confirms how spending time near water is key to “achieving an elevated and sustained happiness”. So it shouldn’t be a wonder why Hawaii tops U.S. Wellbeing for a 7th-time record since 2008.
Even with gorgeous beaches surrounding these properties and the high number of sunny days in Aloha State, the scheduled time and day may coincide with unfavorable weather conditions that we cannot change.
For property photo listings that include ocean views, it is best to schedule the photoshoot in the morning or at an earlier time of the day depending on the location, unless we are trying to catch the sunset shots viewed from the property. This is because we want to avoid taking pictures against the sun which can leave us with unsatisfying results.
The sun’s position and lighting at a certain time of the day affect the color of the ocean which can make it grayish and dull. However, if there are time constraints in scheduling the photo shoot, we can assure you to bring vibrant colors into the game through our professional editing services.
Check the next photo listing pictures which were taken at not the most ideal time - against the sunlight, but given that late afternoon was the only time we could schedule, we adjusted the blue color to prevent the ocean from looking too silvery.
Given these certain factors and qualifications that can influence your property’s photo listings marketability and your brand image, the important thing you’ll have to decide now is choosing among the various photographers. This is where research and portfolios are crucial in the selection process. Choose the most suitable provider that can offer you unique service propositions and the one closest to your brand image, or at best the one that can work around more closely with your preference.
Check out our portfolio and list of services available.
All photos and materials in this blog are copyrighted by FLOCUS Studio LLC. Do not copy or repost. Thank you.
Add a Twilight Photo to Separate your Brand from others
Sunsets are also very appealing to a lot of people, it is one of the most featured photographs from any range of photographers. Especially here in Hawaii, being able to convey a vacation vibe and sunset background could be very appealing to off-island buyers. We will explore the value of twilight photo in this blog.
Sunsets are also very appealing to a lot of people, it is one of the most featured photographs from any range of photographers. Sunsets have something calm and relaxing about them. Especially here in Hawaii, being able to covey a vacation vibes and sunset background could be very appealing to off-island buyers.
You can schedule a Sunset Photoshoot OR use a Virtual Twilight photo. A twilight image of a home can really help viewers take that second look to see more of a home inside as well. If the outside is more appealing then they will have more curiosity to look at the other parts of the home. It can also be part of the agent’s brand to have twilight photos for all of the single-family home listings.
Do twilight shoots really help to sell a home?
A real estate agency decided to test the difference between daytime professional photography and evening professional photography, and here’s what they found:
“This house was tracking at about 1,000 views in one week with about 10 call-ins. Then we changed the photo the next week (nothing else) to a twilight shot. Guess what? Where views normally drop off (because it is considered a stale listing after 1 week), they picked up by approximately 50% to 1,500 views and 15 call-ins in a week when inquiries traditionally drops off.”
So that’s 50% more people who viewed the property, and 50% more people who contacted the selling agent to find out more about it. If you’re not sure, feel free to test this yourself and compare how well a daytime photo shoot compares with the twilight photos, and see if you notice a difference. I would think that, on average, you will see a better result when using twilight photography for most homes.
However, is it better to book a twilight shoot or a daytime shoot?
Here’s a comparison for you to compare. Now obviously every home will be different, but in this example, we have a daytime photo of the exterior of this home and the twilight photo of the same property:
As you can see, the daytime photo is very good, but the twilight photo, with its strong colors and great lighting, is going to stand out a whole lot more when competing against other homes in the same area. This is a home in Kihei which is usually hot and very sunny. With a twilight photo, it gives people a more calm and relaxing feel to it. And most listing in the area will probably not have a twilight photo, do you think more viewers will click the daytime photo or twilight photo as listing cover photo?
A daytime shoot can work very well on a bright, sunny day, especially homes with ocean views or strong exterior colors that look great when the sun is hitting them (just be sure to book the shoot for the right time of day!)
However, most homes can benefit from a twilight real estate photo shoot. The glow of the lights inside the home, the absence of shadows from the sun, and of course a stunning sunset all combine to create a visually appealing image.
By the way, this house went on the market for 1 day, 56 views on Zillow. 1 Pending Offer in a day!
