Top 10 Rental Property Photos You Need

Written by on August 18, 2011 in Landlord Tips, Management, Marketing - No Comments
Camera

When looking at their vacant rental property, landlords should put themselves in the shoes of a renter. As a renter searching for a new home, what would make you pick up the phone to contact the owner and schedule a tour? Are there certain rooms you “must see” before you’ll make the trip? What photos could entice you to want to know more?

Once you look at your rental from this perspective, you’ll realize that it’s important to feature your rental in the best light and show off as much as possible to earn your potential renters’ trust. Here are 7 types of photos you should incude in your rental apartment advertisements and 3 types you need as a property manager. Excluding some of these must-have photos in your ads could make a renter think you have something to hide so don’t forget them.

Marketing Photos – Use these photos when advertising your vacant rental apartment.

1. Kitchen – The most requested photos from renters is of the kitchen. These spaces are tough to capture because they are usually small in apartments. Use a wide angle lens and take a step back. Try to give some context to the space and make it look as spacious as possible.

2. Living Room / Great Room - This photograph will give the prospective renter a feel for the overall space and quality of your rental apartment. Style the living room with neutral colors and inviting furniture.

3. Bathroom – Equally as requested as the kitchen, but probably more difficult to photograph is the bathroom. Make sure to clean and style the bathroom a bit. Set up matching towels and accessories and put the toilet seat down.

4. Exterior - We addressed curb appeal before and it’s importance in rental property. The exterior photo will not only highlight your curb appeal, it will let the renter know they’ve found the correct place when they arrive for the property tour.

5. Bedroom - A good rule of thumb in all photographed rooms is to have them staged with furniture, but it is most important in the bedrooms. It’s too difficult for renters to see if their bedroom furniture will fit and it’s very important. Look for interesting angles for these photos, but make sure to include the edges of the bed in the frame.

6. Amenities - Amenities are additional features that help your rental property stand out from the crowd so a great photo of them should be included. However, do not overdo the number of amenity photos. Renters are always more interested in their personal living space and an abundance of property amenity photos might make them think you’re hiding something.

7. View – Properties with views often rent for more than those without, so renters will want proof of this coveted feature if they are going to spend more money each month. This is also a great selling feature that will help draw attention to your rental property and increase your property showings. Try to include part of your rental in your photograph as well so it’s clear that it was actually taken from your home.

A best practice tip: Invest in good marketing photography. These photos of a beautifully staged apartment can be used over and over. This way, when you receive the notice to vacate from your current tenant, you can start marketing right away with great photos!

Documentation photos – These are photos that should be kept on hand for property management purposes. Since they will not be used to attract renters, they do not need to be taken by a professional or high quality camera equipment.

8. Pre-rental Photos – Landlords should take a photograph of every room before a tenant moves in. These photos serve as great documentation should you need to evict a tenant or have a dispute over something at your rental property. It’s also a good idea to date stamp these photos.

9. Post-rental Photos – Similar to the pre-rental photos, landlords should take a photograph of every room just after a tenant moves out. Combine this informal photo shoot with the final walk through so your renter sees you documenting the condition of the apartment. If you need to charge for any damages, these photos will come in handy.

10. Specific Damages – Speaking of damages, if there are any damages that you will be charging your renter for, it’s wise to take a photograph or two to document the necessary repairs. This helps communication with your renter and keeps you covered in case of a dispute.

Related Posts:

10 Ways to Improve Your Apartment Photos
Staging a Rental Property
Get More From Your Rental Ads

Photos by: Trust & Travel, Brimley, lms photos, and Coco + Kelley

10 Ways to Improve Your Apartment Photos

Written by on July 25, 2011 in Landlord Tips, Marketing - 3 Comments
Relax

Once you have your vacant rental property staged, you need to capture great photos to help bring in prospective renters. This photography is your rental property’s first impression when people look at your advertisements so it is important to set the stage properly. If you are working with a model or a furnished apartment, here are 10 easy ways to improve your property photos that will help you rent your vacant apartment faster.

1. De-clutter

Pick up any clutter, dust off surfaces, smooth out bedspreads, and straighten curtains or blinds. Don’t give your renters a chance to look at anything but a great looking room.

Photo by: UrbaneApts

2. Think Outside the Box

When we set up furniture in our own homes we often set the furniture against the walls. While this might give us the most floor space, it’s not very visually interesting. Instead, in a model apartment, try arranging furniture in small groups or on an angle. If that’s too much, start with a floor rug on an angle to anchor the space. You might be surprised how one piece can change up the visual presentation.

3. Ditch the Tube

Television sets never photograph well, especially when left on. Have you noticed how many interior design photo shoots have TVs in them? Yep, almost zero. Turn it off or better yet, remove it all together when photographing apartments.

Photo by: Eric Hausman

4. Draw Eyes with Pops of Color

Bright colors are an easy way to draw a renter’s eye into the your property’s photographs. In order to create a cohesive look, choose one color that compliments the room’s design and liven up the space with simple accents. Inexpensive accessories include decorative pillows, throws, fabric and books.

5. Set the Table

Dining tables are much more inviting when set with lovely place settings. Use a couple different dishes, shiny silverware, cloth napkins and glass cups. A good trick is to add sand to bowls or glasses so that they do not feel empty. Your goal is to have people envision themselves getting an invitation to a dinner party at your property.

Photo by: RoseNYC

6. Fill the Frame

Photographs capture spaces in 2 dimensions, but your rental apartments are 3 dimensional. This difference can cause some apartment features or furniture to look distorted. To fix it, look through the camera lens or take a practice photo. Then see if you can arrange furniture or adjust accessories to fill the frame better.

7. Tie up Loose Ends

Take a practice photo and use it to examine the details. Straighten any wall hangings, tie up loose cords, and turn lampshades around so the seams are hidden. Another tip is to remove the plastic rod attached to mini-blinds and neatly tie up the cords.

8. Bring the Outdoors in

Use fresh flowers or a bowl of fruit to add life to your apartment. This can also help with your pop of color; just make sure it coordinates.

9. Check the Lights

Lighting is a great trick to brighten your space. Replace the current light bulbs with a higher wattage bulb to increase the light and make your rental property feel bigger and brighter. Another idea is to purchase daylight light bulbs. These give off a blue-tinted light and look more like natural sunlight in photographs.

10. Keep it Steady

One of the best ways to improve your apartment photos is to use a tripod. The tripod can be squeezed in a corner where a person cannot fit and adjustments can be made to the room without jeopardizing the photo angle. Also, once the camera is steady, you can open the aperture on your camera to let in more light if necessary.