The number and quality of your photos is critical to booking yourself solid by creating an experience for your renters. It is one of the real keys to successful vacation property advertising.

Think about it. Photos are your renter’s first impression. They’ll be much more likely to read your ad or spend time on your site if they like what they see in your photos.

It’s time to review your photos and see if you’re putting your best food forward in your rental advertising.

Posting the Perfect Photos

Photos are at least as important as your ad copy, if not more so. They tell a story on their own, so it’s absolutely critical that you have incredible photos — they’ll truly help you rent your house.

Remember, this isn’t just one more thing “to do”. This is a great opportunity for you to increase your bookings. And you’ll be able to use these photos for years to come, so it’s really worth the time / money that you spend on it.

Here are some simple ideas to help you get the most out of your photos.

1. Make sure your photos are high resolution, and first generation
2. Think about “staging” your photos. Some ideas:
a. Set the table
b. Put out a bottle of wine, along with some glasses
c. Drape a blanket over the couch or loveseat so it looks inviting
d. Put fresh flowers out
e. Light candles if you allow them
f. Light a fire if you have a fireplace or woodstove
g. Take the cover off of the hot tub or pool - it looks more inviting and people will picture themselves using it.

3. Pay attention to the lighting….too much light or too little light is distracting and can make it hard to see what’s in the photo. Turn your lamps on, it usually adds to the photos. Play around with it and see what comes out the best.
4. Don’t turn on the TV, it rarely photographs well. If you have an elaborate entertainment center, take a picture of it and include your video library or games in the shot to show diversity.
5. Angle your furnishings so that the fit in the picture (as opposed to fitting the room). Remember, you’re telling a story with the picture, so give yourself some license to tell the story in context of the photo!
6. Don’t aim the camera directly at a window…it can create glare.
7. Experiment with horizontal and vertical framing of your photos. That’s the beauty of digital photography…you can experiment!

Some examples:

If you have a view property, show the view but show a deck railing so some frame to show that the picture is actually taken from your property and is not a generic view photo. Here’s a good example.

If a pool is a key sales feature, include a shot of the pool or two lounge chairs with the pool behind them.

If you are renting in a condo complex, don’t use a picture of the outside of the complex. Someone else might use it as well. Choose a picture that’s specific to your property’s features.

Tip: While we suggest posting the maximum number of photos allowed per listing as it’s such a wonderful opportunity to fully showcase your property, you can include even more by using an online photo-sharing site such as Flickr, Snapfish, or Shutterfly. (See the recent blog post on how online photo albums can help your property advertising).

If you are not comfortable with taking your own photos, or your photos don’t turn out, consider hiring a photographer. Here are some ideas to find a photographer:

★ Contact your local real estate agent for a referral
★ Contact your local high school or college and ask for recommendations for photography students. They’re often looking to build their portfolios
★ Consider trading time with a photographer …. ie trade time in your rental for professional photos.

I’ll do another post soon about the importance of photo captions and choosing the right thumbnail photograph for your rental advertising listings. In the meantime, take time to review your photos and make sure you have your best ones online, or arrange to take some new photos — they’ll boost the effectiveness of all of your rental property advertising.