This property has special lighting in the front of the house. For sure, we would want to show off that during sunset time.
And sometimes, it is not too easy to have a clear ocean view with a majestic sunset. Here is a sample of our digitally created sunset photo. Ideally, we took this at sunset so overall lighting is most accurate, but for location like upcountry with very unpredictable weather, it could be very cloudy during sunset. We offer a virtual alternative.
What about photography prices for a twilight shoot?
A lot of professional real estate photographers will have higher fees for their sunset shoots. Due to obvious time restrictions, a photographer can only deliver one twilight shoot per day. Some people ask their real estate photography if they have other jobs to attend to after completing an evening shoot, but in most situations that just isn’t possible. Once it gets dark (about 30 minutes after the sun goes down), then that’s about it for the day as it just gets too dark to adequately photograph a property. This restriction on the number of shoots, and their high demand, leads to a premium price being introduced by most experienced photographers.
If you are just thinking about trying the effects of having a twilight photo for your listing, we recommend starting with a virtual twilight photo. See if you like the result.
Inquire for photoshoot with FLOCUS Studio.
Want to Expand to the Luxury Market?
What is the Marketing Budget for Luxury Home and Average Home? A healthy Marketing Budget Overview
Average Home Marketing VS Luxury Home Marketing
There is no doubt that luxury homes need impeccable marketing campaigns. The photos should be amazing, and the video should capture the size of the home and the benefits of living in that particular area. Especially in Hawaii, where the location of the home really matters to the price, adding aerial photos and video footage will show the proximity to the ocean and help potential buyers to envision a lifestyle by the sea.
A Virtual Tour would also be essential, especially if the home is large and has a unique layout.
All of that’s great, and most real estate agent would be comfortable with that approach when selling a multimillion dollar listing.
But when it comes to the average home, shouldn’t they be given the best possible chance at a top sale price as well?
We know the commission for the selling agent is not as high, and the marketing budget won’t be as large, but a smart real estate agent will still know how to create an amazing real estate marketing campaign for an average home, and do it all on a budget.
What should a real estate agent spend on photography and marketing?
Laura Ure, real estate marketing expert, says:
“If the home being sold is for $2,000,000 could easily have $20,000 go into marketing it.”
In other words, she suggests spending about 1% of the sale price on the marketing of that home. That’s a third of the commission for an agent, which is fine for a large listing, but it gets harder for agents selling homes in lower price brackets.
But if you want to become a top agent, you must separate yourself from other agents and your broker and give yourself a unique identity, which buyers can easily tell from the brand quality of your marketing materials.
Jerry Rossi, author of Dog Eat Dog & Vice Versa: 9 Secrets to Put the Bite Into Your Marketing, suggests:
So if an agent is earning a 3% commission on the sale of a home, then that would equate to a marketing budget that’s 0.3% of the sale price.
That sounds fairly achievable even for homes at the bottom end of the market, so let’s see how that might work out with a few examples:
A marketing campaign for a 4 million dollars property:
Assuming a marketing budget that is 0.3% of the sale price = $12,000
With that, an agent would be able to provide top notch marketing content:
30-40 high-quality photos
A cinematic video tour of the home and surrounding area with actors or voiceover
A 3D Virtual Tour
Floor Plans and Maps
A designated website for the listing
Flyers with great branding
…and have some room to do social media Ads campaign
A marketing campaign for a $700,000 property:
Assuming a marketing budget that is 0.3% of the sale price = $2,100
That’s a healthy marketing budget, and with that an agent should be able to provide:
30 high-quality photos
A video tour of the home and surrounding area
A 3D Tour
Flyers
… and still have some change left over for an online ad campaign and more.
A marketing campaign for a $400,000 property:
Assuming a marketing budget that is 0.3% of the sale price = $1,200
That’s a tight marketing budget, but with that an agent should still be able to provide:
20 high-quality photos
A short video tour of the home OR a short aerial video of an oceanfront property
This is a low-priced home in Maui, and when I did a quick search of current homes for sale across the Maui in that price range, there were few homes around that price that were presenting decent images.
Most of them feature homes that present images that were taken by the real estate agent or homeowner.
So what could an agent that wants to stand out do?
