PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY FOR YOUR AIRBNB - Is it worth it?

We all know that there are costs to consider when getting your property ready to welcome paying guests, find out why we think paying for a professional photographer is not a cost worth overlooking.
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Why Profession Photography for your Vacation Rental is essential!

Your photos are THE MOST important aspect of your listing, and if your images don't entice travellers to click on them, your listing will be lost in the never ending pile of other Airbnb properties in your area. 

We assume that if you are reading this, you are serious about maximising your occupancy, nighty rate and thus your overall rental income; well in order to do that, you need to make your listing STAND OUT! There are currently just under 17000 active listing in Cape Town alone. How are you going to stand out? 
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FIRST IMPRESSIONS ARE EVERYTHING, make yours a good one!

Image provided by Airbnb, all rights reserved.

Property Owner's Photo

Image provided by Airbnb, all rights reserved.

Professional Photographer's Photo

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What does a Professional Photographer Cost?

You may be pleasantly surprised to know that it doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg to get a professional photographer to shoot your property. From about R1200, you can have your space professionally photographed. Airbnb understand the importance of professional photos and therefore offer a great solution to those of you who don't want to fork out that cost upfront. If you book your photo shoot through the Airbnb platform, Airbnb will simply deduct this cost from your next booking payout.
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Prepare your space 

• Make sure the place is SPOTLESS. 
• Remove all personal items (especially in the bathroom). eg. Toothbrushes, hairbrush, half used soap, personal picture frames etc.
• Use fresh flowers or pot plants to add a thoughtful touch and some colour.
• Hide electrical wires, remotes and anything else that may take away from the photo.
• Make up a beautiful bed; ironed linen, scatter cushions and a throw.
• Make sure all labels and zippers are hidden! (a personal pet hate haha).
• Try to create the atmosphere you hope your guests will experience in your space, so the photographer can capture this in his/her photos. This can be done by lighting a fire, staging some drinks by the pool etc. Be creative and stand out!

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The Order of Photos on your Listing matter!

Your first image is the most important as this is your "Cover Photo" and the image that will decide if the traveller will click on it to learn more about your property. 
The following images should all be of different aspects of the property, as you want to ensure not to bore the traveller and loose their interest by showing 4 pics in a row of just the swimming pool. 
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Make sure to use Photo Descriptions!

We still see so many listings who do not write unique descriptions for each photo. This is a lost opportunity that is very valuable if used correctly. Explain what the photo is of and any additional information you think the guest may like to know about it.

We hope we were able to add some value to you and your Airbnb listing today. If you enjoyed this post, be sure to follow us on INSTAGRAM and subscribe to our NEWSLETTER for more Airbnb tips and insights.

If you're looking for exceptional Airbnb Property Management in Cape Town and would like to get in touch, please email us on [email protected]