Every listing gallery has a first photo. On the MLS and on Zillow, it is the image that appears in the search results before a buyer even clicks into the listing. On Realtor.com, it is the frame that appears in the email alert.
That first exterior frame is doing more work than any other photo in the gallery. If it does not make a buyer stop, the interior photos do not get seen.
What Makes an Exterior Work
An exterior listing photo works when it shows the house as a complete object, the full facade, clearly lit, well-composed, and does it from an angle that is not the default. The default angle is straight on from the driveway. The effective angle is usually a 30- to 45-degree offset that shows the front of the house while also showing one side, which gives depth to the image.
For a Colonial or split-level, this angle shows the architectural massing. For a ranch, it shows the roofline and entry. For a two-story, it shows the proportion of the structure.
Light Matters More for Exteriors Than Interiors
An interior shot can be salvaged in editing if the exposure was not quite right. An exterior shot with a flat, overcast sky or harsh direct sun is harder to recover. The sky in the background of an exterior photo is part of the emotional impression, a blue-sky shot reads as inviting and well-maintained; a gray-sky shot reads as overcast and subdued.
The best exterior shooting windows:
- Early morning for east-facing fronts
- Late afternoon for west-facing fronts
- Any time on a day with broken cloud cover that produces a dynamic sky
The Cars Problem
If the driveway has a car in it, the exterior photo is compromised. An empty driveway reads as spacious and cared-for. A driveway with one car reads as occupied. A driveway with two cars and a truck reads as crowded.
Move at least one car before the shoot. This is on the pre-shoot checklist and it is the most commonly forgotten item.
What Gets Shot and What Does Not
The primary exterior shot is the front of the house. Secondary exterior shots include the rear of the house (for homes where the backyard is a selling point), the garage or driveway, and any outdoor living spaces, decks, patios, pools.
The shots that get skipped: the utility box, the HVAC unit, the yard debris, the neighbor's house in the background. A good exterior shoot avoids including these elements.
The honest bit. The exterior shot is the first impression your listing makes. It had better be the best photo in the gallery, not an afterthought.
Book exterior and interior coverage together: framelogic.media/book