How to Prepare a Listing for a Professional Photoshoot: Agent's Guide

Prep is the difference between a good listing and an average one

The photographer controls light, composition and finish. Everything else is decided before anyone arrives. Agents who send a proper prep list to their sellers consistently get better galleries, and it costs nothing.

Send this to the seller two days out

Not the morning of. Sellers need time, and a list that arrives an hour before the shoot produces a rushed house and a wasted appointment.

Whole house

• Every light bulb working, matched in colour within each room.
• All blinds and curtains open. Windows cleaned inside.
• Ceiling fans off so the blades photograph sharp.
• Bins out of every room and out of sight.
• Cables, chargers, remotes and phone docks put away.
• Floors vacuumed, hard floors mopped.
• Pets and pet accessories out of the house for the appointment. Bowls, beds, litter trays, toys.
• All vehicles off the driveway and away from the front elevation.

Kitchen

• Counters cleared entirely, then two or three items back for styling.
• Fridge front completely bare.
• Sink empty and dry, dish rack, soap and sponges hidden.
• Stainless steel wiped for fingerprints.
• Chairs and stools squared and evenly spaced.

Bathrooms

• All personal items off the counters and out of the shower.
• Toilet lids down without exception.
• Fresh matching towels, folded identically.
• Mirrors and chrome polished, shower glass squeegeed.
• Mats and scales off the floor.

Bedrooms and living areas

• Beds made to a hotel standard, bedding ironed, pillows upright.
• Nightstands cleared to a lamp.
• Nothing stored under beds or visible in open wardrobes.
• Cushions squared, throws folded, rugs straight.
• Televisions off.
• Family photos and anything with names or personal details put away.

Outside

• Lawn mowed, edges done, leaves cleared, a day before rather than the morning of.
• Hoses coiled, tools and bins out of sight.
• Patio furniture squared, cushions on.
• Pool skimmed and the filter run within the hour.
• Toys, trampolines and anything seasonal removed if it does not help the listing.

What to hand the photographer before the shoot

The seller list gets the house ready. This one gets the photographer ready. All of it fits in the Notes box when you book, or in a reply to your confirmation email, and it saves the questions that otherwise get asked on the doorstep while the light moves.

Access

Say exactly how the photographer gets in: the lockbox and where it hangs, a door code, or the name of whoever will be home to open up. If the listing is on a showing service, add the showing notes and any window to avoid, so a buyer appointment does not land in the middle of the shoot. Mention any pet that stays on the property and any room or garage that should stay closed.

The MLS number or the go-live date

If the listing already has an MLS number, include it. If not, give the date you plan to go live, so the shoot is booked against a real deadline. The gallery usually arrives within 24 hours of the end of the shoot day, so a shoot two days before go-live leaves a day to spare for review.

Feature highlights

List the handful of things that sell this house: the remodeled kitchen, the view from the primary bedroom, the casita, the new pool, the RV gate. Every room gets covered either way, but a short list makes sure the feature you plan to lead the listing with gets its own deliberate frames in the best light of the visit.

HOA, gate and community rules

Gated communities need a gate code or a name left with the guard. Some HOAs restrict street parking or set hours for vendors, and some want notice before anyone photographs a shared pool or clubhouse. If you know the rules, pass them on, and if the listing should include community amenities, say which ones.

Add-ons you booked

If you added twilight or drone, say what each one is for. Twilight is an add-on: virtual twilights ($99) are re-lit by our editors from the daytime exteriors, while a real twilight ($249) is a sunset return visit, so tell us which side of the house matters most at dusk. For drone, name what the aerials should prove, such as the lot lines, the golf course behind the yard or the walk to a trailhead. Much of the Phoenix metro sits in controlled airspace, so a flight near an airport can need FAA authorization; booking drone with the shoot, not on the day, leaves time for that.

Set expectations on the day

Someone should be there to let the photographer in, then stay out of the frames. A typical single-family listing takes one to two hours on site. Photos usually come back inside 24 hours in full resolution plus MLS-ready sizes.

Book a shoot or read the mistakes that cost agents listings.