Real estate photography of a property offered for rent online is one of the most important elements to consider in a marketing strategy on WeChalet. If a picture is worth a thousand words, beautiful photos are certainly worth more than a thousand bookings.
One of the main problems that many hosts encounter when listing their properties for short, medium or long term rental is that they use bad real estate photos to promote their listings online.
By bad photos we are talking about those amateur mobile phone photos taken awkwardly under poor lighting conditions that can make a $10 million house on the French Riviera look like a dismal, gloomy bat cave.
Scary! 😳🦇
To help all WeChalet hosts avoid this “bat situation”, we have partnered with real estate photography company, Image Salon, who can help all of our hosts get professional real estate images at a very affordable price.
In general, listings with beautiful photos receive more interest from travelers, which leads to more bookings and more revenue for you through WeChalet.
Actually, featuring professional real estate images on a beautiful listing can instantly double your rental income overnight, so it’s definitely worth the investment in stunning photos!
Through a unique new partnership with Image Salon, we now connect you with professional photographers to capture your property in its best light and help you transform your listing to stand out with travelers.
Additionally, thanks to the innovative 3D virtual tour technology, WeChalet offers you a whole new way of showing your property to your potential guests, which will allow you to stand out from your competitors and help you maximize the income from your property.
Currently, the photography service is offered to properties located within 2 hours driving distance of Montreal.
We will open up other territories as WeChalet grows. If you are located somewhere else, we can put you on our waiting list.
What to Do if a Photographer is Available?
If a photographer is available, we’ll put you in touch with a coordinator and you can plan directly with them.
You’ll also receive their contact information when they accept the assignment. Be sure that your contact details are up to date and to schedule the shoot for a date when you don’t have guests.
How Much Time Does it Take To Do a Shoot?
They’ll spend about an hour photographing your home, and provide you with 2-3 photos per room.
Making sure to set aside enough time for the shoot will help ensure that you get the best results possible. You’ll also want to clean and tidy up your space in preparation for the shoot.
What Happens After the Shoot?
After your shoot, your images will be retouched and will be reviewed by one of Image Salon’s photo editors.
Their team will then upload the new images directly to your WeChalet listing and send you a copy of the photos for you to use on all sites where you advertise your property.
This process usually takes less than 2 weeks.
How can I shoot pictures myself?
If the WeChalet photography service is not available in your area or if you need pictures until a photographer shows up to your home, you should kickstart your listing by shooting your own pictures today.
Before you hire a photographer, here are some real estate photography secrets that will make your photos look better than ever on WeChalet, even if you choose to take temporary photos on your own.
Real estate photography secret #1: Cleanup Your Home
It might sound like a basic tip but you’d be surprised at how many listings I’ve seen with dirty dishes and dirty clothes laid out all over the place.
So before taking pictures of your space, be sure to take the time to clean the area, do the dishes, and lower the toilet seat.
Cleaning and staging your place for WeChalet photos will make your place seem more inviting and spacious for your potential guests.
Real estate photography secret #2: Let the Sunshine In
Natural light can be a photographer’s best friend.
It brings out depth, colour and contrast in a setting. Great lighting will make your photos look more professional overall, which will make you look more professional as a host.
Avoid shooting your interior photos at night, unless you are taking photos with long exposures to give your property a nighttime vibe.
In general, it is best to take pictures during the day.
Also, open the curtains and let in all the natural light. Turn on interior lights only if really necessary.
Most cameras will adjust for bright spots by darkening the rest, so make sure to focus the camera away from the windows or any other light source if possible.
Real estate photography secret #3: Shoot Your Space With Angles in Landscape Mode
Instead of shooting a room flat in front of a wall, try shooting the space in angles. It usually gives a broader range to your space while adding a 3D effect to the photo.
Actually, shooting flat onto a wall can make your space seem smaller than in real life, which is not very appealing to potential guests.
Composition in a photo is also very important.
Consider the rule of thirds for balance and visual queues to keep the eye moving.
Also, for the resolutions of your camera, make sure to take photos that are at least 1024 x 683 pixels. When in doubt, bigger photos are simply better.
Finally, always shoot in landscape format since vertical photos are the worst option for WeChalet photography.
Real estate photography secret #4: Shoot Several Photos & Only Keep the Good Ones
Digital photos are almost limitless, so make the most of it!
When photographing properties, or anything for that matter, it is always best to take many pictures from one specific angle.
On 5 photos from the same angle, there is always one that stands out. Then erase the bad photos and save the best of that angle for your listing.
Then repeat this technique for all the angles of your properties!
Real estate photography secret #5: Highlight the Uniqueness of Your Space
Do you have a gas stove? A spa with a pretty patio in the forest? What about the million dollar view? An indoor and outdoor fireplace? Or even a grumpy cat that is included in the rental?
If so, be sure to highlight the special details of your home that will set it apart from other properties on WeChalet.
The internet is a visual medium and your guests will discover your home online through your photos.
People simply love the little details – things that fill your home with life and personality.
So if you have a collection of teapots from China or cows and chickens living in a field behind your house, showcase them in your pictures.
WeChalet guests love unique and interesting spaces in nature!
Real estate photography secret #6: Take outdoor photos in all seasons
What’s around your home is just as important as what’s inside of it. Guests love to see what surrounds your place, in all seasons of the year.
The best time to do WeChalet photography outside is during the “Magic Hour,” meaning the first and last hour of sunlight of the day.
This is the time of day where light is softest (most diffused) and brings out the broadest range of colour.
Of course, shooting during a sunny day is usually better than on a cloudy day.
In general, people are attracted to sunlight and if you shoot pictures during a rainy day, it will make your area look depressing.
If you live in a lively neighbourhood, you can also take pictures of it. Guests get excited about their destination, as well as the place they’re staying, so why not include pictures of your neighbourhood in your listing?
If you live close to a local attraction, a great restaurant, or gorgeous scene, show it to the world!
Conclusion
Generally speaking, the more professional real estate photography you use online, the better your listing will be and the more bookings you will have with WeChalet.
That said, you do not want to be redundant with your photos.
Better quality images will also provide your potential guests with more references when deciding whether or not to book with you.
Having several pictures also allows them to spend more time on your listing. Actually, it might even incite more people to put your listing in their WeChalet Wishlist!
If you are interested in booking a photoshoot with us, head over to our WeChalet Photography page to learn more about the services we offer in partnership with Image Salon!
As a final advice, if a WeChalet photographer is not available in your area, we highly suggest you consider hiring a professional real estate photographer to take professional pictures of your listing once you start making money on WeChalet.
It might cost a few hundred bucks but having great photography could easily double your WeChalet income overnight.