Property photography and interior photo shoots for rental properties

When preparing a listing for a rental property, there are a number of things to keep in mind. An attractive description, a list of amenities and a mention of nearby attractions are just some of the required elements. A crucial aspect is the photos of the property, showing, among other things, the interior of the apartment and the individual rooms. Some owners neglect this, choosing to take the photos themselves in a not necessarily attractive way. Others, in turn, opt for full professionalism and hire a photographer, even taking drone shots of the surrounding architecture. Which solution is better? What are the benefits of a professional photo shoot of a lodging property?

What makes a rental property listing attractive?

Every owner of a vacation rental wants their property to generate the highest possible profits. A good investor will be satisfied with reaching their target revenue. But an even better owner will make sure to seize every opportunity so that their investment attracts as many customers as possible. The basic step is to make the listing attractive, which will generate traffic and win over undecided but potentially interested guests. What good is offering a fantastic place if it is carelessly described and the photos of the interiors and the property leave much to be desired? A good description is a matter of brushing up on copywriting and a few hours of your own work. Photos taken without the right lens, framing or editing will prove to be a somewhat bigger challenge. And this is where professional property photos taken by specialists come in handy. Not only do they have the necessary high-quality equipment, but their experience also allows them to bring out the essence of an interior's beauty, knowing how to arrange individual elements in the frame. 

Property and interior photography – photos are the foundation!

Practically every rental platform requires photos to be added to a listing. Whether it's international giants like Booking or Airbnb or local classified-ad groups, photos should be part of the listing. Without them, not only will we not find customers, but we won't even be able to activate our online listing. It is worth emphasizing that many online platforms offer additional ways to present an apartment. Virtual tours are very popular – from the hallway through the living room, bedroom, kitchen, bathroom or balcony. It is worth filming such shots with a wide-angle lens so that the perspective is as close as possible to what the human eye sees through its natural perception. Every property photo shoot, however, raises a question – should you do it yourself, using your own resources and equipment, or rather reach out to a professional photographer? Is an expense of several hundred or several thousand zloty worth a potential customer's attention, and will it actually turn potential guests into higher sales volume? Let's analyze all the „pros” and „cons” of both solutions!

Advantages of doing your own interior photography

A fairly obvious advantage that leads people to photograph their interiors themselves is the lack of cost. Apartment photos cost at least PLN 300, depending on the location, the size of the rooms or the number of photos. For people who count every zloty, this can be a rather painful expense, which you avoid by preparing the photos yourself. A related point is that you don't have to arrange a meeting, schedule access to the property or adapt to the photographer in any other way. As for quality – photos of this kind can be taken with a latest-generation smartphone camera, and you can expect at least a decent result. A few simple tricks are enough – the right bright time of day, removing private and unnecessary items, or minimal home staging. Even if some changes occur in the home, e.g., a baby cot is added, the coffee machine disappears or the decorations are changed, you can take new photos in no time and update the listing. 

Disadvantages of DIY photo shoots

When taking photos yourself, you have to reckon with numerous inconveniences which, in the end, encourage you to entrust this task to professionals. The first and most obvious point is that people without the relevant skills will never match trained experts. Photographers with a rich portfolio will spot the best shots from the moment they cross the threshold. Their creative sense and experience mean they will instantly find the most flattering angles for a given room. A closely related drawback is that our lack of professional equipment will be visible to the naked eye. The alternative is to buy all the accessories and items a photographer needs for their work, but will we know how to use them, and is it worth investing thousands of zloty in a one-time shoot? Another point – taking photos yourself directly involves you as the owner. When you commission photography services, all you need to do is let the photographer into the apartment, while you could spend that time managing your property, answering e-mails or taking care of other duties. By giving up professional photos, we deprive ourselves of many opportunities to capture the apartment's greatest visual assets.

