While potential tenants will skim what you write for your rental listing, the place their eyes will linger is on the photographs. If you upload dim, blurry, or otherwise unattractive photos for your listing, the chances are good that great tenants won't give you a fair chance. Why not invest in a little extra photography and reap the rewards for years to come in the form of consistent, large applicant pools from which to screen the perfect tenants for your property in the Orlando area? As a Central Florida landlord, you'll be glad you chose to level up your photography.
Professional Photographers Make the Difference
Unless you genuinely have studied or worked in photography, the chances are good that your point-and-shoot photos cannot compare to professional shots. A professional photographer has mastered the techniques needed to get great shots with a DSLR camera, and they can see at a glance what the challenges in photographing a particular location will be. You should seek photographers who specifically work with real estate. They know how to make a room look spacious without becoming deceptive. They can help you emphasize the best parts of the property without needing to hide anything.
Working with a professional can give you access to tons of tips and tricks for future shoots: they'll help you pick angles, add lighting, and avoid blurriness. They will also be much better at noticing things that require "touch-ups" in editing after the photos are done. Most of the rest of us cannot pick out precisely what element of a photo needs to change to go from good to "Wow!"
Avoid Rookie Mistakes
There are a few ways to make your listing photos look just a little less professional than you'd like. Consider cutting any of these "bad habits" out if you've done them in the past, especially if you are looking to draw in tenants who know a great property when they see one!
- Don't include snapshots of the unattractive street, parking lot, or other features that happen to be around your property listing. Yes, an exterior shot or two in the mix is a good thing, but you don't have to reveal the entire view from the property if that view is not an extra draw.
- Don't "distort reality" with your interior shots. It's easy to see a photo you took and say, "wow, that room looks a lot bigger! Let's use this one." But these tenants will want to see the property for themselves, so you need the photos to sell them on the property you have, not on a fictional one that lives only in your listing photos.
- Don't include snapshots of "daily life." Make sure you consider any furniture and decor you include as part of your photography scenery. Including weirdly specific items or a lot of clutter will distract from the listing and make some people dismiss the listing as "not for them." Your potential tenants need to be able to see themselves in your Orlando property—not someone else!
Set the Stage for Success
So, if you shouldn't leave clutter and your baseball card collection in the shot during the listing photos, what should be there? Ideally, you'd want either nothing there or simple, clean furniture and walls that show the potential of your property. Let your listing viewers read their own story onto the property, rather than telling them who they are. To set the stage, you'll want more than just items, though: you want as much natural light as you can get. Talk to your photographer about the best time to start shooting in your particular area to catch all the sunlight your property gets. Natural light casts warmth and a kind of glow over features that would otherwise look less exciting. These little touches, plus some filler lighting your photographer can offer if needed, make a massive difference to the final results.
An Expert Property Manager Can Make the Difference
As a property management company, Verandah Properties has worked for many years with a wide variety of landlords to generate high-quality listing photos. We've discovered the best professional real estate photographers in Central Florida, and we've paid attention to what kinds of photos get lots of tenant applications. Your listing experience as a landlord doesn't have to be complicated! With expert property management from Verandah Properties, you can be as hands-on or as hands-off with your investment as you'd like. That being said, we don't sugar-coat the risks of being a landlord in Orlando, which is why we offer our partners Landlord Protection Insurance.
Verandah Properties is here to help you maximize your investment property! Let's get you started on the path to high-quality tenants with our FREE Make-Ready Checklist! It's designed just for landlords like you to help get your property ready for new tenants.