Whether you're a new investor or a seasoned real estate investment professional, your listing photos can either boost your success or make it difficult to generate the income you need.
Bad property photos won't stop anyone from "swiping left" on your Baltimore property during an online rental search. However, excellent property photos can stop a scroll in its track and bring your next excellent renter to your front door!
If taking the time to photograph your property in a way that showcases its features seems like a hassle, we're here to help! As the experts in Baltimore property management, we've put together some of our best tips for taking better listing photos. It's time to put your properties ahead of the competition!
Use a Professional Photographer
We're not suggesting you hire your cousin Jill's wedding photographer, either! You need someone who makes a career out of shooting professional photos of properties—inside and out!
You might think, "But my cellphone takes great pictures!" For selfies and everyday photos, your smartphone is an excellent option. However, walking around your property and taking pictures with your cellphone won't produce the photos you need to bring better renters unless you happen to know some cutting-edge techniques.
No matter the highest quality photos your phone can take, the best property photos come straight from a professional real estate photographer. They know how to:
- Make the best use of lighting to capture each room in your property: Whether natural light is enough or they need to bring in the right type of lights to capture a dark room, professionals are experts at lighting a room for a photo.
- Choose the best angles to show off each room: Taking a picture in the wrong place can make a room look small and confined. Professional photographers know how to maximize the kind of angles Baltimore homes have in spades to look spacious and inviting to new renters.
- Make the right edits for accuracy: Even with the best lighting, sometimes a photo doesn't represent the room's colors accurately. Your photographer makes the right edits to accurately show each room in your property—without editing to make false enhancements.
The rental property market is competitive! If you're an out-of-state investor, you must rely on local talent to showcase your properties and find better renters faster.
If You DIY, Do It Right
As a professional Baltimore property management company, our best recommendation is to invest in professional photos for property listings. However, if you choose to DIY your property listing copy and photos, take the time to do it right!
Don't underestimate the power of a photo! A bad or poor quality photo doesn't communicate the professionalism that attracts high-quality renters. Excellent photos can almost tell a potential renter everything they want to know to help them put in a rental application for your property.
Follow Best Practices
You can use a Google search to find just about anything you need to know these days, including how to take good rental property photos. Follow tips from professionals, including photographers and expert property managers:
- Invest in a high-quality camera: Again, don't rely on your cellphone for property photos unless it happens to be a 4K camera. Quality digital cameras are not expensive, and can make a significant improvement in your photo skills!
- Chase the best lighting: Sometimes, the best photos need to happen at a specific time of day when the sunlight creates the best natural light in your property. If you miss your ideal natural lighting, you might need to purchase or borrow additional lighting you can carry into the property. A room's overhead lighting is rarely the best light for quality photos, but it will do in a pinch.
- Study the right angles: Every room has a best angle to capture a photo. Learn about where to stand to avoid shooting your reflection in a mirror. Understand how shooting higher or lower than eye level can affect the appearance of a room.
- Don't forget the exterior: Lighting and angles impact the look and feel of your property's exterior, too! To eliminate dramatic shadows that can hide your rental property's charm, avoid direct sunlight when taking photos.
Consider what's in each room as you prepare for your photo session. Clear clutter, reduce the amount of furniture, and make sure the property is clean!
A Property Manager Photographs Your Property's Best Features!
Property owners shouldn't have to spend time learning how to take quality photos of your investment properties. It's one of the hassles you don't need to deal with when growing a real estate portfolio to enjoy passive income!
Expert Baltimore property management knows how to capture your property's best features! You don't have to worry about how your property looks online or if your listing will attract quality renters. The Rentwell team uses professional real estate photography when preparing listings for your Baltimore rental property.
However, photos aren't the only element of your rental listing that matters! Once you find a renter, you need to screen them to protect the profitability of your property! Learn more with our FREE Tenant Screening Checklist!
