Home Photo Shot List and Staging Tips for Sellers

Turns the agent's walkthrough notes into a room-by-room photo shot list and a short, friendly staging checklist the seller can follow before the photographer arrives.

Real estate agentProfessional Services✓ Checkedv1.0

Before and after

BEFORE · what the owner typed

Input from the agent: "Listing at 5580 Sandstead Ave, Quailhaven. I'm Olivia Rhodes with Stonestead Realty. Seller is Nikhil Molina. Photographer is Noel Oduya, coming Thursday at 10am. My number is 330-555-0162. Walkthrough: front has a big maple, porch is nice but has a pile of boots and a bike. Seller's black 2015 Hyundai Tucson usually parks in the driveway. Living room has a brick fireplace, lots of family photos on the mantel, a cat tree in the corner. Cat is named Pumpernickel. Kitchen has new quartz counters, fridge covered in magnets and papers, dish rack and a toaster oven on the counter. Primary bedroom is big, has a bay window, bed is unmade usually, laundry basket in the corner. Second bedroom is used as an office, cords everywhere. Main bath has a stained grout area by the tub and a towel hanging on the door. Back deck has a railing that wobbles at the corner post. Backyard has a little shed with garden tools piled out front. Basement is unfinished, has a washer and dryer, lots of boxes."

AFTER · what the skill produced

Hi Nikhil,

Here is the photo plan for 5580 Sandstead Ave, Quailhaven. Noel Oduya is coming Thursday at 10am. Below is the order Noel will shoot in and what we recommend for each space. Questions at any time, call me at 330-555-0162. Olivia Rhodes, Stonestead Realty.

1. Front exterior
Shots: wide view of the whole front with the maple tree, plus a closer shot of the porch.
Staging tips: we recommend moving the boots and bike off the porch, and parking the black 2015 Hyundai Tucson down the street so the driveway is clear.

2. Living room
Shots: wide angle from the corner, plus a close shot of the brick fireplace.
Staging tips: we recommend clearing most of the family photos off the mantel so the brick shows, and moving the cat tree to another room. Please keep Pumpernickel out of sight during photos.

3. Kitchen
Shots: wide angle, plus a detail shot of the new quartz counters.
Staging tips: we recommend taking the magnets and papers off the fridge, and putting the dish rack and toaster oven away so the counters are clear.

4. Primary bedroom
Shots: wide angle that includes the bay window.
Staging tips: we recommend making the bed and moving the laundry basket out of the room.

5. Second bedroom (office)
Shots: wide angle from the doorway.
Staging tips: we recommend tucking the cords out of sight.

6. Main bathroom
Shots: wide angle from the doorway, plus a shot of the tub area.
Staging tips: we recommend taking the towel off the door. The stained grout by the tub shows up in photos, so we recommend having it cleaned before Thursday.

7. Basement
Shots: one wide angle of the open space and one of the washer and dryer.
Staging tips: we recommend stacking the boxes against one wall so the floor is as clear as possible.

8. Back deck and yard
Shots: wide shot of the deck, wide shot of the backyard, and the shed.
Staging tips: we recommend moving the garden tools off the ground in front of the shed.

Day of photos

Turn on all lights and open all blinds
Keep Pumpernickel out of sight
Park the Tucson down the street

Safety and repair items

Safety concern, recommended now: the back deck railing wobbles at the corner post. A qualified professional should assess and repair it. Please keep people off that corner until it is checked. We also recommend you confirm any disclosure requirements about this railing with a licensed professional or my brokerage.

Questions for the owner

Is the basement included in the photos, or should Noel skip it?
Should the photographer get any shots from the street, such as the whole house?
Is there anything the seller does not want shown?

What it does

Turns the agent's walkthrough notes into a room-by-room photo shot list and a short, friendly staging checklist the seller can follow before the photographer arrives. Works for a small condo or a large home with outbuildings.

Use it when: Use when a real estate agent needs a room-by-room photo shot list and staging tips for a seller before listing photos, such as "make a shot list for the photographer," "what should the seller fix before photos," or "staging tips for my listing."