Judy Gibbons is a broker associate with Jameson Sotheby’s International Realty in Barrington.

Every week, we ask a real estate professional for their Short List, a collection of tips and recommendations on an essential topic in real estate. This week, we talked with Judy Gibbons, a broker associate with Jameson Sotheby’s International Realty, who shared with us her tips for professional grade photography.

6. If possible, hire a professional photographer. If you don’t know one, look at other agents’ photos, and give them a call to see who they are using. If that is not possible, focus on…

5. Lighting – Lighting is the key to professional grade photography. Make sure all the lights in the house are in working order, and bring any additional professional lights you may have. Twilight shots are all the rage right now!

4. Staging – Stage your rooms so you can get that “magazine shot.” Get great ideas and examples from House Beautiful, HOUZZ or Pinterest.

3. Details – It’s not always about just shooting a room, it’s about details of the room: woodwork, antique door knobs, arched doorways. These type of shots also work great on social media such as Pinterest, Instagram and FB).

2. Learn – Take a free class online, such as this class taught by photographer Karl Taylor.

1. Story – Pictures are worth a thousand words. Make sure you are telling the story of the home! We all know that the Internet is where most people start their home search. I consider it a first showing! Make your home sizzles with awesome photos, so you get that second showing!

Judy Gibbons is a broker associate with Jameson Sotheby’s International Realty in Barrington. A director of the North Shore-Barrington Association of Realtors, Judy is also a past chairman of the association, and is a member of the National Association of Realtors, the Illinois Association of Realtors and Chicago Association of Realtors as well.