By Anica Oaks
Whether you're a landlord, real estate investor or real estate agent, getting your properties in front of the eyes of potential guests and renters is essential. Vibrant and masterful photos of your property are an absolute must for an effective and successful marketing campaign to ensure your rental units remain occupied. Just as pictures of great food entice guests in a restaurant, extraordinary photography of your property will showcase your rental units' features, decor and amenities.
Not everyone is a professional photographer, even with the best camera and smartphones, but you can take better photos of your property and give them a professional and polished look. Here are four tips for better property photos.
Shoot at the Best Time of the Day
Unless you're looking to showcase how your home looks at night, the best time to shoot photos of your home is during the daylight hours. Night photography is very complex and requires experience and the right equipment for shooting photos in low-light conditions.
If you're looking to add a distinctive look and feel to your photos, such as sunsets, night photography or sunrises, hire a professional property management company that offers pro photography and other services. Companies like Skye Management provide unique services such as hosting your properties on various platforms, pro photography, professional cleaning and turnover services, and communication between guests and host.
Use as Much Natural Light as Possible
Natural lighting always works and looks best when taking shots of your property's interior or exterior. Choose a time when the natural lighting is best without too many shadows and bright rays of sunlight. This tip is dependent on your property having a lot of light so you may
Use Staging for the Best Shots
Staging your property with the best decor is vital to attracting the eye of renters and homebuyers. You don't have to decorate and style your property like a cover for a magazine. Each shot should showcase the room's best assets, be clutter-free and give the customer an idea of how each room or space looks or can potentially look if the property is unfurnished.
Take Shots of the Entire Space
One common mistake many landlords make when shooting photos of their properties is that they only shoot portions of a room, yard or other space. Renters and homebuyers want to see pictures of the room as a whole and not just close-ups of decor and tiny details. Take photos of rooms, yards and other spaces in their entirety. You can supplement photos of entire areas with close-up shots of different elements in the room that display more detail and are important to renters.
Consider the Time of Year
When it comes to highlighting your property in your photos, it’s ideal to consider the time of year as well. For example, if you have beautiful springtime flowers, then your property may look more beautiful with flowers, and thus springtime would be an ideal time to take photos. If you take photos when all of the plants are dead and snow has melted, leaving muddy grounds around your property, then your property may not look as good.
Taking great photos of your property doesn't mean you have to be a master photographer. Pay attention to detail and take lots of practice shots to ensure your photography looks clean and polished.
Anica Oaks is a freelance writer who hails from San Francisco, California. When she's not writing, she's enjoying her time outside with her dogs. Keep up with her on Twitter @anicaoaks.
