Tip of the Week 7 : Importance of High Quality Photos

[Jenny]

Hello Everyone,

Hope you are enjoying our tip of the week series and are excited to know what best tips our experienced hosts share on the Community Center!

This week's tip comes from Host @Aaron1070, who shares the most important things to take care of when setting up your listing. Talking about High-Quality Photos, Aaron shares that it is important to ensure that the listing has clear, well-lit, and visually appealing photos of your space. Showcase the best features of your listings to attract potential guests.

Do you hire a professional photographer for your listing photos? Or prefer to take the photographs yourself? 

Share with us the favourite photo of your listing that you believe highlights your listing the best and potentially attracts the guests!

Join us to share your experiences in the comments below. We’re excited to hear and learn from you all. Let's share what our Hosts usually take care of when publishing the listing photos. Don’t forget to give a thumbs up👍 to the best tips shared. 😊

👉 TOTW series

[Andrea6232]

Ciao Jenny,

I have made the photos myself with my Iphone, I am aware that they do not look professional but I think that professional photos could generate expectations in guests which are then not met, and I prefer to avoid this risk.

Andrea
https://airbnb.com/h/la-casa-sul-canale-con-piscina-jacuzzi-in-giardino

[Jenny]

Hi @Andrea6232 

I love the photos you've got for your listing!  They give a really good sense of the space, how clean it is, how tasteful the decor is, and what amenities are available.  I really love the angel on the wall.

The photos also give me a feeling of what Venice is like, it's very inspiring, I'd love to visit one day!

Is there any particular photo on your listing that you think represents it best?

Thanks for sharing your lovely listing with us.

Jenny

[Andrea6232]

Ciao @Jenny , thanks for the compliments, I'm glad you like my photos! I think the photo with the gondola passing in front of our house best represents the spirit of Venice 😀

Andrea

[Laurelle3]

@Jenny when we first went on line with Airbnb I had taken the photos on my ipad after reading all the tips from Airbnb Upgrade your listing photos. Next step was an offer from Airbnb for a photo shoot for 1/2 price so I took up the offer. I have added and taken my own photos around my local area within walking distance. 

Now I am getting ready for a new photo shoot for the season with a change of colour for new curtains, bedding, rug, cushions and wall pictures. It is amazing how 2 years have passed us by. The garden has grown from when we first started and has changed the feeling of the private garden. 

Our custom link is:     https://airbnb.com/h/hiddengemonduncanst  

[Israel233]

I think it's important to have great photos that realistically represent your listing avoiding heavily retouched pictures that will inevitably create disappointment if your guests arrive to a lesser-looking place.

My photos were done professionally with available light and not retouched and I believe they have helped keep our property rented constantly.

I will be updating the photos in December as it's been a bit over a year that we took them and I think having a fresh set of pictures will be good.

https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/670419345000634395?preview_for_ml=true&source_impression_id=p3_169453779...

[Jim-And-Gale0]

Hello!

We have taken advantage of Airbnb's offers to send a professional photographer to shoot our space.  This is our second listing and the second time we have accepted the offer.  In both cases, we have been extremely pleased with the results, and would recommend the same to any host who wants an attractive online presence.  We do add some of our own photos to highlight changes and improvements as we make them, but unless you're a professional real estate photographer yourself, a professional photo shoot can make a noticeable difference in the appeal of your Airbnb space to prospective guests!

[Jorge2356]

Hi everyone, l hired a professional photographer, after that we saw a increase in the overall views and booking of our rentals, we also had a increased view on our rentals houses that had professional photos versus the one that didn’t had it. 

[Justin1030]

I’m a photography enthusiast so I took my positing photos myself.  I bought a super wide angle lens for my camera, set up my tripod and carefully shot the photos using a timer and the smallest aperture I could.  I shot them with my wife who helped style the rooms so everything looked crisp and freshly cleaned while also capturing exactly how my place will look when you walk in the door.   Good photos not only show what a place will look like, but also demonstrate a host’s awareness to details.

[Marie6761]

Using most photos from guest who send them to us. 

[Kate2456]

Hi, 
we hired a professional photographer to take photos of our apartment. We feel it allows guests to get a true feel of how the apartment looks. We also find that it makes our listing stand out from other listings in a competitive area . 

[Linda4051]

Good morning! As a new member of STR, I'm interested in learning how others improve their listings. Being an artist and amateur photographer, I take pride in taking my own photos and keeping them updated in case any changes are made to the property. I want to make sure my renters are never disappointed with their stay.

Unfortunately, due to extreme heat during the summer, we were not able to water the outside area, resulting in a less-than-ideal look for the back garden. So far the only way I know of telling potential renters about this is when they ask questions about availability. I'm still working on finding an appropriate place to mention this in the listing so that all renters are aware of the condition of the garden. 

[Laurelle3]

@Linda4051  I was reading that you were wondering where to put the information of lack of water with restrictions except with enquiries for bookings.

A suggestion which I thought of was with your photos of your listing one being green and the other with water restrictions written underneath or a caption written on it. Photos put side by side or you could delete it when the garden is looking better. Just a thought.

[Linda4051]

Thanks for the suggestion I had wondered about doing that ... I will be out there next week and take photos ... thanks!

[Joseph2044]

Good morning !!!! I am interested in your message and wanted to get help from you to improve the accommodation under my supervision. I am responsible for a reception center and can be reached at **, we are in Rwanda in Kigali. 

**[Phone number hidden due to safety reasons - Community Center Guidelines]