Real estate photography is all about selling a space before a buyer even steps inside. A property listing has seconds to capture attention, and high-quality images can make the difference between a quick sale and a listing that sits unnoticed. But even the best-shot photos need real estate photo editing to bring out their full potential—correcting exposure, sharpening details, and enhancing colors to make a space look inviting.

That’s where our guide comes in. With AI-driven tools designed for speed and precision, we’re simplifying real estate photo retouching while keeping complete creative control in your hands. In this guide, you’ll learn how to edit real estate photos step by step, using ON1 Photo RAW 2025 to enhance property images for listings, marketing, and client portfolios. Let’s get started!

1. Reduce Noise
2. Sharpen Details
3. Correct Colors and Reduce Haze
4. Improve Exposure and Contrast
5. Remove Distractions
6. Swap Dull Skies
7. Fine-Tune Light and Shadows
8. Frequently Asked Questions

1. Reduce Noise

Low-light conditions are a common challenge in real estate photography. Interiors often rely on artificial lighting, and twilight or nighttime shots can introduce unwanted grain. Noise makes an image look unprofessional, reducing clarity and making fine details—like textures in flooring, furniture, and countertops—appear muddy.

Solution: Use NoNoise AI to Remove Grain Without Losing Detail

ON1’s NoNoise AI eliminates noise while preserving sharpness, making it an essential tool for real estate photo retouching. Instead of manually adjusting sliders for hours, this AI-powered tool analyzes the image and applies intelligent noise reduction instantly.

How to Use NoNoise AI in ON1:

• Open Your Image – Import your photo into ON1 Photo RAW’s Develop module.
• Apply NoNoise AI – Navigate to the Noise Reduction panel and enable NoNoise AI.
• Adjust Strength – Use the Strength slider to find the right balance—removing noise without making the image look overly smooth.
• Enhance Detail – If necessary, refine textures with the Detail slider to maintain a natural, realistic appearance.

With NoNoise AI, you get crisp, professional-looking images that leave walls, furniture, and architectural details looking sharp while eliminating grain.

2. Sharpen Details

Sharp, well-defined details are essential in real estate photography. Buyers want to see crisp images that highlight architectural elements, flooring textures, and high-end finishes. However, aggressive sharpening can create unwanted halos and artifacts, making images look artificial.

Solution: Use Tack-Sharp AI for Natural, Precise Sharpening

ON1 Photo RAW’s Tack-Sharp AI intelligently enhances details, sharpening images while avoiding over-processing. This is especially useful for interior and exterior shots, where clarity is key, but excess sharpening can make edges look unnatural.

How to Use Tack-Sharp AI in ON1:

• Open Your Image – Load your photo into ON1 Photo RAW’s Develop module.
• Activate Tack-Sharp AI – Navigate to the Sharpening panel and enable Tack-Sharp AI.
• Adjust Sharpness Strength – Use the Strength slider to fine-tune sharpening. Keep an eye on fine details like window frames, countertops, and hardwood floors.
• Refine Selectively – If sharpening introduces noise, combine it with NoNoise AI for a balanced, clean look.

With Tack-Sharp AI, you can bring out architectural details, furniture textures, and exterior features without compromising image quality.

3. Correct Colors and Reduce Haze

Even a well-lit property can suffer from color inconsistencies and unwanted haze. Artificial lighting, mixed light sources, and outdoor glare can lead to color casts, washed-out tones, and dull-looking interiors. If window views appear blown out or colors seem off, real estate photo editing can correct these issues for a more natural, balanced look.

Solution: Use Color Fringe Removal & Haze Reduction for True-to-Life Colors

ON1 Photo RAW’s Color Fringe Removal tool eliminates purple and green fringing caused by high-contrast lighting conditions, while Haze Reduction restores detail lost in overexposed areas like bright windows. Together, these tools ensure that interiors look clean, natural, and inviting.
How to Use Color Fringe Removal & Haze Reduction in ON1:

• Open Your Image – Load your photo into ON1 Photo RAW’s Develop module.
• Fix Color Fringing – Navigate to Lens Correction and enable Color Fringe Removal to eliminate color shifts along high-contrast edges. Adjust the strength slider to target problem areas without affecting natural colors.
• Reduce Haze and Restore Window Details – Go to the Effects panel and add Haze Reduction. Increase the Haze slider until outdoor views become clearer without darkening the interior.
• Fine-Tune White Balance – Use the Temperature and Tint sliders to correct any unnatural color casts. Match lighting conditions so that warm tones from artificial lights don’t overpower natural daylight.

