Well staged photos help sell homes

“Clients study photos,” said Meredith Vezina, Team Leader for The Layson Group, Keller Williams Realty (memphisrealtysearch.com). “So much information is conveyed through photography. Staging and great photos play a huge role in the marketing of a home.”

Vezina is a highly successful real estate agent who is keenly aware of how staging, photography and video impact selling. She offers the following tips for great staging that results in amazing images.

Depersonalize – Everyone thinks their kids are beautiful, but their photos won’t help sell the listing. Put all personal items out of sight. Viewers want to visualize how the home would look with their photos, paintings, and accessories in place.

Minimalize – Clean sight lines in a room are important. Remove a few pieces of furniture. Reduce the number of decorator items to a minimum. Put away kitchen and bath towels. These tricks make the room more spacious and less cluttered.

Sanitize – You don’t have to actually “sanitize” the house, but make sure everything is clean and tidy. Cleanliness shows up in photos, and an unclean house is a big turnoff to potential buyers.

Decolorize – Neutral colors are best as they create a sense of roominess and allow the viewer to visualize the setting with their own furnishings. A pop of color is okay, but make sure it does not detract from the overall layout and features of the room.

Mind the details – Lights should be on, blinds set the same throughout the house, curtains open, bushes trimmed, lawn and edgings trimmed. Close the garage door and tidy the flower beds. Curb appeal matters!

Vezina also recommends hiring a professional photographer.
“Photos on a cell phone don’t compare to professional photographs,” she explained. “Professional photography allows you to market your listings at the highest possible level. It is definitely worth it, even in a sellers’ market.”