Even if we assuming a marketing budget that is 0.1% of the sale price, a $400,000 condo will still have $400 to spend on photos.
That doesn’t leave much room at all, but an agent should still be able to provide at least:
20 high-quality photos minimum that shows the interior of the house and exterior
Most agents wouldn’t even bother to spend that much, but at the lower end of the market a high-quality marketing campaign is going to stand out head and shoulders above every other listing on the market, simply because no-one else is spending money advertising there. So when those buyers and investors are scrolling through their search results, looking at homes for sale in that sub-$400K range, a property with just few a few exceptional images is going to get their attention.
So even if an agent is trying to sell Kihei Villages or South Pointe, if he is willing to spend just 0.1% of the sale price, his listing will stand out with quality photos and get a higher offer.
Conclusion
Don’t neglect the visual marketing of a home just because it’s average or low-cost. Sure, it’s easy to justify outlaying thousands of dollars on a million dollar listing, but it should be just as easy to justify spending a few hundred dollars on any listing at any price. Every home deserves to be shown at its best because the photos you use in a real estate marketing campaign impact upon the number of buyers you attract, it impacts upon the sale price, and it impacts on how buyers and sellers perceive that agent.
Unless you want to sell your homes, and yourself, short of their full potential then hire a professional real estate photographer for every single listing you have. The numbers will work well for you if you do.
Chat with us to get a FREE listing photography audit and marketing advice session.
Reference:
The Best Real Estate Local Photographer, Average home vs luxury home marketing, 2018 Nov 19.
10 Tips to Prepare the Home for Listing Photoshoot
There are specific things you can do to visually make your space really attractive in photos. By following these guidelines, you’re setting up both your photographer and listing to have the highest success rate.
Ready to list your home? Let’s look at the small steps that make a big difference when it comes to preparing a home to sell.
There are specific things you can do to visually make your space really attractive in photos. By following these guidelines, you’re setting up both your photographer and listing to have the highest success rate. If you’re not properly preparing the home to list, you’ll face risks of delaying the listing, needing reshoots, and many other hurdles.
1. Clear the driveway
One of the first things you need to identify before beginning photography should be asking yourself, are the all cars removed from the driveway? Is the pod storage unit sitting in the yard blocking the front of the house? Have you completed all your contractor work? This all ensures we can present the newly updated home properly.
2. Use a garage for storage
Use your garage as a storage unit. We typically don’t photograph garages as they are not viewed as a desirable space by most buyers. As such, it’s the best place for storage. Use it to hide garbage cans, trash, or large items, and of course you can pull your car in it as well.
3. Clear outside clutter
Remove all outside clutter and put away simple things like rakes, and roll up your lawn hoses. If you have outdoor furniture, set it up nicely and prepare it to serve dinner. The curbside appeal really matters.
4. Refresh landscaping
Mow your lawn and refresh your landscaping. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and different buyers might have different preferences, but refreshed landscaping ahead of a photographer’s arrival will yield better photos and results.
5. Clear surfaces of personal items
Inside the home, clear all surfaces. If your countertops are where you charge your phones, store messages and notes, that should all be organized and out of the way before we arrive. The same is true with the refrigerator; make sure magnets with images of faces, friends and children are removed. This saves time and allows the photographer to focus on showcasing your house, rather than pulling down magnets, or photoshopping out faces.
6. Tidy the bathroom
Make sure toilet seat covers in the bathroom are positioned down. This can be an unsightly area, and again, we want to be cautious of privacy issues and stowing personal items like medication, as well as toothbrushes and loofahs. Organizing these areas prevents the photographer from having to clear up people’s personal bathroom items, which is not a fun process.
7. Prepare windows and lights
Our window images are really beautiful when we have all the windows sparkling clean, and the window shades and blinds opened. The same goes for lighting. It’s easy to have bulbs looked at or replaced before we are there, as we take all our photos with the lights on, which makes for beautiful ambient lighting. We suggest to turn off all the ceiling fans.
8. Make a plan for pets
Make a plan for your pets on the day of photography. Don’t just lock them in a room and expect the photographer to work around a dog. We don’t want pet shadows in the photos.
