Think like a prospective guest… If you were looking at your property listing on AirBnB what types of things would you look for? Whether you are a brand new AirBnB, VRBO, Short-Term Rental, Corporate Rental property host or a seasoned short-term rental property manager…here are a few tips to make sure your property is photo-ready.

Does your property look clean, safe, and well maintained?

Make sure your home is clean and any extra clutter is removed. Extra clutter may not actually be dirty, but it can be very distracting in photos and can add to the sense that the home is not ready for guests. You also want to make sure that your property is well maintained, and you address any safety concerns before hosting guests. Your photos will reflect the condition of your home and the biggest red flags to guests is if they see that the home is not clean or there are potential maintenance or safety issues.

Does your property size and layout fit what guests are looking for?

You want your property photos to accurately reflect the size and layout of the home so that guests can get an idea of how rooms are connected to each other as well as the size and functionality of the space. Having photos of super wide angles of a home that you might see in traditional real estate photography (ex. homes for sale on Zillow or the local MLS) may allow guests to see the whole space in one shot, but only having wide angle shots for an AirBnB property can distort the perspective of your home and make the spaces look bigger then they are.

Most traditional real estate photography also uses a lot of unnatural lighting like flash and turning lights on around the home. These techniques look great when listing a home for sale, but they can also cause your home to look unnaturally flashy or produce strange colors. Photographing homes with as much natural light as possible will create a softer and more natural representation of your home. Make sure to open all the windows and turn off the lights before photographing your space.

AirBnB Guests will often times not be able to view your home in person before booking as a guest so you want your photos to accurately reflect your home so that guests who do end up staying with you have realistic expectations of the space and they can decide for themselves whether your property is a good fit for their travel needs. Making sure to work with a photographer that is familiar with accurately photographing AirBnBs can help with this issue.

Example of stock photo with strange coloring

Example of a photo taken using natural light

Is there something unique or interesting about the property like tasteful decor, amenities, features of the home?

You can’t necessarily control the location of your AirBnB. Having an AirBnB close to a city or tourist destination is naturally going to be a huge selling point, but you can control how your property looks. Try to stage your home with key pieces that can highlight unique features of your home (ex. oversized windows with lots of natural light, private patio, interesting architecture, etc.) or items that would look interesting for guests. Your goal is to grab their attention within a few seconds of looking at your listing photos. You want your property photos to make them click on your listing and to look at the rest of your photos and your property description.

If you don’t get browsing guest’s attention instantly with your photos they will likely keep scrolling past your property and look at the other homes in the area to search for something better. Your photos want to show off the “vibe” of your home and tasteful decor, furniture, and amenities can help create a specific ambiance and personality for your home. Your goal is to sell an experience to your guests in your photos and having a photographer with an eye for these types of details can help bring your home to life. If decorating is not really your thing then there are a ton of amazing local interior designers available to help get your property ready.

Need some help with staging, designing, or starting your AirBnB business? Check-out our partners here. Ready to refresh or get some new photos for your AirBnB listing? Schedule a photoshoot with us.