High-Quality Listing Photos Really ARE Worth a Thousand Words!
When your potential tenants are scrolling through a long list of possible places to live in Daytona, it's no wonder that their eyes start to glaze over as they read vast fields of text—where do you think they end up focused after they've seen dozens of listings?The photos, of course!
When your ideal tenants come across your listing, you want those photos to make them "slow their scroll" and reach out to view your rental property in person. However, getting the listing photos perfect isn't as easy as it might seem; photographing real estate is both an art and a science, so follow these tips to get the best results.
Pick the Perfect Lighting
- If at all possible, aim for a time when the sunlight will be streaming through the windows of the rental since you want to showcase the property. This is a priority for a lot of renters since anyone can add dark curtains if there is too much light, and having enough light tends to make a home feel more comfortable and airy.
- The "golden hour"—right before sunset—tends to make for beautiful, yellow-hued photographs that can glamorize an otherwise ordinary rental and enhance the beauty on a luxury rental. Schedule your shoots in advance so that you can take advantage of this light!
- Interior rooms will require a variety of light sources; make sure that your photographer has the light stands, flashes, and lamps they need to make every room look well-lit and inviting. Make it part of your contract with a professional photographer to use additional light sources; if you don't use them because the shots are beautiful without, it's still good to have the option available in advance.
Maximize Your Professional Photographer
Ideally, your professional photographer will have shot real estate before, but you can save yourself some additional hours of payment if you have the rental perfectly staged when the photographer arrives to shoot. The more efficiently you can run the shoot, the higher your return on investment for great listing photos.
- Before the shoot, write the exact shot list you want to get. If you need inspiration, look at other successful listing photos in the Daytona area: what kinds of standard shots show up in rentals of your type? Make sure you have all of those, but also any shots that would emphasize the unique qualities of this home.
- If the property is occupied, work out a time with the current residents of your rental according to your lease terms when you can get access to the property. Stress on the importance of having the property in good order—the more "stuff" is in the shot, the more the eye is drawn away from the best details of the room.
- Plan locations in the room from which your photographer can set up a tripod to get the best, most steady shots possible. As you walk through with your photographer, mention unique aspects that you want to feature in each room.
- Once you've given the photographer the instructions, let him or her do the work! Offer to assist when needed but don't micromanage their process—they know what they're doing.
Stage Your Rental property Well
- When possible, put standard, fairly non-descript furniture into the space. The goal is for your future tenants to be able to see themselves and their stuff in that space, thinking "Our couch is somewhat like that couch, and it'd look good there by the fireplace..."
- While it is a normal part of life to have items out on surfaces, clean surfaces convey a newness and a readiness for potential tenants that cannot be achieved with homework papers, the dog's leash, or a leftover cereal bowl in the frame. Remember, the goal is to highlight the beauty of your investment property!
- If you must photograph without furnishings, make sure that every effort is made to clean and repair: scuffs on the wall, stains in the carpet, or a worn-out countertop come into sharp relief if there are no other furnishings to draw the eye. You want to emphasize what makes your investment property appear to be in the "best condition" to interest potential tenants who are delving through listings.
Work with a Daytona Property Manager
While staging and photographing listings yourself is possible, an expert Daytona property manager will have a long history of excellence in advertising effectively for their clients. They will have connections to experienced real estate photographers and a sure-fire strategy for getting your listing photos seen by the Daytona market. If you are ready to find the right tenants quickly and retain them long-term, a great place to start is to acquire your FREE rental property analysis! Verandah Properties knows how to make the qualities of your Daytona investment property shine.