9. Clean the whole house
Complete a normal home refresh before photography such as making your bed, clearing the countertop as discussed, and taking the time to make that final pass before the photographer arrives. This gives your home an opportunity to really be ready for photos.
10. Alert your neighbors
Make sure your neighbors are aware if you are listing your home and a photographer will be visiting, especially if drones will be utilized. Drones can cause tension and privacy issues, which we want to be cautious of. Communication and awareness are key to a smooth shoot.
Reference Source: Hochberg, Emily. “10 Ways Sellers Can Prepare Their Homes for Real Estate Photos”, Redfin, May 30, 2019
7 Simple Steps to Set Up Your Maui Real Estate Photoshoot
7 simple steps to help you effectively set up your photoshoot in Hawaii with a Free Real Estate Photography Checklist.
Agents, when you hire a real estate photographer, how can you make sure the photographer capture what you actually need for your listing?
What do you need to know before asking your photographer to go to your listing property to take pictures?
Here are 7 simple steps to help you effectively set up your photoshoot in Hawaii. Download a copy of the checklist HERE.
Step 1. Know what images you need
First, you need to find out what is the property’s physical selling point.
Think Outside:
Location, location, location - Do you want to highlight the close access to the ocean? Or the community of the property?
Are the facilities of the complex a bonus? (i.e. concierge, gym, spa, swimming pool etc.)
What is nearby? (Schools, park, beach, restaurants)
Think Inside:
Do you want to highlight the view from the house?
Does the kitchen have modern appliances?
Is the lanai spacious and have a nice sunset view?
Make a list of shots that you want to make sure your photographer will not miss out. Most photographers know what shots to take by experience, but if you have certain ideas, make sure they do not miss those shots by communicating with them in advance.
Step 2. Communicate your requirements to your photographer to decide a good time for photoshoot
Find out when your property needs to be listed and schedule enough time for a photoshoot.
If you want sunset shots, don’t schedule your shoot in the morning.
You can also send out a standard photography specification requirement guide to your photographer. It can include what shots required, number of shots and file size specification.
We have created a FREE real estate photography checklist that you can use with your photographer.
Step 3. Communicate to the property manager or owner to make sure the property is cleaned and in photo-ready condition.
Well…we all know some houses just need a proper clean and reduce the clusters! If needed, hire a professional cleaner.
Step 4. Determine whether you want to hire a staging company
Empty room is less appealing in pictures and viewer have less point of reference of room size and function. Depending on your budget, you can consider hiring a staging company. Or you can also hire a photographer to virtually stage your vacant property:
Apart from staging with furniture, we do recommend adding some Aloha elements in your property especially if it is a vacation rental. Staging with local wine, tropical flowers on the table help viewers envision their Maui Hawaii lifestyle. Colorful faux fruit or fresh pineapple plate could stimulate your buyers taste bud!
Step 5. Meet with your photographer at the property and have pictures taken
Now, you are all set! Let the photographer do his/her job!
Step 6. Receive your images, select the best ones to post on MLS
You want to organize your listing photos in a sequence that tell the story of your property from a user stand point. Remember your main goal is to give your viewer a tour! Your MLS images are basically their first open house visit experience.
Step 7. Celebrate your listing is live and get it sold!!
After your listing is live, you can use the photos to make an announcement on social media and invite buyers to come check it out!
We hope these simple 7 steps can help you successfully plan your listing photoshoot. Here is a simplified version for you and your team to use. Download this simplified checklist for 7 Simple Steps to set up your real estate photoshoot
FLOCUS Studio provides Real Estate Photography service in Maui, Hawaii. We are committed to photograph images that help you sell. Contact us today to know more.
How to tell if your Maui Real Estate Pictures are good enough?
How can you tell if your real estate pictures are good enough? Here are five basic quality check.
There are so many real estate photographers. How can you tell if their pictures are good enough? Here are five basic quality check points:
1. Vertical Lines
When shooting with a wide-angle lens, typically 17-18mm, the image will somehow be distorted. The photographer should be aware of straightening all the vertical lines of the image in post production. Check if the lines in the image are parallel to each other.
