Should you hire a professional photographer to shoot your Airbnb listing images (video)?

When I say Airbnb, I am including all short-term vacation rental properties; VRBO, B&B’s, Booking.com, etc.

Let me start by asking you a question or two. When you are looking for a place to stay on holiday, or for a business trip, you usually start with location, right? Being a recovering accountant, I next look at the price. This so frustrates my wife. Then I look at the property pictures the host has posted. I’ll look at this before any property amenities.

I am assuming you start with location as well. If you don’t you’re probably the free-spirited person who would frustrate me at times, but who I would love to meet and have as a travel partner. After location, what do you look at next in a listing? Pictures, price or something different (share in the comments please).

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Why you should consider hiring a professional photographer.

Of course I am biased, but there is value in professional images. That said, if you are determined to DIY your listing photography, I’ll share some tips at the end of this post.

As a host you are also a business person, whether it be your full-time business or your side hustle; it is your business. If you want people to value your property, thus your business, to book and then review, repeat visit and refer to others, then you need to invest in your property marketing. Guests who see that you have taken the time and effort to promote your property with representative and visually appealing images respond more positively than to a property where the host has captured snapshots of their property with their mobile phone. Published Airbnb information states that hosts who use professional photography see upwards of 20% more bookings and earnings than those who do not. You are vying with other hospitality establishments, including resorts, hotels, and other holiday rentals. Listings with great photos show higher in the search results and get more views. You need to grab people’s attention quickly, on average you have about eight seconds.

Professional photographers are experts at shooting property photography and video. They know how to capture a space effectively and in a visually appealing manner without overstating the presence of a space. Noticing potential distractions and dealing with tricky photographic situations are skills that set professional photographers apart from the sea of DIY photography on hosting websites. This investment in professional photography is easily recovered with the first few bookings, and the return on investment will be recognised quickly.

What you should consider when hiring a professional photographer.

Start with the photographer’s portfolio of work. This can usually be found on their website or Instagram. Do you like their style of photography. Do they offer drone and/or video services as well.

Real Estate and holiday rental property photography styles are different, and you should discuss that with your potential photographer. Real estate photography tends to be photographed to show the size of a space, is often brighter and lacking in shadow depth, and many estate agents prefer the lights on. Holiday rental photography should be of a more editorial style like you would see in magazines or on property TV shows. People want to see inviting and cozy spaces with style.

Set aside time to discuss the project with your potential photographer, to ensure you both understand the brief, what is important to you (the host), the capabilities of the photographer and any suggestions they may have to set proper expectations for both client and photographer.

Some other important considerations:

• Does the photographer have professional liability insurance.

• If hiring for drone work, is the photographer (or their drone pilot) a certified drone pilot through the country’s aviation authority. There are a lot of regulations around drone usage, and you don’t want to put your business at risk. See my blog post “Property Drone Photography & Video”.

• How is their post-processing or editing accomplished and what is the deliver time of the images. Do they do their own editing.

If you are going to go it on your own, here are somethings to consider.

• Do research into other top performing listing’s photography. Create a mood board, if that is your thing.

• Think quality over quantity. You want your first picture to be top notch - the ‘Hero’ shot.

• Airbnb suggests a 3:2 format (landscape) or 2:3 (portrait). Use a mix of landscape and portrait depending on your scene. If it is a tall or narrow object or scene (say a small bathroom) shoot in portrait orientation.

• Don’t forget to get some closer detail shots of items you want to showcase.

• In general, turn the lights off, unless it is a lighting feature. Mixed lighting (daylight, warm lights, etc) can cause tricky colour casts (these can be dealt with, as professionals often do, but best to avoid if possible). If you do want to showcase the feel of the lighting, try a twilight shot.

• Use correct perspective and distortion free images. Be careful of shooting too wide or too high. Your shot level is often much lower than you realise. Please don’t use your mobile phone from high up in a corner to capture the room, please.

• Present your property in a realistic manner. It is acceptable to stage the photos, if that is your standard presentation for guests. Don’t visually overstate your property. This will come back at you in the reviews.

• Declutter, declutter and declutter. Remove the waste bins for sure.

• Don’t forget to include some pictures of local landmarks, amenities and destination sites near your property.