Real Estate Photos for Vacation Rentals: How to Get More Bookings on Airbnb & Co.

From an often vacant vacation rental to an occupancy rate of up to 80%—this is possible with high-quality photos and a compelling presentation on key booking platforms. Since the first impression matters for many potential guests, excellent images are especially essential.

What are the benefits of professional real estate photos for vacation rentals? Professional vacation rental photos showcase a property in its best light. This highlights its advantages and makes marketing more efficient. Key benefits include increased booking rates and higher prices.

To stand out on platforms like Airbnb and others, you need an impressive presentation of your vacation rental. In this article, learn about the significance of professional real estate photos and how to achieve the greatest value for your marketing with them.

1. Why Are Professional Photos Essential for Your Vacation Rental?
2. What Characterizes an Outstanding Photo of Your Vacation Rental?
   
   
   
   
   
3. How Do You Choose the Ideal Photographer for Your Vacation Rental?
4. How Do You Choose the Ideal Photographer for Your Vacation Rental?
5. How Do You Prepare Your Vacation Rental Optimally for the Photoshoot?
   
   
   
   
   
6. What Common Mistakes Should You Avoid in Vacation Rental Photos?
7. When Is It Worth Hiring a Professional for Your Vacation Rental Photos?
8. What are the current trends in vacation rental photography?
9. How do you optimize your photos for platforms like Airbnb & Co?
10. Why Does Investing in Professional Photos Pay Off in the Long Run?

Why Are Professional Photos Essential for Your Vacation Rental?

Quality photos are essential for making your vacation rental stand out positively from the crowd. A high-quality presentation demonstrates to travelers that you are a serious landlord who operates professionally. This builds trust and can positively influence the booking decision.

The importance of photos for booking a vacation rental is highlighted by a study from Bitkom: According to the survey, 92% of online bookers stated that they would not book a property if there are no meaningful images available. Therefore, professional photos of the vacation rental inevitably lead to increased interest, more bookings, and higher income.

High-quality real estate photos are primarily characterized by excellent quality. While amateur photos are often blurry, poorly lit, and taken from unflattering angles, professional images are sharp, showcase advantageous details, and are ideally designed to present the vacation rental in the best light.

What Characterizes an Outstanding Photo of Your Vacation Rental?

Convincing vacation rental photos are primarily characterized by the following criteria:

• With the ideal lighting, a pleasant and cozy atmosphere is created.
• The use of HDR technology results in sharp images that are high-quality, vibrant, and rich in detail.
• A carefully chosen framing can showcase as much of the apartment as possible while drawing attention to interesting details.
• The right image composition and perspective make the space appear larger and more inviting.

To present the perfect vacation rental to holiday bookers, post-processing of the photos is essential. This allows for color optimization and the removal of unwanted elements. If the weather did not cooperate during the photo shoot, a retouch can transform a cloudy sky into a blue one. It is important that the edited photos appear authentic and not over-optimized. Only then does the presentation leave a natural and honest impression.

How Do You Choose the Ideal Photographer for Your Vacation Rental?

To obtain professional photos of your vacation rental, you should hire a professional. When looking for the perfect photographer for your vacation rental, you should pay attention to the following factors:

• Specialization in real estate photography: By choosing a specialized real estate photography professional, you are opting for an expert with industry experience who knows exactly what to focus on when photographing your vacation rental.
• Scope and quality of the portfolio: A versatile and impressive portfolio gives you insight into the photographer’s work. Extensive samples indicate that the photographer has sufficient experience.
• Customer reviews: Read online reviews to learn how other landlords found their collaboration with the photographer. This will give you an impression of their quality and work style.
• Professional equipment: Professional photographers use high-quality gear to achieve the best results.

By relying on a specialized service provider like Visualista.ch, you benefit from excellent service and offerings tailored to real estate photography for vacation rentals. As a result, you receive professional photos in outstanding HDR quality.

When choosing a real estate photographer for your vacation rental, also pay attention to transparent communication. Express your wishes, for example, by using reference photos, while also accepting expert advice that helps showcase your vacation property perfectly. In the end, a good photographer should address your needs while also providing proper guidance to achieve the best results.

Which Shots Should Not Be Missing in Your Listing?

