Wide-angle wow factor

They’ve got their cuppa, kicked back on the sofa, and logged into Rightmove. Next, they set their criteria, hit search, and have a browse around. There’s loads of choice out there but apart from paying for a sponsored listing, what else can you do to grab their attention? Some wide-angle wow factor will do the job nicely.

Create an attention-grabbing Rightmove listing

One sure-fire way to gain a slight edge, stand out from the crowd and wallop your potential buyers in the eyeballs with your property is by having an awesome-looking listing.

A big part of having a great-looking listing is the photos. It’s likely the first thing the buyer will see and the photos can either generate a positive, neutral, or negative first impression. Both neutral and negative are bad, we only want positive impressions that will raise their excitement levels and heart rate by a few BPM.

In this article on The Pyramid of Importance, I go into more detail about why a wide-angle lens is the most important aspect of your property photography; way more important than your camera, experience, or skill level.

For now, let’s just say it’s a pretty big deal and can be an easy shortcut to get you taking much better, professional-looking property photos right off the bat.

What’s not to love?

There are two schools of thought on wide-angle lens photography for selling property. As a property photographer myself, I am solidly in the pro camp and could talk about the benefits of wide-angle photography til’ the cows come home. You’ll also know from looking around on Rightmove at your competitors, that many of them are also partial.

However, there are some haters out there. Some are buyers/viewers, but some are agents that don’t seem to like it. Each to their own, but here are some pros and cons.

Pros of wide-angle lens photography

• You can fit more in the shot. Obvious really.
• You capture and portray the space more accurately. For all the wide-angle haters out there, yes, I whole heartedly believe that a wide-angle lens shot portrays the house, rooms and space more accurately than a normal point and shoot camera or a mobile phone.
• The photos look much more professional. When I sold a house, having professional looking photos helped me achieve a higher sale price.

Cons of wide-angle lens photography

• Some viewers think that “the property doesn’t look like it did in the photos”. At least they’re in the door, now it’s over to your sales team to help the buyer understand why the house is perfect for them.
• The kind of lens you need will set you back around £350. I’m telling you now don’t worry about that, it will be an investment and you’ll realise very quickly that it was one of the best tools you ever bought for your business.
• You can get the unwanted visual trickery of leaning walls. Read my super simple tip to avoid leaning walls in your property photos here >

What lens should I get then?

Great question. Go for the Sigma 10-20mm f3.5 EX DC HSM Lens with APS-C Sensors. All the shots in our gallery were taken with this lens. Note that depending on your make of camera, you’ll need to get the lens with the right fitting for your make.

Sigma 10-20mm f3.5 EX DC HSM wide-angle lens

Buy the Canon fit on Amazon >  |  Buy the Nikon fit on Amazon >

Do I need a DSLR camera to get the wide-angle wow factor?

Yes, you’ll require a DSLR camera to plug the lens into but a quick read of our article What’s the Best Camera and Lens for Property Photography? will give you a couple of solid options to choose from. Nothing crazy expensive either, just a couple a great entry level models that will have you taking shots like these >

Want a FREE guide on taking stunning property photos?

Sure you do. Discover the secrets of the pros by downloading this FREE ebook called the Ultimate Guide to Property Photography and discover all you need to know. You’ll learn all about the best camera and lens but also the best settings, composition, where to stand, dealing with tricky weather, adding a blue sky, and loads more, the works.

Want some help editing your photos?

How about a FREE trial of our Image Enhancement service? Here’s a promocode for you – yes, you! Enter BLOG19 when creating an account 🙂