Real Estate Photography Checklist

Lock in the property address, square footage, and any add-ons the agent has quoted to the seller. Capture which premium services are included so the rest of the workflow only loads the steps that apply to this shoot.

Overcast skies kill exterior contrast and rule out drone work; rain delays the seller's curb-appeal prep. If the forecast looks bad within 36 hours of the shoot, message the listing agent now rather than the morning of.

Confirm Part 107 remote pilot certification is current and pull a LAANC authorization if the property sits in controlled airspace. Check B4UFLY for TFRs and stadium proximity. Flying without authorization is a federal violation and an E&O claim waiting to happen.

Walk the home with the seller before unpacking gear. Family photos, religious items, kids' artwork, and political signage all come down — both for marketing neutrality and to avoid fair-housing exposure on protected-class signaling in MLS photos.

Mixed color temperatures are the single biggest reason interior shots come back orange-and-blue and need expensive masking. Carry a kit of 2700K-3000K LEDs and replace the daylight 5000K bulbs the seller installed in one bathroom three years ago.

The hero shot for the MLS lead photo is the front elevation with the sun behind you. Shoot bracketed exposures (-2, 0, +2) for HDR blending. Time it to within an hour of sunrise or sunset to avoid harsh roof shadows and blown-out skies.

Pool covers off, water clear, patio furniture upright and uncovered, grill lid closed. Shoot wide to anchor the yard in context, then a couple of detail shots on outdoor kitchens, fire pits, or water features.

Capture a straight-down lot shot, a 45-degree front aerial, and a 45-degree rear aerial showing roof condition and yard scale. Stay under 400 ft AGL and away from neighbor airspace. Log the flight in your Part 107 records.

Lights on includes lamps, under-cabinet, range hood, closet lights, and exterior fixtures visible through windows. Ceiling fans off — they show up as motion blur on long exposures. Toilet lids closed throughout the home.

Tripod at chest height, 16-24mm equivalent, level the camera (no upward tilt — vertical lines must stay vertical). Two opposing corners per room gives the listing agent options. Bracket three exposures per frame for window-pull HDR.

Kitchens and primary baths drive showing requests. Shoot the wide, then move in for backsplash detail, range hood, freestanding tub, walk-in shower, and any high-end finish. These are the photos buyers screenshot and send to their agent.

Aim for 30-40 finals from 200-300 brackets. The hero is almost always the front exterior or a twilight; flag it now so it lands as MLS photo 1. Drop any frame with a reflection of you or your tripod in a mirror.

HDR-blend the brackets, neutralize white balance to the kitchen pendants, and run a transform pass to lock vertical lines. Sky replacement is acceptable on flat-light exteriors but document it — some MLSs require disclosure of digitally altered images.

Most MLSs cap at 25-50 photos and 2-4 MB per file (Bright MLS, Stellar MLS, MetroList all differ — check the agent's MLS). Export 1920px or 2048px long edge JPEG, sRGB. Number filenames 01-hero through NN to lock the upload order.