The rental listing for your great spaces is a critical part of your marketing strategy—even when there isn’t a pandemic. However, while DIY landlords are feeling the full impact of COVID-19 on the ability to care for their rentals, your property listing becomes your most powerful marketing strategy.
Take it from the experts in Arlington property management: when you want to target your ideal tenants, your property needs a compelling listing that attracts the best applicants to become your next renters—especially when they can’t tour the property in person.
- Have you ever seen a listing without photos? If you have, you probably scrolled right by it.
- What about property listings with terrible photos? Bad lighting, wrong angles, and clutter in the background won’t help potential renters see the potential in your rental.
During COVID-19, the right listing photos can make your Arlington property stand out—or they can cause potential tenants to scroll by to the next listing with eye-catching photos. How can you take better listing photos? Try these tips from the expert in Arlington property management!
1. The Right Light
The right lighting can make each room in your investment property look inviting and attractive. How do you know which light is “right?” The short answer is: natural light is always right! However, depending on the location of each room in your property, available window, and the time of day, using natural light for your photos might not always be an option.
- Natural light shows “true” colors to help potential renters get the “real” feel of a room.
- It’s also the best way to help a room feel as bright as it is.
- Using overhead lights or lamps can create a dingy look and feel.
- Artificial lighting can also change the colors in a room when it translates into a photo.
For exterior shots, avoid direct sunlight. However, choose a day when the combination of sun and shade creates the brightest, most impressive scene for your property.
2. All The Best Angles
Millennials know that when taking a selfie, the right angle is everything! They also happen to be experts at spotting bad real estate photography. When shooting pictures of your investment properties, take it from Arlington property management: angles matter, too!
Using wide lenses and higher angles gives the best perspective on a room. You don’t want a photo to misrepresent the size or shape of a room. However, every room has an ideal angle and camera position that accurately captures a room’s best look.
- Place your camera in the corners: Avoid shooting a photo from the center of a wall. This can make a room feel shorter and more cramped than it is. Placing the camera in a corner can help you capture more of the room and help it feel more inviting.
- Shoot from slightly higher than eye level: Be sure not to aim too high or too low. Your photos should feel like a person walked into the room and experiences it from their eye level.
- Use a tripod: If you’re struggling to hold a camera steady or maintain a good angle, attach your camera to a tripod! This tool can help you place the camera exactly where it needs to be and keep it at the ideal angle for your photos.
How can you find the right spot to place your camera? As your Arlington property management professional, we recommend shooting each room from a variety of angles and camera locations until you find the photos that best capture the room.
3. Avoid Common Mistakes
Property owners can make plenty of mistakes being in the rental property business—including overlooking the importance of listing photos. However, many “bad” photos could be excellent pictures with a few corrections!
- Get out of the way: Make sure you’re not in any of your photos! Place your camera to avoid catching your image in a mirror or window.
- Clear the clutter: Few things can turn off your ideal renter than a house full of other people’s clutter. Put away anything that distracts from making your property feel like a potential tenant’s next home.
- Minimize photo edits: Your property is what it is. If you want to improve how it looks to attract better tenants, do that through renovations. Avoid editing your listing photos to make your property seem nicer or larger than it is!
Given that your photos may be the only time your future renters have an opportunity to look around before moving in, they shouldn’t trick the viewer. Make sure your photos accurately represent your property!
4. Use a Professional
Why settle for listing photos when you can bring in the experts? Beyond providing professional-quality listing photos, the right property management partner can even employ 3D-showing technology that allows your future renters to tour your Arlington property from the comfort and safety of their current home.
Once they’ve decided they want to see your rental home in person, an Arlington property management company that has access to self-showing technology can make that happen. This level of service not only takes your property to the next level, but it’s also essential during a time of social distancing and strict stay-at-home orders in the DMV.
Your Listing Matters, Too!
If you’re a DIY landlord, your Arlington investment property needs the right photos to catch the eye of your ideal renters. However, once your photos have attracted the interest of your future residents, they need to know more about your great spaces! This is when you need to tell your prospective tenants how your house becomes their home.
RentSimple knows that the details matter when creating a first impression with your Arlington rental! However, if you’ve ever struggled over what to write, we’ve got you covered. Once you’ve got your glamor shots ironed out, download our FREE Property Listing Checklist to perfect your listing!
