From RAW to Ready – My Real Estate Editing Workflow in Lightroom and Photoshop
If you’ve ever looked at a real estate photo and thought, “How the hell did they make that room look so clean, bright, and balanced?” — this one’s for you.
Behind every polished property image is a solid editing workflow. And when you’re shooting homes across the Sunshine Coast, from beachside apartments to hinterland retreats, knowing how to handle different lighting, colour tones, and architecture styles is everything.
In this blog, I’m walking you through the exact Lightroom and Photoshop editing process I use — from RAW file to final export — that helps turn scroll-stoppers into booking magnets.
Why Editing Is Essential for Real Estate Photography
No matter how good your gear is, the camera alone can’t do what the human eye does. It can’t balance blown-out windows with shadowy hallways. It doesn’t correct colour casts from mixed lighting. And it doesn’t make a cluttered room feel spacious.
That’s where editing comes in — to fix what physics and real estate lighting can't.
A solid edit can:
Balance exposure across bright windows and dark interiors
Remove unwanted colour casts from lights, walls, or flooring
Straighten verticals and align architecture perfectly
Enhance the crispness of textures without overdoing it
Deliver a clean, high-end finish that matches the property's real feel
Step 1: Import & Pre-Select in Lightroom
It all starts with the RAW files. I shoot bracketed exposures (usually 3-5 stops apart) to cover the dynamic range of each room, especially when windows are involved.
Import Settings:
Apply a base preset for clarity and consistent lens corrections
Group photos by room, so I can assess flow and visual story
Use flags/colour labels to select keepers and weed out duplicates
Step 2: Base Edit in Lightroom (Global Adjustments)
Before anything complex happens, I apply basic corrections to each image or bracket set:
White Balance: Set using a grey card shot or a neutral surface
Exposure & Contrast: Balanced to give natural light levels
Highlights & Shadows: Controlled to prep for window blending
Lens Corrections: Auto profile + manual distortion tweaks if needed
Straightening & Crop: Using the Transform tool to fix verticals
If I’m batch editing a shoot, I sync these base settings across similar rooms to save time and stay consistent.
Step 3: HDR Merge or Manual Blending
For most interior rooms, I use Lightroom’s HDR Merge for subtle results. It’s perfect when the window light isn’t too extreme and I want a quick, non-destructive blend.
But when I need more control (e.g. large view windows or mixed lighting), I export the brackets into Photoshop for manual blending using layer masks.
External link: For a deeper dive into bracket blending techniques, check out this step-by-step Adobe HDR guide.
Step 4: Photoshop Finishing Touches
Here’s where the magic happens. Once the image is blended, I jump into Photoshop to refine every detail.
What I do in Photoshop:
Window Replacements: Drop in clean, balanced exposures for external views
Colour Fixes: Neutralise mixed lighting (e.g. yellow from downlights vs. blue daylight)
Clutter Removal: Patch or clone distracting elements (wires, reflections, stains)
Sharpening & Texture: Apply gentle local sharpening with a high-pass filter or clarity layer
Sky Replacements: For exteriors with blown skies — only when necessary and always natural
Once the image is polished, it gets saved as a TIFF back to Lightroom for exporting.
Step 5: Export & Delivery
Final images are exported in both:
Web-optimised JPEGs: 2500px long edge, 72dpi, ideal for online listings
High-res JPEGs: Full resolution for print, brochures or agency archives
Images are delivered via a client portal with download links and an optional slideshow preview.
Consistency Is King
When editing a full shoot — whether it’s a $1.5M Noosa beach house or a modest hinterland cottage — consistency is key. Each image should feel part of the same story:
Similar contrast, clarity and tones
Matched window brightness and warmth
Clean whites and neutral colours
This builds trust with agents, hosts, and viewers. No one wants photos where the kitchen looks warm and inviting but the bedroom feels cold and clinical.
How My Workflow Saves Time for Clients
Fast turnaround matters in real estate. That’s why my workflow is designed to:
Shoot efficiently with bracketed exposure logic
Batch edit similar rooms with synced settings
Pre-plan for Photoshop work (e.g. marking shots needing sky drops)
Deliver final images within 24–48 hours
Clients don’t see the hours in Lightroom or Photoshop. But they feel the difference when their listings pop, bookings increase, or they get more inspection traffic.
Real-World Example: Coolum Beach Shoot
Last month I photographed a renovated three-bed townhouse in Coolum. The main living room had floor-to-ceiling windows looking out to the dunes, but the harsh midday sun made it tough to balance.
Using my bracketed shots, I manually blended the windows in Photoshop, matched white balance throughout, and dropped in a gentle cloud-filled sky.
The agent reported a 3x increase in listing clicks in the first week.
Final Thoughts: Editing Isn’t a Bonus — It’s the Backbone
What happens after the shutter clicks is just as important as the shoot itself.
A sharp, well-lit, beautifully edited photo can be the difference between a booked property and one that lingers on the market. If you want to show off space, design, and potential, it all comes down to how you frame — and finish — the shot.
