Preparing Your Listing for a Digital Showcase

Maximize Virtual Tour and Photo Potential
Preparing your listing for a virtual tour capture is crucial. A potential buyer's first impression of a listing is made by the quality of the photos and interactive virtual tour they see online. Follow these steps to ensure that your listing creates an eye-popping first look!

General Tips

  • Thoroughly clean entire house (vacuum carpet, mop hard floors, clean countertops, clean windows)
  • Turn all overhead lights and lamps ON
  • Replace all burned out light bulbs
  • Use bulbs of the same temperature (ALL incandescent or ALL compact fluorescent)
  • Turn all ceiling fans OFF
  • Turn all TVs OFF
  • Turn all computer screens OFF
  • Open blinds/window treatments to let in outside light
  • Remove personal photographs (or replace with general landscape/object photographs)
  • Make all beds
  • Remove small floor rugs to reveal actual flooring
  • Place all shoes/jackets in closets
 

Interior Tips

  • Hide garbage cans in pantry or closet
  • Remove dishes from sink, place in dishwasher
  • Clear tables, dust and polish the table tops
  • Use decorative place setting if available
  • Straighten all chairs and space them evenly
  • Remove stacks of magazines, papers, mail, etc.
  • Remove kid’s and pets' toys
  • Make beds, including decorative pillows/shams if available
  • Store away phone/tablet charging cables
  • Remove personalized names from walls
  • Remove wall stickers/posters
  • Clear bathroom countertops completely. No soap, toothbrushes, medications, deodorant, etc.
  • Put toilet lids down
  • Remove shampoo, soap, loofahs, etc. from showers and tubs
  • Remove dirty towels – leave out only new, unused towels
  • Place pet food and water bowls in pantry or closet
  • Contain pets in hidden crate or outside
  • Clear back yard of pet waste/toys
 

Front Exterior Tips

  • Close garage doors
  • Remove cars from driveway and front of home
  • Clean up landscaping (mow, trim shrubs, clear leaves)
  • Use broom to remove cobwebs from eaves and door frames
  • Remove visible water hoses
  • Remove toys, sports balls, basketball goals, soccer goals, etc.

Back Exterior Tips

  • Clean porch, tidy up outdoor tables/chairs/cushions
  • Pillows/cushions should be fresh, not faded
  • Clear out kid’s toys, balls, frisbees, etc.
  • Clean/skim pool, remove leaves, branches, etc.
  • Remove pool vacuum/cleaner hose
  • Hide pool cleaning supplies
  • Turn on pool fountains/water features
  • Remove visible water hoses
  • Remove trash cans

Preparing your listing for a virtual tour capture is crucial. A potential buyer's first impression of a listing is made by the quality of the photos and interactive virtual tour they see online. Follow these steps to ensure that your listing creates an eye-popping first look!


General Tips

  • Thoroughly clean entire house (vacuum carpet, mop hard floors, clean countertops, clean windows)
  • Turn all overhead lights and lamps ON
  • Replace all burned out light bulbs
  • Use bulbs of the same temperature (ALL incandescent or ALL compact fluorescent)
  • Turn all ceiling fans OFF
  • Turn all TVs OFF
  • Turn all computer screens OFF
  • Open blinds/window treatments to let in outside light
  • Remove personal photographs (or replace with general landscape/object photographs)
  • Make all beds
  • Remove small floor rugs to reveal actual flooring
  • Place all shoes/jackets in closets

Interior Tips

  • Hide garbage cans in pantry or closet
  • Remove dishes from sink, place in dishwasher
  • Clear tables, dust and polish the table tops
  • Use decorative place setting if available
  • Straighten all chairs and space them evenly
  • Remove stacks of magazines, papers, mail, etc.
  • Remove kid’s and pets' toys
  • Make beds, including decorative pillows/shams if available
  • Store away phone/tablet charging cables
  • Remove personalized names from walls
  • Remove wall stickers/posters
  • Clear bathroom countertops completely. No soap, toothbrushes, medications, deodorant, etc.
  • Put toilet lids down
  • Remove shampoo, soap, loofahs, etc. from showers and tubs
  • Remove dirty towels – leave out only new, unused towels
  • Place pet food and water bowls in pantry or closet
  • Contain pets in hidden crate or outside
  • Clear back yard of pet waste/toys

Front Exterior Tips

  • Close garage doors
  • Remove cars from driveway and front of home
  • Clean up landscaping (mow, trim shrubs, clear leaves)
  • Use broom to remove cobwebs from eaves and door frames
  • Remove visible water hoses
  • Remove toys, sports balls, basketball goals, soccer goals, etc.

Back Exterior Tips

  • Clean porch, tidy up outdoor tables/chairs/cushions
  • Pillows/cushions should be fresh, not faded
  • Clear out kid’s toys, balls, frisbees, etc.
  • Clean/skim pool, remove leaves, branches, etc.
  • Remove pool vacuum/cleaner hose
  • Hide pool cleaning supplies
  • Turn on pool fountains/water features
  • Remove visible water hoses
  • Remove trash cans
 
 

Why follow these tips?

Effective realtors follow these guidelines to prepare their houses for potential buyers. Virtual real estate tours provide more value when all of the staging and cleaning is done in advance of the tour and photo shoot. 3D virtual tours provide marketing efficiency, why not make the most of it?

Why follow these tips?

Effective realtors follow these guidelines to prepare their houses for potential buyers. Virtual real estate tours provide more value when all of the staging and cleaning is done in advance of the tour and photo shoot. 3D virtual tours provide marketing efficiency, why not make the most of it?