A hero render is the one image that has to do the work — the photo at the top of the listing, the cover of the design proposal, the picture you send to family asking what they think. Every other image supports it. So it's worth investing more iterations in this one image than in the rest combined.
The ingredients of a strong hero render: a wide-but-not-fisheye angle (35mm equivalent works well in residential), a slightly low camera position (eye-level or below feels more cinematic than the standard 5'7" "real-estate" height), warm late-afternoon natural light from one direction (cool overhead light kills atmosphere), one clear focal point composed near a thirds intersection, and intentional negative space rather than every surface filled.
For real-estate listings, the hero render is what pulls the click on a search-results page. For design presentations, it's what convinces a client to commit. For consumers, it's what you screenshot and send. Worth the extra time.