Exterior photography plays a pivotal role in real estate marketing, often serving as the first impression for potential buyers. Recent data finds that 84% of home buyers won’t even consider a property if its online listing doesn’t include photos. That’s pretty intense! And it’s just a simple reminder that visual content is a huge deal in the real estate industry.
As seasons shift, many realtors and homeowners are tempted to delay their photoshoots until winter, envisioning snow-draped scenes that evoke the charm of the winter season. However, postponing exterior photography until the cold months can be a major error in your property marketing strategy, potentially hindering your ability to showcase your listing in its best light.
Showcasing Year-Round Appeal
Though snow in winter can be beautiful of course, unfortunately winter often strips away the natural beauty of a property. Deciduous trees lose their leaves, gardens become barren, and lush lawns turn brown. While a winter wonderland can be charming, it’s not always the best representation of a home’s year-round appeal. Potential buyers want to envision themselves living in the property throughout all seasons, and winter photos can limit their imagination.
Lighting Matters
Lighting is another important factor to consider. Winter days are shorter, with the sun sitting lower in the sky. This can result in harsh shadows, glare, or simply not enough natural light to showcase your property’s best features. Professional photographers often prefer the softer, warmer light of spring, summer, and early fall, which can make exteriors look more inviting and highlight architectural details more effectively.
Weather Considerations
Winter weather can be unpredictable. Snow, sleet, or rain can delay scheduled photoshoots, potentially pushing back your listing date. In contrast, scheduling your exterior photos during the warmer months gives you more flexibility and a higher likelihood of ideal weather conditions.
Maximizing Curb Appeal
Consider the curb appeal factor as well. In spring and summer, flowers are in bloom, trees are full of leaves, and lawns are lush and green. This natural beauty can significantly enhance the attractiveness of a property in photos. Even autumn can offer a stunning backdrop with its rich, warm colors. These seasons provide an opportunity to showcase outdoor living spaces like patios, decks, and pools—features that are often unusable or covered during winter months.
Practical Considerations
From a practical standpoint, preparing a property for winter photoshoots can be challenging. Snow removal, de-icing, and dealing with muddy or slushy driveways can be time-consuming and may not yield the best results. In contrast, warmer months allow for easier property maintenance and staging, allowing your home to looks its absolute best for the camera.
Year-Round Marketing
It’s also worth noting that many buyers start their home search well before they’re ready to move. By having attractive, seasonally appropriate exterior photos available year-round, you can capture the attention of these early birds regardless of when they’re browsing listings.
While there might be specific scenarios where winter photography is appropriate or even advantageous, in most cases, it’s best not to wait until the cold sets in to capture your property’s exterior. We recommend that you plan ahead and schedule your photoshoot during the warmer months..
If you need real estate photography services, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today.