Photos are the first impression of your property to hundreds of prospective renters. As a prospective tenant scrolls through the listings, the photo you display can make the difference between then clicking on your ad or going to the next. Having many photos for renters to look through will allow them to virtually tour the rental property in the time of social distancing. At Zenplace, our leasing management team will often be asked for more photos of properties prior to moving to the next steps of filling out their information to view it or submit an application. You want to ensure you are giving the best first impression possible with clean and quality photos, so here are a few tricks that will help your pictures work for you!
Photo Quality: When the photos are blurry, dark or have fingers in the frame, it is not helpful for prospective tenants to get an understanding of what they are potentially renting. It will detract from the ad and confuse them. A full picture of either the outside, yard, or kitchen will hook a prospective renter. If using a smartphone. you can quickly review the photos to ensure no fingers accidentally ended up in them, and to delete the blurry ones. Using your smartphone is an easy way to take a large quantity of photos!
Lighting: When a space looks dim and dark, it can be perceived as small and depressing. Tenants like to be able to see rooms that are bright, cheerful and that they would be happy to live there. Take the photos during the day. Turn on all the interior lights, and open the shades. You want the space to look bright and cheerful!
Angles: Vertical photos allow only a peek of the room and the focus becomes the floor or ceiling-rather than showing off the expanse of the rooms. Take pictures in LANDSCAPE. This means taking the photos sideways, as this technique captures more of the rooms to look bigger. Try getting both the floor and ceiling in the photo and offset corners of the rooms from the center of the photos. Also, beware of mirrors! If possible, stand diagonally from mirrors so you do not accidentally end up in the shots! This is also something to be aware of when photographing shower doors and other glass door surfaces.
More photos is safer than less: Renters will email us asking about any photos that are not included. The more photos the better! Try getting at least two photos per room. This includes places like the kitchen, exterior, and backyard. These photos also help renters have an idea of the appliances included in the rental-refrigerators, washer/dryers, and the kind of cook-top they will be using.
Clean and Tidy: Advertising a dirty and disorganized space backfires. A former client advertised their current tenants’ photos that were sent in, which had muddy floors and stained furniture. Once the photos were switched to a clean and empty space, the leads jumped from one person expressing interest per week to three daily. Clean or empty rooms photograph best! If your property is currently occupied, take a few minutes to tidy each room prior to photos. Things like towels or dirty laundry should either be folded, or tucked out of the camera lens. Dirty spaces convey a landlord who is careless and apathetic, as well as creates concerns about mold, bugs and other hazardous conditions! Tenants prefer photos that are unfurnished so they can see the whole space and imagine their future in your home!
Organized Order of Photos: Randomizing the photo order can confuse tenants and they may not understand the layout of their future home. Keep in mind the concept of a virtual tour! Number your photos prior to uploading them to the platform as if you are walking through the property and showing it to a tenant. Remember, this is the first impression you are giving to thousands of potential tenants looking for rental properties. It is the most effective way to make your ad pop more! If you are looking for some professional help with photographs or anything else related to your rental property, Zenplace has you covered.
To see how Zenplace can help with your rental property, simply go to zenplace.com/howitworks for a video demo of our platform.
Questions? Call 888.342.7550 or Email contactus@zenplace.com.
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