How Many Photos Should Your Listing Have?

Buyers scroll through listing photos long before they book a showing, so the number and order of your photos matter almost as much as their quality. Too few and buyers wonder what is missing. Too many and the best rooms get buried between shots of hallways and closets. Here is how we plan photo counts for listings across Chicagoland.

A good rule of thumb

For most single-family homes, 25 to 40 finished photos cover the home well. Condos and smaller homes are usually well covered with 20 to 30. Larger homes, acreage and luxury listings can go higher, especially when drone and twilight photos are part of the set. Every MLS sets its own maximum, so check your limit before the shoot.

Cover every room buyers care about

A strong front exterior for the lead photo, plus the back of the home
The kitchen from two or three angles, including any eating area
Living room, family room and any finished basement space
The primary bedroom and primary bath
At least one photo of each other bedroom and bathroom
Decks, patios, pools and the yard
An aerial view when the lot, the view or the neighborhood is a selling point

Bright, open rooms like this one are worth more than an extra closet shot.

Order matters as much as count

Lead with your strongest exterior, then let the photos walk buyers through the home the way a showing would: entry, main living areas, kitchen, bedrooms, baths, lower level, then the outdoor spaces. We deliver every set in walking order so it is ready to upload to the MLS as is.

Skip the filler

Empty closets, plain hallways, laundry rooms and three nearly identical angles of the same bedroom rarely help. Each extra photo pushes your best shots further down. If a space is a real selling point, like a walk-in pantry or a mudroom with built-ins, include it. If it is not, leave it out.

Add extras that do more than another photo

Sometimes the best way to show a home is not one more photo. A floor plan answers layout questions instantly. An iGUIDE 360 tour lets buyers walk through on their own time. A twilight photo makes a lead image that stands out in search results.

An aerial photo shows the lot and setting in a way ground photos cannot.

Ready to plan your next listing?

Pix by Painter is based in South Elgin and photographs homes across the Chicago suburbs. See our real estate photography services, read how to prepare a home for a photoshoot, or book your shoot online.