KONAHThe real estate photo shot list, room by room.
A good listing gallery answers buyers' questions in the order they ask them. This is the shot list our photographers work from, the angles that matter in each room, and the upload order that turns thirty photos into a tour.
Start with the hero
The primary photo is the front exterior at its best: straight on or at a slight angle from across the street or the end of the driveway, with the whole house in frame and the sun on the facade. A second exterior from a different angle shows depth and the side of the lot. For condos, the hero may be the building, the main living space with its view, or a twilight frame; for land, it's an aerial.
Living spaces
- Living room: from the corner that shows the most floor and the main windows, plus a reverse angle if the room is large or open.
- Family room: including the fireplace or the connection to the kitchen.
- Dining room: one angle that shows the table space and the light.
- Open plans: a wide frame that shows how kitchen, dining and living connect, then tighter frames of each zone.
Camera height matters: roughly chest height, level, with vertical lines kept straight. Too high looks like a security camera; too low distorts furniture.
Kitchen
- A wide frame showing the layout, the island and the appliances.
- A second angle from the opposite side.
- One detail if earned: a range, a pantry, a coffee bar, custom cabinetry.
Counters cleared, cabinets closed, under-cabinet lights on. The kitchen is usually photo three or four in the gallery, so it gets extra time.
Bedrooms
- Primary bedroom: two angles, one showing the bed wall and windows, one showing the entry, closet or sitting area.
- Other bedrooms: one angle each, from the doorway corner that shows the most floor.
- Walk-in closets: worth a frame when they're a selling point.
Bathrooms
- Primary bath: the vanity and the shower or tub, from the angle that shows both if possible.
- Secondary full baths: one frame each, or the best one or two in a large home.
- Half baths: optional, often skipped.
Toilet lids down, towels matched or removed, and the photographer kept out of the mirrors.
Bonus and flex spaces
Finished basements, home offices, lofts, sunrooms, gyms and theaters often decide a sale. Photograph them so their use is obvious, and stage them virtually if they're empty and confusing (labeled). Laundry rooms earn a photo when they're spacious or upgraded; utility rooms rarely do.
Outdoor spaces
- Backyard from the house, showing the size and privacy.
- Back of the house from the yard.
- Deck, patio, porch, pool, outdoor kitchen or fire pit.
- Garage exterior; garage interior only when it's notable (workshop, extra bays, EV charging).
Aerials and setting
When drone is booked: a high frame showing the house on its lot, a lower frame showing the roof and approach, and frames showing what's around it, such as water, open space, a golf course or a park. Near DC and the bases the pilot files authorization first; see drone rules. Community amenities a buyer would use, like a pool or a trail, can follow.
The upload order
- Hero front exterior.
- The strongest interior: usually the living room or the kitchen.
- The rest of the main living spaces and kitchen.
- Primary bedroom and bath.
- Other bedrooms and baths.
- Bonus spaces.
- Backyard and outdoor living.
- Second exterior, aerials and community.
KONAH's editors rename finals in this order before delivery (01, 02, 03 …), so the MLS gallery sorts correctly on upload. See MLS-ready delivery.
Shots to skip
- Close-ups of outlets, thermostats or ordinary fixtures.
- Rooms that photograph badly and add nothing; a floor plan covers them.
- Neighbors' houses as the subject.
- Anything identifying people: family photos, names, mail, cars with plates.
Give your photographer a list
Before the shoot, tell the photographer the three features that sell the home, any room to skip, and anything that won't be ready. Our printable prep checklist covers the seller's side, and the order page has space for access notes and priorities.
Townhomes, condos and split-levels
The shot list flexes by home type. In a three-level townhome, lead with the main level (usually the kitchen and living area), then the upper-level bedrooms, then the lower-level recreation room and the garage entry, and finish with the deck and the community. Condos lead with the living area and its view, then kitchen, bedrooms and baths, then the balcony, building amenities, lobby and exterior. Split-levels and homes with additions benefit most from a floor plan, because photos alone rarely explain how the half-levels connect.
Rentals and short-term rentals
Rental galleries can be shorter and should lead with the main living space and kitchen, since renters care about those first. Short-term rentals flip the logic: the first photo should sell the stay, often the best living space, the view, the hot tub or the bedroom, and the gallery needs detail and amenity shots (coffee station, workspace, linens, games) that a sale listing wouldn't include. See our Airbnb prep guide for that list.
Video and 3D change the list
If a walkthrough video or 3D tour is part of the order, the photographer can lean on them for flow and use the still photos for the strongest frames. That often means fewer hallway and connecting shots in the gallery, because buyers can see how the home links together in the tour. It also means prepping every room, including the ones you'd normally skip in photos, because a tour sees everything.
Details that earn a frame
Detail shots are where a gallery can feel either premium or padded. A frame earns its place when it shows something a buyer would pay for or ask about: a custom range hood, a stone fireplace surround, original hardwood with inlay, a wine room, built-in shelving, a mudroom bench with cubbies, a smart panel for solar or an EV charger in the garage. Ordinary faucets, door handles and outlet covers don't. As a rule of thumb, three or four strong detail frames are plenty for a typical home, placed next to the room they belong to rather than bunched at the end of the gallery, so buyers see the detail in context.
Luxury and new construction listings can carry more detail work, because finishes are part of what's being sold. Even there, choose the details that are specific to this home rather than generic close-ups that could be from any house.
Captions that help the tour
Short captions keep buyers oriented as they scroll: "Main level family room", "Primary suite with sitting area", "Lower level with walk-out to patio". Keep them factual, about the space, and consistent in style. Don't caption what a buyer can plainly see, and never describe who the space is for.