Real Estate CameraA real estate photo shot list should cover the front exterior, every main living space from two angles, each bedroom and bathroom from its best corner, the backyard, and a few details that sell the house. For a typical three-bedroom home, that's roughly 25 to 35 photos. Load them in the order a buyer would walk through the house.
This is the room-by-room list I use, followed by the MLS gallery order and the prep checklist I send sellers two days before the shoot.
How many photos to take
Start here, then adjust:
- Main rooms (living, family, kitchen, primary bedroom): 2 each, from opposite corners.
- Secondary rooms (other bedrooms, dining, office): 1 each.
- Full bathrooms: 1 each, 2 for the primary bath if it's been updated.
- Exteriors: 2 to 4 of the front, 2 or 3 of the back.
- Details and features: 3 to 5.
Shoot more than you'll post. It costs nothing on the day and saves a trip back. Then cut hard. Four near-identical shots of one bedroom make buyers scroll past the good ones.
Each MLS board sets its own photo limit. Look yours up once and keep it in your notes.
The shot list, room by room
Front exterior
- Straight-on front, whole house in frame, from across the street or the end of the driveway.
- Front from a 45-degree angle, showing one side of the house and some depth.
- The opposite 45-degree angle if the house looks good from both sides.
- A closer shot of the entry or porch if the door, porch or landscaping is worth a look.
Move cars off the driveway and away from the street in front of the house. Put the trash bins away. Shoot when the sun is on the front of the house, not behind it.
Entry
- From just inside the front door, looking into the house. Show buyers what they'll see when they walk in.
- A stair or foyer detail only if it's architecturally interesting.
Living room and family room
- Wide from the corner opposite the main feature (fireplace, big window, built-ins).
- Wide from the opposite corner, showing how the room connects to the kitchen or dining area.
In an open plan, buyers look for one shot that shows how the spaces connect: living room in the foreground, kitchen behind.
Kitchen
- Wide from the corner that shows the most cabinets and the island together.
- Wide from the opposite side, often from behind the island looking toward the family room.
- One detail: the range and hood, a backsplash or a farmhouse sink. Only what's special.
Leave the counters nearly bare. One bowl of lemons or a cutting board is plenty.
Dining room
- One wide shot, table centered, chairs pushed in evenly. Turn the chandelier on.
Primary bedroom
- Wide from the doorway corner, with the bed anchoring the shot.
- Second angle toward the windows or a sitting area if the room has one.
- Walk-in closet only if it's big or built out.
Make the bed tight. Take everything off the nightstands except a lamp.
Primary bathroom
- Wide shot with the vanity and the shower or tub in one frame, often from the doorway.
- Second shot of a freestanding tub or a walk-in shower if it's a feature.
Toilet lid down. Every bottle off the counter and out of the shower. Check the mirror for your reflection and shoot at an angle.
Other bedrooms
- One wide shot each, from the corner that shows the window and the most floor.
Other bathrooms
- One shot each. Powder room only if it's been updated or has a nice vanity.
Office, bonus room, basement
- One wide shot of each finished space. Skip unfinished basements unless the buyer pool cares about storage or potential.
Backyard and outdoor
- Wide from the back corner of the lot, looking toward the house.
- Wide from the back door, looking out over the yard.
- Patio, deck, pool or outdoor kitchen: one each.
- View shot if there's a real view.
Extras worth one photo
- Laundry room if it's a real room, not a closet.
- Mudroom or pantry if renovated.
- Garage if it's oversized, finished, or the buyer pool cares (workshop, EV charger).
- Community amenities for condos: pool, gym, lobby.
The order for the MLS gallery
Your first MLS photo is usually the search thumbnail, so it decides whether anyone clicks. Arrange the rest like a walk through the house.
- Best front exterior.
- Entry.
- Living room, then family room.
- Kitchen, all angles together.
- Dining.
- Primary bedroom, then primary bath, then the closet if you shot it.
- Other bedrooms, then other bathrooms.
- Office, bonus room, basement.
- Backyard, patio, pool.
- Extras and amenities.
Two exceptions. If the exterior gives you little to work with, like a condo hallway or a house hidden behind trees, lead with the strongest interior and put the exterior second. And if there's one thing buyers will pay for, like a lake view or a new kitchen, that can go second instead of waiting in the middle.
Keep each room's photos together. Jumping from kitchen to bedroom and back to kitchen makes buyers lose track of the floor plan.
Seller prep checklist
Send this two days before the shoot. Sellers do far more with a list than with "tidy up a bit".
Whole house
- Replace dead bulbs, and use the same color bulbs in each room if you can.
- Open all blinds and curtains.
- Turn off ceiling fans and TVs.
- Put away family photos, mail, pet bowls and pet beds.
- Clear the floor: shoes, bags, toys, cords.
Kitchen
- Clear counters except one or two decor pieces.
- Take everything off the fridge door, magnets included.
- Hide the dish soap and sponges. Put the trash can in the garage for the day.
Bathrooms
- Clear the vanity and the shower completely.
- Hang one set of matching towels, folded.
- Lid down, bath mat away.
Bedrooms
- Beds made, pillows fluffed.
- Nightstands down to a lamp.
- Close closet doors.
Outside
- Cars out of the driveway, bins out of sight.
- Lawn mowed the day before.
- Hoses coiled. Kids' toys off the lawn.
- Patio furniture uncovered and set out.
Empty rooms and too much furniture
Vacant homes photograph as bare boxes, and buyers struggle to judge scale. Real Estate Camera's virtual staging fixes that without renting a truckload of furniture. It costs 2 credits a room, with eight styles to choose from. Every staged file is labeled "virtually staged", which takes care of the labeling side of disclosure.
MLS boards differ on labeling requirements and whether you must post the empty photo alongside the staged version. Read virtual staging MLS rules before you upload. For pricing across services, see what virtual staging costs and the best virtual staging apps.
Then there's the room crammed with the seller's furniture. Removing furniture from photos covers when that's fair to do and how.
After the shoot
Cull first. Delete blinks, duplicates and anything with a leaning wall you can't fix. Edit the keepers as a batch so the color matches from room to room. A warm kitchen next to a blue living room looks like two different houses.
If you're shooting on a phone, taking real estate photos with an iPhone covers settings and angles. Our guide to fixing vertical lines covers the fix phone photos need most often. For rooms that came out dim, see fixing dark real estate photos.
Real Estate Camera's Enhance costs 1 credit a photo, so a 30-photo gallery uses 30 credits. The 60-credit pack at $24.99 covers that with enough left to stage two empty rooms. Unused credits don't expire.
Questions
How many photos should a real estate listing have?
Start with two photos of each main room and one of each secondary room, plus a few exteriors. For a typical three-bedroom home, that's roughly 25 to 35 photos. Check your MLS, since each board sets its own maximum.
What should the first listing photo be?
Usually the front exterior, shot straight on or from a slight angle with the whole house in frame. Use a stronger interior only when the front gives you little to work with, like a condo entry or a lot hidden by trees.
What order should listing photos go in?
Follow the route a buyer would walk: front exterior, entry, living areas, kitchen, dining, primary suite, other bedrooms, bathrooms, then the backyard and extras. That MLS order lets buyers build a floor plan in their heads as they scroll.
Should I photograph every bathroom and closet?
Take one photo of every full bathroom and the powder room if it's updated. Skip ordinary closets, laundry nooks and utility rooms unless they're a selling point, like a walk-in closet or a renovated mudroom.
Can I use virtual staging in the listing photos?
Usually, as long as the photo is clearly labeled and you also show the empty room or disclose it. Rules vary by MLS, so check yours first.