EDITING · 5 MIN READ
How to write real estate photo editing instructions editors can act on
“Make it look good” delegates an aesthetic guess. The most useful editing instructions separate the studio’s reusable standard from the few property-specific decisions that matter today.
QUICK ANSWER
Write one brief that identifies the property, source files, ordered outputs, standard style reference, specific exceptions, deadline and reviewer. For every special request, name the affected image or area and the intended result. Ask the editor to flag ambiguity before changing property details.
Start with context and expected outputs
Include job identifier, address label, ordered service, source location, selected image set, target format and due time with time zone. Link to the current style guide rather than pasting contradictory directions into every assignment. State who will review the submission.
Make exceptions specific and bounded
Describe which image or room needs attention and what change is expected. For example, “on kitchen image 08, keep window detail while matching the approved reference exposure” gives more direction than “fix the windows.” If a request would alter an important property feature, pause and seek an explicit client or reviewer decision instead of assuming.
- Reference the file or frame.
- Describe the acceptable outcome.
- State what should not change.
- Identify the person who can answer questions.
Illustrative brief excerpt
For a fictional three-bedroom listing: “Edit the selected interior and exterior source sets in folder JOB-184/source. Deliver approved-size JPEGs in JOB-184/submitted/v1 by 10 am local. Follow the current studio color reference. For living-room image 12, retain the window view; for exterior image 03, ask the reviewer before any object removal. Reply if a selected source is absent.” This example is a template, not a description of an actual customer.
Close the loop after submission
The reviewer checks the result against the brief and ordered output list. Requests for changes should cite the submitted version and affected files. Update the reusable style guide when the same clarification recurs across jobs; leave one-off exceptions on the job.