Below are pictures from the MLS: Distorted images are not very appealing. When shooting from a wide angle view, photographers should avoid objects in the foreground or middle-ground (like back of sofas, coffee tables) and avoid dramatic angles. Shoot more floor than ceiling. The photographs should have a natural look.
2. Vignetting
Vignetting is a reduction of an image's brightness or saturation toward the periphery compared to the image center and it shall not appear in property photos. Vignetting is caused by light hitting the lens aperture at a strong angle - an internal physical obstruction. This effect is often noticed in images taken with wide angle. The photographer shall be able to remove the vignetting effects to give a clear edge of the photos by applying lens correction function. Property photos shall be bright and clear, images with vignetting could appear to be amateur.
3. Multiple exposure
In Maui, the ocean view is a selling point. Simply say, the photos need to highlight the view out from the window. This can only be done by some form of blending multiple exposures. You may have heard of HDR technology. It stands for High Dynamic Range which means in a final image it balances off all the lights from the brightest window spot to the darkest shadows. You can tell if this technique is being used or not simply looking at photos that have big windows. Is the interior look too dark and the window is overexposed? Check out our other blog post about photo quality.
4. Height of tripod
Tripod shall be used in shooting interior photos. It shall be set at medium height to avoid any axis distortion. We suggest setting the camera on a perfect horizontal axis 1m20-1m (about hip height to chest height). Your photographer shall make sure to shoot on perfect horizontal axis and avoid shooting too low or too high.
5. The right file size and enough amount of photos
Your listing site requires specific photo file size. Your photographer shall be resizing the image to meet your specifications instead of sending you random sizes and leave it to you to adjust the files. Maui Hawaii MLS listing allow up to 50 images. If your photographer is providing too many duplicates of similar angles, you simply won’t have much choice to pick through the photos. Ideally, you want to have some interior photos and surrounding complex images as well as beach photos if a beach is nearby.
3 different angles of each bedroom
3 images for kitchen
3 images of living room
at least 2 photos of bathroom
at least 2 photos of the house or condominium exterior
2 images of garage / washer-dryer features
2 images of yard
1 image highlighting the view
5-6 images of condo complex facilities and nearby beach
Among all of the images, you want to pick out a cover image as your listing first image. It has to be the most eye catching image that shows off the selling point of your property.
These are some of the basic elements for a quality real estate photoshoot. Check out your existing listing photos now and see if they have met these criteria. If you are not sure if your photos are professionally taken or not, send us a link, we will provide complimentary review of your listing photos and suggestions.
Check out our Real Estate Photography Service or Contact Us for a quote.
Why Use a Professional Real Estate Photographer for Your Maui Hawaii Property
Why Use a Professional Real Estate Photographer for Your Maui Hawaii Property?Check out these shocking stats about Real Estate Photography.
It might seem obvious that good photography and videography are critical for your success as a real estate professional. It is even so when you are trying to sell your Maui property to investors who are in the mainland and make their decisions based on your listing photos.
When you dig into the numbers, just how much of an impact good visuals make borders on shocking. Check out some of these stats:
Homes with high quality photography sell 32 percent faster.
Homes with more photos sell faster, too. A home with one photo spends an average 70 days on the market, but a home with 20 photos spends 32 days on the market.
For homes in the $200,000 to $1 million range, those that include high-quality photography in their listings sell for $3,000-$11,000 more.
As time goes on, and equipment and tools become better and more sophisticated, online platforms become more robust, good property photos invite buyers.
In its resource reference document for members on the topic, the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) points out that:
87% of homebuyers who searched for a home on the internet found photos to be among the most useful features of REALTOR® websites. Digital photography and virtual tours allow REALTORS® to serve their clients like never before. Digital images can quickly and professionally showcase a listing, and today’s technologically savvy clients appreciate the convenience of a virtual tour for both long distance and local moves.
Connect with consumers in a fast-paced digital world by setting yourself apart and grabbing their attention instantly.
Check out our Real Estate Photography Service .
Bonus:
Looking for Vacation Rentals in Hawaii for your next trip? Check out HawaiiGaga.com to learn about the tips to travel to the Hawaiian Islands and find out more where would be the best place to stay!
The above information is referenced from RISMedia.com and images are by Flocus Studio.