It should come as no surprise that almost everyone gets online to look for new homes these days. A published report by statista.com shows that 99% of home buyers between ages 24-57 used the internet to find homes during their home-buying process in 2022.

So how can you make your online listings stand out? Other than your property’s price point, nothing will get a prospective buyer’s attention more than exceptional real estate photography. In fact, according to statistics by the National Association of Realtors, about 87% of homebuyers on the internet find images to be among the most useful features of listing websites when looking for new homes.

But beyond that, timing might be everything when it comes to professional photography and selling your property. The secret is twilight. Exterior photos taken during the first or last hour of daylight—sometimes referred to as the golden hour—have become more and more popular in real estate listings.

And while natural twilight photos can be enough to hook someone browsing listings, with a little bit of editing, you can enhance the colors of the captured sky and your home’s interior lighting to achieve maximum appeal. Using an edited twilight image with enhanced skies as the listing’s main photo averaged 76% more views than listings without the use of twilight images.

Virtual twilight photos may lack some of the realism, but they are definitely eye-catching. Featuring vivid colors, high contrast, impressive sky views, and warm interior lighting, it’s easy to see how these images can grab the attention of prospective buyers. Studies have also found that listings with these edited virtual twilight images received 16% more views than those with natural twilight images.

What’s best for your home can depend on a variety of factors, however. Sometimes natural twilight is preferred, as shooting during the daytime can be problematic due to the shadows the sun casts, or because of the amount of landscape and/or architectural lighting on the property.

Better Photography, Better Home Prices

While only about 8% of online home listings include twilight photos, the listings that do tend to have higher home values, with 59% of homes selling for more than $500,000, 32% of homes selling for between $30,000-$500,000, and 8% of homes selling for $100,000-$300,000.

And better photos also mean better offer prices. Homes featuring professionally-edited photos receive 47% higher asking prices per square foot (cbsnews.com). So jumping on the trend of using virtual twilight photos may be the edge you need to get maximum value out of your available properties.

If you are in need of a listing agent, or our professional photography and editing services, contact licensed realtor Conrad Leavitt and Trillivison today. We can help you do it all.