With Color Fringe Removal & Haze Reduction, you can correct distorted colors and overexposed highlights, making interiors look vibrant and true to life.

4. Improve Exposure and Contrast

Even the best-shot real estate photos often need exposure adjustments to bring out details in shadows, highlights, and midtones. Overexposed interiors can lose depth, while underexposed shots may lack vibrancy. A well-balanced image should look bright, inviting, and true to life, without appearing flat or washed out.

Solution: Use AI Auto Tone & Adaptive AI Enhancements for Instant Balance

ON1 Photo RAW’s AI Auto Tone intelligently analyzes an image and applies balanced exposure, contrast, and brightness adjustments in one click. For more control, Adaptive AI Enhancements allow targeted refinements, ensuring that dark corners, bright windows, and key focal points look natural and well-lit.
How to Use AI Auto Tone & Adaptive AI Enhancements in ON1:

• Open Your Image – Load your photo into ON1 Photo RAW’s Develop module.
• Apply AI Auto Tone – Click AI Auto Tone to let ON1 automatically adjust exposure, contrast, and highlights. Observe how it evens out lighting without over-processing.
• Refine Shadows and Highlights – If needed, fine-tune brightness using the Shadows and Highlights sliders to prevent overexposed windows or dark interior corners.
• Use Adaptive AI Enhancements – Adjust the Midtones slider to add dimension without losing detail. Use the Contrast and White/Black Point sliders to ensure a clean, dynamic look.

With AI Auto Tone and Adaptive AI Enhancements, you can quickly correct exposure without spending time on manual adjustments, ensuring that real estate images look polished, bright, and market-ready.

5. Remove Distractions

A real estate listing should showcase the property, not the clutter inside it. Personal items, power cords, stray furniture, or even an unfortunate reflection in a mirror can distract potential buyers. Manually editing these out can be time-consuming, but with ON1 Photo RAW’s Generative AI Fill and Erase Unwanted Objects tools, cleaning up an image is quick and simple.

Solution: Use Generative AI Fill to Remove Clutter and Unwanted Objects

ON1’s Generative AI Fill analyzes the surroundings and intelligently replaces unwanted elements with realistic textures and patterns, making the edits virtually undetectable. Erase Unwanted Objects works alongside it for quick touch-ups, ensuring a clean, distraction-free image.
How to Remove Distractions in ON1:

• Open Your Image – Import the photo into ON1 Photo RAW’s Develop module.
• Use the Erase Tool for Small Objects – Select the Erase tool and brush over small distractions like light switches, cords, or debris. ON1 will automatically replace them with a blended, natural-looking background.
• Use Generative AI Fill for Larger Edits – Highlight larger objects like furniture, wall fixtures, or unwanted reflections. Click Generate Fill, and ON1 will intelligently replace the area with a realistic texture match.
• Refine the Edit – If needed, use the AI Masking Tool to fine-tune the edges and ensure a natural look.

With Generative AI Fill and Erase Unwanted Objects, you can quickly clean up listing photos, keeping interiors looking professional, clutter-free, and market-ready—without spending hours in post-production.

See It In Action: Better Object Removal on Any Computer with ON1

Get a closer look at the new Non-Generative option in ON1 Photo RAW! This update gives you more flexibility when removing unwanted objects, letting you choose between AI-powered fills or a more manual approach. Watch the video to check it out for yourself!

6. Swap Dull Skies

Exterior real estate photos play a major role in first impressions, but a dull, overcast sky can make even the most stunning home look uninviting. The good news? You don’t have to reschedule a shoot just to get better lighting. With ON1 Photo RAW’s AI Sky Swap, you can instantly replace gray skies with vibrant sunsets or clear blue skies, making listings look more appealing and professional.

