Here’s a fun fact we’ve noticed at Rentler—listings with photos get 27% more views than those without photos. That’s 27% more people that could be looking at your property instead of at another property.
This might come as a surprise, but many landlords don’t take the time or the effort to upload photos. Now that our stats have convinced you photos are the way to go, make sure they’re the best. A good photo should reflect your well-maintained property and give potential tenants a glimpse of the community around it. Here are some tips, even if photography isn’t your area of expertise:
Staging
A well-furnished room gets more tenants ogling over your listing. They can picture and feel the home when you show them potential layouts. Pictures with furniture always bode well, as they enable prospective tenants to really visualize your place as their place. However, on the flipside, you want to make sure the photos don’t look too cluttered or filled with personal items.
If someone is currently living in the property you will be listing, inform them ahead of time you would like to come take some photos and mention that you would like the decor to look as simple as possible. Once you begin photographing, try to crop the photos so personal items are out of the frame.
If the property is empty, we get that you probably don’t want to spend the time or money it would take to fill it up. You can get creative and repurpose items from your lobby (if your property has one) or bring a few things from your own house. All you really need is a chair or two, mirrors to reflect natural light, and a plant to make a place look inviting. If you want to invest a little bit more into photography, you can also use a staging company that will bring in furniture and take the photos for you. This website is a great resource for finding companies in your area.
While you’ve got the camera out, take some photos of the area around the property. Whether that’s the yard, courtyard, sidewalk, or hallway, people want to see what their new surroundings will be.
Lighting
Natural light will be your best friend, so try to take the photos during daytime hours. Turn on all the lights before you snap your photos. If you have a dark room or area, use lamps to brighten the place up. Light brings life to your listing by infusing it with colors and warmth. Accent lighting can be decorative and bring harmony and balance to rooms as well.
Be Professional
Don’t be the guy who has a stained mattress in an empty bedroom as one of your photos. Yes, this just recently happened. No need to hire a professional, just take pride in your photography skills. Get the best angles and use a great camera with high resolution. Make sure your photos aren’t blurry or pixelated. Remember, photos can be the deciding factor for those who are on the fence about renting your place. If you don’t already have a tripod, this lightweight version from Amazon is a good beginner option.
Using your smartphone for photography is no longer taboo, to get the best images use this tripod
made for phones that will eliminate blurry images and an app like VSCO Cam or Camera+ to edit your pictures before posting them.
Give Yourself Options
Taking more photos than you think you’ll need is a great way to give yourself options, then select the photos that turn out the best. Also, take photos at different times of the day in order to capture different lighting and effects.
Following these simple tips will make a massive impact on the number of visitors to your listing.
Originally published on Groundwork
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