Do professional photographs matter?

Getting professional photos taken when renting out your property may not seem like a high priority item. But our Rental Department Manager Courtney Vela says it can be more important than you might think.

A Landlord’s decision on whether or not to engage a professional photographer will in most cases, play a significant role in how the property fares on the rental market. While this may not have been the case traditionally, given the nature of how tenants search for properties in the digital age – professional photographs are extremely important.

I met with our Rental Department Manager Courtney Vela to get her opinion on this issue, as it can be a contentious decision point for our Landlords. In response, she gave me two recent examples of the impact professional photos have had properties we now manage.

 

“This is such a common thing now, where professional photographs make the difference. Potential tenants browse online to find their property, and if the photos don’t truly represent the property and portray it in a good light, the chances of finding a tenant are slim.”

 

Example 1: Long term vacancy

A property sat vacant for five months before the owner decided to engage MetroCity. While the owner was happy to adjust the price in order to find a tenant, they weren’t willing to spend money on pre-listing marketing.

I was able to convince the owner to have a temporary electrical connection established, at a cost of $25, as the property was quite dark. I also arranged a professional photographer for the property.

The property was tenanted 1 week after the photos went live.

Example 2: No interest or applications

A property we managed was vacant for four weeks, during which time the owner had continually adjusted the rent in an attempt to garner interest. There were no applications received over this period.

We convinced the owner to engage a professional photographer, and within two weeks had received four applications and conducted eight inspections.

We have reached a point due to the nature of how potential tenants search for properties, where professional photographs should be seen as a requirement rather than a luxury.  The results speak for themselves, and the trend towards a more media rich marketing mix is only gaining pace.

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