Solution: Use AI Sky Swap for a Natural, Seamless Sky Replacement

ON1’s AI-powered Sky Swap automatically detects the horizon and replaces the sky while preserving the natural lighting and reflections in the image. This is especially useful for luxury properties, commercial buildings, and outdoor real estate photography, where a dramatic sky can add atmosphere to the entire scene.
How to Use AI Sky Swap in ON1:

• Open Your Image – Import the photo into ON1 Photo RAW’s Develop module.
• Select the Sky Swap Tool – Navigate to the Sky Swap panel and choose from ON1’s built-in library of skies or upload a custom one. Options include bright blue daytime skies, golden hour lighting, and dramatic sunsets.
• Adjust Sky Brightness & Color Balance – Use the Sky Brightness slider to match the sky’s exposure to the scene. Fine-tune the Temperature and Tint sliders to ensure realistic lighting.
• Refine the Mask to Blend – ON1’s AI Masking Tool automatically blends the new sky into the horizon, but you can manually refine it if needed. Adjust the Edge Softness slider to smooth out any harsh transitions.

By replacing dull, lifeless skies with vibrant, eye-catching backdrops, you can make outdoor shots stand out and increase engagement on listings—all with just a few clicks.

7. Fine-Tune Light and Shadows

Lighting can make or break a real estate listing. Overexposed windows, dark interior corners, or uneven lighting can make a space look uninviting. A well-balanced photo should highlight natural light while keeping shadows and bright areas in check. Instead of applying global adjustments that affect the entire image, Luminance & Color-Based Masking in ON1 Photo RAW allows for precise, targeted edits to fine-tune light and shadows.

Solution: Use Luminance & Color-Based Masking for Precise Light Adjustments

Luminance masking lets you brighten or darken specific areas of an image based on their brightness levels, while Color-Based Masking helps you tweak tones in specific surfaces (like walls, floors, or ceilings) without affecting other elements.
How to Enhance Light & Shadows in ON1:

• Open Your Image – Load your real estate photo into ON1 Photo RAW’s Develop module.
• Apply Luminance Masking – Open the Masking Panel and choose Luminance Masking. Select areas based on brightness levels—brighten dark corners or tone down overexposed window light. Adjust the feathering and transition for a natural blend.
• Use Color-Based Masking for Targeted Adjustments – If a wall looks too warm or too cool, use Color-Based Masking to adjust just that section without affecting the rest of the image. Select the color range you want to edit and refine with the Opacity slider.
• Blend for a Balanced, Professional Finish – Adjust exposure and contrast in masked areas for a seamless, natural look. Combine with AI Auto Tone for a fully polished result.

By using Luminance & Color-Based Masking, you gain complete control over exposure, ensuring every part of the image looks balanced, well-lit, and visually appealing.

Edit Smarter, Sell Faster—Try ON1 Photo RAW 2025 for Free

In real estate photography, every detail matters—from the clarity of architectural lines to the brightness of an interior space. ON1 Photo RAW 2025 is the best software for editing real estate photos, so why not try it for yourself? With AI-driven tools that refine lighting, remove distractions, and balance exposure, your photos will be market-ready in less time.

See what’s possible when powerful real estate photo editing meets smart automation. Try ON1 Photo RAW 2025 for free and transform the way you edit real estate images.

8. Frequently Asked Questions: Real Estate Photo Retouching

For more expert insights and solutions to common real estate photo retouching questions, check out our FAQ section—a go-to resource for tips, techniques, and troubleshooting.

What is the best file format for real estate photo editing?

For the highest quality and editing flexibility, shoot in RAW format. RAW files retain more image data, allowing for better exposure correction, color adjustments, and detail recovery. If RAW isn’t an option, high-resolution JPEGs with minimal compression are the next best choice.

How can I make small rooms appear larger in photos?

Use a wide-angle lens to capture more of the space, but avoid extreme distortion. In post-processing, ON1 Photo RAW’s Perspective Correction tool can straighten lines and ensure walls and furniture don’t appear unnaturally stretched.

How do I make interior photos look evenly lit?

Use HDR (High Dynamic Range) editing to merge multiple exposures and balance shadows and highlights. If you only have a single exposure, ON1 Photo RAW’s AI Auto Tone and Luminance Masking can help brighten dark areas while preserving window details.