Advantages of a professional photo shoot

A growing number of owners of short-term rental apartments are choosing to organize a professional photo shoot. There are many advantages in favor of this, the most important being a guarantee of high standards and satisfaction with the final result. A professional photographer won't allow blurry shots, awkward mirror reflections or poor camera positioning in relation to the room or the light. Such things are part of their „professional DNA”. Just as an editor corrects a text before an article is published, photographers take care of even the smallest details. By entrusting this task to professionals, we also save time and spare ourselves the effort – the photos will be taken for us. Our only role will be to let the photographer into the home and present our expectations. Once payment has been settled, all that remains is to wait for the photos, ready to be published in the listing. or on the website. Last but not least is comprehensive photo editing. White balance, contrast, playing with light, sharpening certain elements – all of these are painstaking work, which nevertheless pays off in the final result. You won't have to do it yourself, often fumbling or making mistakes. The photographer will do all of it, provided you agree beforehand that editing is part of the job.

Disadvantages of professional property photography 

In contrast to the advantages of doing your own photography, we can find the disadvantages of working with a photographer. First of all – costs, or more precisely the fact that you need to prepare a budget to carry out the job. The final amount depends on certain factors, which we will discuss below. However, without at least PLN 300 there is no point in looking for photographers, even semi-professional ones. The risk associated with working with an outside person is, of course, the human factor. You should not assume in advance that the other person is a fraud, but there is no point in starting talks without a properly drawn-up contract. Even if the photographer lets us down or fails to fulfill all of their obligations, it will be possible to assert our rights. A potential downside for busy, overworked people is also that a photographer requires some attention. You need to devote time, at the very least, to making arrangements or letting the contractor into the apartment. It is not as quick and flexible an option as pulling a smartphone out of your pocket, taking a dozen or so photos and uploading them to a private server. 

What does a property photo shoot and professional real estate photography cost?

Let's move on to the topic that interests rental apartment owners the most – how much does such a photo shoot cost? Architecture and interior photography in the broad sense varies in price and can start at PLN 300. There is, of course, no upper limit, and it is not hard to reach four-digit prices. The most important variables that determine the price include, above all:

• Location – products and services in big cities and large metropolitan areas are, as a rule, more expensive than in small towns.
• Scope of services – taking raw photos will be cheaper than retouching and slightly „enhancing” the images.
• Number of photos in the package – it comes as no surprise that the more photos we want to receive, the more we will pay.
• Inconvenience for the photographer – although many photographers declare they will travel anywhere in Poland and take photos at various times of day, we will certainly have to pay extra for travel or for photos taken at unusual hours.
• Delivery of the finished product – if the photos are to be delivered only via the cloud, this will certainly be a cheaper option than additionally burning a DVD.

The average rate for 20 retouched photos taken in a city with heavy tourist traffic is PLN 500-600 gross. Remember, however, that professional interior photography is not something you should skimp on. If we are not planning any renovations in the near future, well-made photos can serve our marketing for many years.

A virtual tour as a complement to apartment photos – is it worth investing in?

Since the COVID – 19 pandemic, a popular addition to real estate listings has been the so-called virtual tour. It is a video recording without a soundtrack that presents the property in all its glory, covering every room. The presentation starts at the front door and moves through all available rooms, the kitchen, the bathroom, and even balconies or walk-in closets. It is a very popular way of presenting all kinds of commercial spaces, e.g., offices for rent. Increasingly, you will also come across hotels that present their amenities this way: the gym, the spa or the pool complex. The question arises – is it worth preparing such a virtual tour for potential new short-term guests? On the one hand, yes, especially when the apartment on offer is spacious, distinguished by a high standard or by its uniqueness. Thanks to this, your potential guests will be able to comfortably look at the entire place and see its potential, appreciating your design efforts. Let us emphasize that this is not the only type of video that can be included in a short-term rental listing. If the view around the location is exceptional, it is worth considering filming the surroundings with a drone. This can also be an asset of the property on offer, especially when the panorama is free of buildings and presents a breathtaking natural landscape. 

Once your photos are ready, Bookable.pl will help you reach your future customers! Build a website with us, share an online booking calendar and settle payments with ease. Get in touch – you will receive a free, seven-day trial period and see for yourself how Bookable.pl can support you in renting out your property!