How do I get good photos of my home for FSBO listings?

Your listing photos are doing the work of a first showing for every buyer who finds your home online before scheduling a visit. In most markets, buyers scroll through dozens of listings in one sitting, and the homes that get clicked on, saved, and shown are the ones with compelling photography. This is not a place to cut corners.

Hire a real estate photographer if you can. I know this sounds like an unnecessary expense when you're already trying to reduce costs, but professional real estate photography typically runs $150 to $350 depending on your market and home size, and it pays for itself in better showing traffic and stronger offers. Professional photographers use wide-angle lenses, know how to manage natural and artificial light, shoot at the time of day that flatters each space, and edit for the warm, clean aesthetic that makes buyers want to be inside the home. Phone cameras, even good ones, don't produce the same result.

If you're shooting yourself, these things matter most:

Shoot during the day with maximum natural light. Open every blind, pull back every curtain, and turn on every light including lamps. Dark photos are the single most common mistake in DIY real estate photography. Shoot in the mid-morning or mid-afternoon when the sun isn't directly in your windows creating harsh overexposed patches.

Clear absolutely everything off counters, tables, and visible surfaces before shooting. Staging for photography is different from how you'd normally live. Every item on a counter competes for visual attention. Less is always more in listing photos. Remove personal items, kids' toys, pet gear, mail stacks, and anything that makes rooms feel cluttered or smaller.

Shoot from corners and doorways, angling across the room rather than straight at the wall. This technique makes rooms appear larger and gives buyers a sense of the full space. Use the widest lens setting your phone allows. Most modern smartphones have a standard and ultra-wide option. Use ultra-wide for interior rooms.

Shoot the exterior on a clear, bright day. Overcast days make exteriors look flat and uninviting. Take the front exterior photo from slightly across the street at a mild angle. Centered and close rarely shows the home at its best.

For a standard three-bedroom home, you need 20 to 30 photos minimum to compete with professionally listed homes on the MLS. Include every room, both bathrooms, the kitchen from multiple angles, the backyard, the garage if applicable, and any notable features. Listings that stop at 10 or 12 photos signal to buyers and their agents that the seller isn't serious or the home is hiding something.

Photos are your marketing. This investment, whether in time, skill, or money, directly affects how many people see your home, how many schedule showings, and ultimately how competitive your offers are.