People Want to See Awesome Pictures on Your Apartment Listing

We live in a busy world. We also live in an incredibly visual world. And this is true when it comes to showcasing your apartment listing. A picture matters more than ever when potential renters can easily compare so many apartment listings at the click of a mouse or the swipe of a finger on their mobile device. So there’s no reason to settle for lackluster photos on your apartment listing. 

Here are some quick and easy ways to set your listing apart from the crowd with standout photos. And most of these tips are so simple to execute that you can put them to use if you’re stepping in as an amateur photographer instead of hiring a professional real estate photographer.
 

Using a Smartphone? Enhance Photos with Editing Apps

Smartphones are increasingly being made with more powerful and capable cameras built-in. While they may fall short of a bona fide DSLR or high-powered digital camera, you’re more likely to carry your smartphone than any other specialized camera. You can step up the quality of any snapshots you capture with your phone by using one of these photo editing apps.

Adobe Photoshop Express
Available on: iOS devices (iPhone, iPad), Android
Price: Free
Camera+ 2
Available on: iOS 
Price: $2.99
Darkroom - Photo Editor
Available on: iOS
Price: Free
Polarr Photo Editor
Available on: iOS, Android
Price: Free (paid “pro” version available) 

These apps will help enhance the photos you take with your smartphone’s camera. And one of them, Camera+ 2, can help capture better images. If you don’t have powerful photo editing software on your desktop computer, these apps let you spruce up photos taken with a different camera once they're saved onto a smartphone or tablet. Features are limited in the free versions; however, you could always pay a nominal price to upgrade to the pro versions if you anticipate getting used to these photo editing apps.

How to Create the Best Apartment Photos

Maximize Light 
Proper lighting is key to showing off your apartment. Take your photos during the day when natural light is plentiful. Turn on all the lights and open the curtains or blinds. Keep in mind that most digital cameras adjust to the brightest light in the room, darkening the rest of the image. Counteract this effect by focusing the camera away from the windows to create a balanced image.

Shoot Into a Corner 
Shooting into a corner will give your photo a sense of scale and dimensionality. While photographing a blank wall head-on will make the space feel cramped, including a corner, the ceiling, and the floor will give renters a better sense of the space.

Minimize Clutter 
Stage the apartment as if you were about to show it to a potential tenant. A photo of an unmade bed, construction work, or dirty laundry appears sloppy. Minimizing visual distractions will allow your apartment’s best features to shine through.

Stabilize Your Shot
When using a smartphone or digital camera to capture apartment photos, it’s best to use a stabilizer like a tripod or a monopod with the camera. Locking in the camera position will create clearer images by reducing blur, and level photos can enhance the look of the space. Don’t have a tripod handy? They’re relatively cheap to buy, and, in a pinch, a table or chair will serve the same purpose of stabilizing the camera so that images of the apartment come out looking clear, level, and excellent.

Highlight Unique Apartment Features and Amenities
Does the unit feature a lush backyard? Does it have a built-in hutch or vintage woodwork? A fireplace? Updated kitchen appliances? An amazing view? Highlight special features by taking close-ups and ensuring these unique details are in focus. These add interest to your listing.

Take Photos of the Outside 
Renters like properties with curb appeal and want to know what the building looks like from the sidewalk. Photographing the exterior during the "golden hours," which generally occur during the first and last hours of sunlight during the day, will produce the best quality image. During summer, photographing the unit is preferable when trees have leaves, flowers are blossoming, and the sidewalk is clear of muddy snow.

Quantity is Quality for Apartment Pictures

Domu allows you to post as many photos as you’d like—the more, the better! Renters want to see more than just an exterior shot of the living room.  We recommend including a photo of every room. Consider shooting the closets, hallways, laundry room, porch or balcony, view, and building amenities. Including numerous images can save you time by eliminating renters who arrive for a showing with one notion of the apartment and leave with another.
 

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