Be Subtle

Have a look at this image below: it’s a real photography.
A very common error in renders is tending to exaggerate too much the “reflections”, with maps and other artificial tricks.

But look this wood(1) and the floor(2).. they are flat! Well, actually not completely flat: reflections contain “subtle” variations. If you increase the ability to handle reflection maps in a subtle way, you will move a step into photorealism.

NEVER EXAGGERATE, BE SUBTLE
Add this new keyword in your mind: “Subtle”