Apartment Pictures: How to Boost Your Listing with Photos | Brixbid

Potential tenants love seeing pictures of your apartment when they’re browsing listings. That’s why photos are a major selling point when you’re trying to rent out your place.

But, as appealing as seeing pictures on a listing can be, bad pictures can scare potential tenants away faster than adding “former murder site” to your listing description.

That’s why you need these 10 amazing photography tips to boost your listing the best way. Take the best pictures of your apartment, and rent it out faster.

Smartphone vs. Camera: Which Is Better to Take Photos for Your Apartment?

Nowadays, smartphone cameras are extremely developed. While the quality of pictures with a camera, such as a DSLR, is always better, investing in a piece of equipment like that may not be worth it. And since smartphones are abundantly available, they may be a better choice for you.

If you’re renting out one of two apartments, taking pictures with your smartphone—provided you have a good camera on it—can be a cheaper and more effective alternative.

However, if you have several apartments, it may be a good idea to invest in a camera.

Ultimately, your equipment doesn’t matter. The way you take pictures can make a much bigger impact. Read on to find the best tips to make the best of these photos.

8 Tips to Make Your Apartment Pictures Pop

1. Use as Much Natural Light as Possible

When it comes to photography, lighting is everything. And in apartment photography, natural light is the key to taking the best pictures.

Tenants love an abundance of natural light, so showcase as much of it as you can. Open up the curtains and draw the blinds.

The best time to take pictures of your property is in the daytime when the most light hits your windows. If you have an east-facing apartment, this is in the morning. And if you have a west-facing one, the afternoon is better.

It’s important to note that you should always shoot away from the source of the light. Stand by the window and shoot inwards, otherwise your pictures may become overexposed.

2. Rely on Artificial Light and Flash Only If You Have to

For rooms that don’t have a window, or don’t have a lot of natural light, you can use certain tricks to make it look brighter than it is.

Turning on the light would be the first step.

Follow these 4 tips to make the best use of artificial light:

1. Turn on the lights in adjoining rooms: Light travels, so turning on the lights in the rooms next to the room you’re taking the picture of can make it even brighter.
2. Light the bedroom with warm colors: While brightness is awesome for most rooms of an apartment, the bedroom should always be a bit more intimate. Use warm colors to make the atmosphere of the room more appealing.
3. Use flash as little as possible: Flash in apartment photography is never a good idea. However, if you can’t light the room with artificial light, it’s a last resort option. Be careful never to put windows or mirrors in the frame when you use flash. The reflection will make the flash and you visible.
4. Turn up exposure time: If you’re shooting a dark room with a DSLR, turn down the shutterspeed. With a longer exposure time, you can let more light into the camera, making the room appear much brighter in pictures. 

3. Angle and Frame Your Photos

One of the hardest things to get right when you’re shooting your apartment pictures is the angle and the framing.

Here’s the easiest advice we can give: always shoot the corner.

Stand in a corner, and aim the camera towards the other corner. This will make the room seem a lot bigger than it is.

Shooting at hip height is the most optimal to achieve this.

And for framing, make sure you include the whole room in the frame. This means that you should be able to see both the floor and the ceiling in the same picture.

4. Use a Tripod

Using a tripod doesn’t just let you level your pictures. It also minimizes the risk of blur. 

Even the steadiest hands move slightly when you hit the shutter button. Especially when you’re shooting a dark room with high exposure time.

Another reason to use a tripod is to maximize space. The closer the camera is the corner, the better (because more space is in front of the camera). And putting the camera on a tripod is the easiest way to achieve this.

5. Get Rid of Clutter

While shooting with furniture is always better, lots of clutter and signs of living can have a negative effect.

Before you begin shooting, take a look at what you’re taking a picture of. Make the apartment as clean and organized as possible.

No potential tenants wants to see clothes on the ground in the bedroom, a half-eaten sandwich in the kitchen, or spilled coffee on the sofa in the living room.

6. Highlight the Best Features of the Apartment

While taking pictures of the rooms is the most important part of apartment photography, that’s not where you need to stop necessarily.

What features of the apartment would you like to highlight?

If the apartment has an incredible view, balcony, fireplace, or new kitchen appliances for example, absolutely take a picture of them. Anything special that would attract tenants deserves a photo.

Don’t be afraid to take closeups of this. While placing the camera further away can give tenants a good sense of surroundings, there’s also value in letting them see the details.

7. Take Pictures of the Outside

Tenants love properties with curb-appeal. Take advantage of it, and shoot a couple of pictures of the outside of the building.

In certain cases, this may also help potential tenants find the property faster when they come for a viewing.

8. The More Pictures of the Apartment, the Better

When it comes to apartment pictures, quantity is quality.

The more pictures you have, the better. So, when you’re in the apartment, shoot away. 

The more pictures you take, the more selection you have when you curate them.

9. Use a Photo Editing Software

No, you don’t need to photoshop a giraffe on your balcony–though that would definitely make your picture pop.

But, adjusting the brightness, colors, and shadows of your pictures can make them a lot more appealing.

There are plenty of photo editing software and apps out there with a wide range of functions. It’s best to make use of them, and not advertise your apartment with raw pictures.

10. Curate Your Apartment Pictures

While taking as many pictures as possible is apartment photography best practice, always double-check what you’re putting in your listing.

You want a variety of pictures. Rooms from different angles, highlighting different features. And, of course, all pictures should be edited to maximize their appeal.

Add Your Pictures to Your Listing Easily

Pictures are possibly the most important parts of your apartment listing. 

On Brixbid, you can add as many picture to your listing as you’d like. And you can always add new or different pictures to your listing later by simply editing it.

Best of all, posting your listing on Brixbid lets you reach a lot of potential tenants. More eyes on your listing means more potential tenants, and faster time between renters.

Maximize your chance of renting out your property by creating a listing on Brixbid!