Why Investing In High-Quality Photos Is The Single Best Thing You Can Do For Your Short-Term Rental

Don’t underestimate the power of great visuals!

This is going to be a slightly shorter post than usual. I just want to share my experience with what I’ve seen on Airbnb over the last few years.

I’ve noticed that some listings have so much potential to be booked for about 25+ nights per month all year round, however, are only booked half of that because the way the property is shown online is not as appealing as it could be.

When I started, I tried the whole photography thing myself. I mean how hard could it be to press a button on my camera and then upload these pictures online? So that’s what I did…and it’s safe to say my naivety got the better of me. It wasn’t a complete disaster since the response was decent and I still managed to get quite a few bookings. In the reviews, however, it was stated repeatedly that the “pictures online don’t do the place justice” or “that it looks way better in real life than in the pictures”. That didn’t sit quite right with me. I mean, even if the place is nice, what does it say about the host who doesn’t put enough effort into showcasing the place properly?

I decided to take the plunge and invest in some professional pictures. At first, I was slightly staggered on the rates that professional photographers charge, however, after doing some research I understand all the work that goes into creating high-quality interior photography. Often we assume that creative traits are something that is not as valuable as other skills on the job market, and wrongly so. To be good at something you have to put enough hours into it to be an expert/professional and it doesn’t matter if you spend 10,000 hours into learning how to be an accountant, a photographer, or writer — a huge amount of effort is still needed and should be respected.

So after investing in professional pictures I saw not only the number of inquiries rise but also the number of views my property received on the platform. Furthermore, the comments/reviews have been much more favorable and I could see that my guests’ expectations matched exactly what was showcased in the pictures. All in all the investment was worth it and I would urge anyone who hasn’t taken the plunge yet, to go ahead.

If you want to have a look at a comprehensive guide on why you should invest in high-quality photography, I would suggest checking out this article by Made Comfy. They outlined all the benefits of having good photos in your listing better than I ever could, so enjoy!

Cheers,

Sidney