Photography Tips for Effective Marketing

PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE MARKETING By Erin Breier, Events & Communications Coordinator at LandlordBC and Monika Sosnowska, Marketing & Communications Specialist at LandlordBC

Over the past decade vacancy advertising has moved to a predominantly online model. This has its benefits as it allows you the luxury of longer descriptions and the use of photographs, and you know what they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. When it comes to marketing your rental property, a little goes a long way and photos are likely to be the first thing that prospective tenants will see. In fact, most renters won’t even look at an ad that doesn’t include photos, and since you want to give a great first impression, putting a little thought and effort into the marketing images will help you get better results when advertising your rental property.

SO WHERE DO YOU START?

Begin by studying listings from other landlords. Visit various classifieds websites and study the photos used to advertise rental properties. Pay attention to the photos that appeal to you and the ones that do not. This will give you an insight of what your competitors are doing and will help you distinguish between strong and weak photos.

Don’t worry if you don’t have a fancy camera, that’s OK! Today’s smart phones have excellent cameras and can produce photos that are almost indistinguishable from those taken by single-lens reflex cameras (SLR). If you have an SLR camera, this is a great time to use it. SLR cameras take professional quality photos and give you greater control, especially in low-light situations. The best camera is the one you feel most comfortable with.

LIGHTING

Lighting is everything when taking photos so consider the time of day you want to photograph your property. Utilize natural light as much as possible and avoid taking your photos after sunset. Open all window coverings and turn off incandescent overhead lights because they can give photos a yellow-ish tone. You can use some selective artificial light such as floor lamps to add a little ambience and warmth to the photo but make sure it does not overpower the natural light coming in.

WHAT DOES THE UNIT LOOK LIKE?

If you are photographing a furnished unit, ensure that the space is clean and free of clutter. Some simple staging can also make a big difference in how the unit photographs — a vase of fresh flowers, a cozy throw blanket on the couch are just a few items that are often forgotten but can add an inviting quality to your property. You want prospective tenants to be able to picture themselves, and their belongings, in the unit.

SOME TIPS FOR TAKING PHOTOS

• Ensure that your camera lens is clean as smudges can lead to blurry photos. Take many photos, you will not use them all, but it is good to have options when deciding which ones to post. Take your photos in natural daylight and do not use your flash! Take photos of all rooms and from many different angles, both vertically and horizontally. Photograph each room with a wide angle but get closer if there are any unique features or finishes that a prospective tenant would want to know about and see. For example, does your property have a unique bathroom faucet or light fixtures that make it stand out? Make sure you include those in your advertisement. Keep your hands steady or use a tripod to prevent blurry images. This is especially important in low-light conditions. Photograph all outdoor spaces (yard, balcony, etc.). If the suite has a nice view, make sure to capture that as well. Don’t forget to photograph building amenities such as a community room, gym, or pool; ensure you have at least one photo of each of those spaces. If using an SLR camera, set your camera to a raw image format which will give you a greater control in the post-processing.

EDITING

Now that you have all these photos what should you do with them? Editing photos before you post them is an important part of this process. Look through the images and select those that most accurately depict how the suite looks. Remember to include at least one photo for each room and outdoor space.

Once you have narrowed down to the photos you wish to use, it is time to edit. If you are using a smart phone, avoid using filters that are already on the phone, they can make photos look heavily edited and unnatural. Using a free photo app like Lightroom is a great option for quick and simple edits. Turning up the exposure slightly (adding light) will make the space look brighter. Play around with the options and see what looks best. You want photos to look bright, clear, and not heavily edited. If you need assistance, there are plenty of tutorials on YouTube to help you get started. A quick tip:

Before

natural daylight tends to be very blue so depending on the time of day and season you photograph your unit, you may need to adjust the white balance when editing your images.

For your SLR there are many editing software options to choose from at differing price points. If photography is a new hobby you want to explore further, consider investing in professional editing software, however there are plenty of free options available to beginner photography enthusiasts. You can search online to find software that fits your needs and budget and don’t forget to consult customer reviews to confirm that it will provide appropriate tools for your editing requirements. Once you decide on an editing software, try out different features to see what works best for the image and if you need help getting started, there are many free beginner-friendly tutorials online.

POSTING PHOTOS

Once your images are edited and you are ready to create your ad, confirm all photos are in order and grouped by room. It is also wise to save your edited photos in a specified folder on a cloud storage or an external hard drive. This ensures that the images are protected from any computer malfunction and are easily accessible for future uses.

Now it is time to post your photos. The photos of the living room and bedroom(s) should be placed first, while the photos of outdoor space and amenities can be placed last. If possible, add captions to each image so that prospective tenants viewing the ad know which room is shown in the photograph.

DON’T FORGET PRIVACY GUIDELINES

Is a landlord allowed to photograph a tenant’s apartment to advertise it for rent? If the landlord takes photographs in a tenant’s apartment, they must not collect tenant’s personal information unless they have prior consent. “Collection” could occur if the landlord’s photographs contained images that would identify a tenant or another individual. To prevent inadvertent collection of personal information, tenants should remove or cover items that contain personal information, such as

After

documents or photographs, when a landlord is photographing their apartment.

Strong photos really set the tone when used in marketing of your unit. If you use high-quality photos, you will be on your way to attract more prospective tenants, and you don’t need to be a professional photographer to do it. If you follow these tips you will produce attractive images that make your ad stand out against your competition.

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