Listing your short-term lodging including hotel rooms, homestays, apartment rentals, vacation rentals or hostel beds on Airbnb can be very profitable – if you know how to go about it.
Your interior and exterior property photography can make or break your Airbnb listing, because amateur photography can make a million-dollar house look just like a bat cave. Getting professional shots of the interior and exterior property you want to list on Airbnb requires some artistic skills and equipment.
Most of us make the final decision based on what we see. Who doesn’t like beautiful things? Everybody does, and that is why you need to show off your property in the best way possible. One of the most important ways to make money with your Airbnb listing is featuring shots of your property’s every interior and exterior. Generally, guests are attracted to listings with clean, high-resolution photos, and this always leads to more bookings that will bring you more money. To succeed on the platform, check out the following five tips below.
Five tips to make your listing on Airbnb stand out from the rest
1. Use a catchy title
It is very important to use a catchy title. Using a good title will help you grab the attention of the potential guest and increase your chances of getting a booking. To make your listing stand out from all the others, avoid using the commonplace descriptions like “2 bedroom flat” or “great flat.” It is better to use adjectives like stunning, charming, bewitching, outstanding; simply, adjectives which will enhance your description. You can also make your listing stand out from all others by adapting the title to events in the city or seasons. You can also highlight the property or flat by stating whether it is a terrace, if it has brand new furnishing or if it is located in an attractive location.
2. Make the description of your property real
The guest certainly wants to know the number of beds, the bathroom and the amenities available, but most of them want a detailed description of the flat or property, and picture themselves in it. This means you should ensure you complete the description of the property you are listing. Guests love see a realistic description, so if you fail to do this, you may end up getting bad reviews and completely kill your business. If there is any fault with the property and you are not going to fix it anytime soon, let guests know about it before they book. The guests will appreciate it once they arrive. So, if you oversell your flat, expect disappointment and a bad review on your listing.
3. Complete your host profile
It is not hard to make a compelling host profile on Airbnb; you only need to upload a quality picture and explain who you are in a few words. Explain what you love about hosting, and the guests will have more confidence in you. Additionally, ensure Airbnb confirms your mail address, ID, phone number and your address. This is another way to make guests feel more comfortable while booking your listing. You may also include your LinkedIn and Facebook links to prove you are not a crook but a well-intentioned person.
4. Respond to reviews – always!
No one likes to be criticized, but ensure you always apologize after receiving a complaint and let them know you will fix any issues they had. If you can respond to complaints from customers, future potential guests will like the fact that you are responsive; it will show them that you really feel concerned about your guest’s welfare and will show them you have nothing to hide.
5. Add professional interior and exterior pictures of the property
This is probably the most important aspect of your listing. Most guests won’t bother to read the description of your property if the pictures are not attractive. Catch their attention – first and foremost. The pictures must have a professional touch; they will either grow your business or slow you down. The quality of the pictures must be outstanding, so you should use a quality camera. Make sure to capture the best of each room and the view of the building outside; this will help your guests know what to expect.
You might be wondering, ‘How can I get a professional pictures to list my property on Airbnb?’. Not everybody can take great pictures, and it’s ok to admit this!
Because Airbnb makes more money from listings with great photos, they offer free photography services to every new eligible host. If after you register on Airbnb, you are eligible, they will detect the location of the listing(s) and let you know whether you are eligible for the free service. If you are eligible, you will have the opportunity to book a free photographer on the page directly.
After confirming your eligibility for the free photo shoot and submitting a request for it, Airbnb will contact an independent, local third-party photographer that will handle your request. Because of the high demand, the availability of these photographers is not guaranteed.
What you should do if a photographer is available:
The available photographer will contact you via Airbnb within seven days of submitting your request. The photographer will arrange the date that will suit both of you. Typically, the shoot shouldn’t take more than 30 minutes, but larger spaces may take more time.
After the shoot, the photos are uploaded, reviewed and made public within a month. You should note that Airbnb only accepts photos that meet their standard, and will not provide you with copies of the photos because they own the copyright to the pictures.
Can I take the photos myself?
Of course, yes. If you are unable to book a photographer on Airbnb, or you are not eligible, you can take the pictures yourself.
If you wish to take the pictures yourself, you need to clean up your home, let the sun shine in, shoot the space with angles and in landscape mode, take as many photos as possible and keep only the best ones. Highlight how unique your space is, and remember to also take pictures outside!
Why should you hire a professional interior and exterior real estate photographer?
The free Airbnb photography service is only available in the bigger cities around the globe. As they state on their site, it is not guaranteed that you will get the free service. If you are eventually lucky to get it, you won’t be given any copies of the images as previously mentioned.
Additionally, can you wait that month (or even longer) before you get started on Airbnb? I wouldn’t want to be waiting around for weeks before I could start making money from my property.
I am a professional real estate photographer with more than 15 years of experience in the industry. I have helped many hosts on the Airbnb platform show off their stunning properties, and no two photo shoots are the same.
If you are unable to book the free photography service on Airbnb, I am available to organize a professional photoshoot which will get the guests curious to book your property. The best part of my service is that you will get the photos between 12-72 hours later.
Don’t allow bad pictures affect your business – get the professional interior and exterior pictures from me today and make the best of your time & money!
Airbnb Photography
- Up to 10 images: approximately 1-2 exteriors and 8 interiors (90%/10% - Horizontal/Vertical)
- Up to 30 minutes on location.
- Delivery: 72 hours image delivery (compressed zipped folder to download)
- All files ready to upload to Airbnb. Format: JPG: 1600 pixels x 1067 pixels @ 72 dpi
- Included in the photo shoot: Bedrooms featured in the listing, Living room, Kitchen, Bathrooms, All common spaces, Unique details, Exteriors