To give your potential guests a comprehensive view of your vacation rental, photos of the following areas should not be missing:

• Living Areas
• Bedrooms
• Kitchen
• Bathrooms
• Balconies or Terraces
• Special Features such as Pools
• Gardens, Outdoor Areas, Parking Spaces

Since most vacationers are likely to spend little time inside the apartment during their stay, the exterior shots should make a compelling impression. The photos should effectively showcase features such as grilling areas, comfortable seating, and cozy balconies. Images of the surrounding area can also be relevant for guests, as they provide immediate insight into the location of the vacation rental and nearby attractions.

In addition to showcasing the big picture, real estate photos can emphasize special aspects of the vacation rental. In particular, extraordinary amenities such as pools, ponds, or beautiful design elements can be highlighted. This can underscore the uniqueness of the property and positively influence the booking decision.

How Do You Prepare Your Vacation Rental Optimally for the Photoshoot?

To properly stage your vacation rental for photos, good preparation is essential. A detailed description can be found in our checklist: How to Prepare Your Property for a Photoshoot. The key points include the following:

• Cleanliness
• Organization
• Removal of Personal Items
• Small Decorative Details

The focus should be on ensuring that the vacation rental presents a cozy and inviting atmosphere in the photos. It should be absolutely clean and organized, but it doesn’t have to appear sterile. Details such as fresh kitchen herbs or a few tastefully arranged cushions can make a significant difference.

Also, seek advice from your photographer in this regard. At Visualista, you not only receive our checklist but also a personal walkthrough with individual improvement suggestions right before your photo shoot.

When taking photos of vacation rentals, there are several common mistakes to avoid to ensure the images effectively showcase the property:

To ensure that real estate photos do not appear unprofessional, there are several important considerations to keep in mind. Avoid typical mistakes such as cluttered rooms, unflattering lighting, and distorted perspectives. All of these factors can lead potential guests to form a negative first impression of your property. Proper preparation and attention to detail are essential for creating appealing and inviting images that accurately represent your vacation rental.

In the end, such shortcomings can deter travelers to the extent that they decide against making a booking. They may question the credibility of the listing or, due to unflattering angles or lighting conditions, get the impression that the apartment is too small or too dark. To avoid this, you should keep two key points in mind:

• Take the preparation of your vacation rental seriously.
• Hire a photographer who has experience in professional vacation rental photography.

This ensures that your vacation rental is presented in the best light and can showcase its advantages effectively.

When is it worth hiring a professional for your vacation rental photos?

With a large number of vacation rentals—especially in popular holiday destinations—your property needs to stand out positively to receive bookings. High-quality professional photos can attract the attention of potential guests. In contrast, listings with low-quality, self-taken images are more likely to be overlooked and also tend to have a lower booking rate.

In addition to competitive markets with a multitude of vacation rentals, luxury vacation homes also benefit from professional presentation. High-quality photos can effectively showcase the unique advantages of luxury properties and emphasize the prestige of the listing. This, in turn, leads travelers to perceive a higher price as justified and consider making a booking, as the value of the accommodation appears greater.

Visualista offers high-quality real estate photography for vacation rentals starting at CHF 299.00. This investment is worthwhile for you in the long run and can provide your vacation home marketing with a significant competitive advantage.

What are the current trends in vacation rental photography?

In addition to high-quality photos and videos, there are numerous other ways to showcase your vacation rentals. Drone shots, for example, are ideal for properties with gardens or to highlight the location of the vacation rental. 360° tours provide potential guests with an immersive experience of the property, allowing them to digitally move from room to room. Furthermore, virtual staging is particularly suitable for vacation rentals that are not yet fully completed or require renovation.

At Visualista, we offer you not only high-quality vacation rental photography but also all the mentioned technologies for your property presentation. Additionally, you can learn more about the versatile applications and benefits of innovative technologies in the real estate industry in our blog post “Virtual Reality – The Future of Property Viewing.” These presentation methods can especially help you stand out from the competition. As a result, your marketing will be unique and perceived as particularly impressive by travelers.

How do you optimize your photos for platforms like Airbnb and others?

Depending on the platform, there may be different requirements for the uploaded photos. It is important to find the right balance: the images should be high-resolution enough to showcase their full potential but not too large to minimize loading times. Airbnb itself recommends that photos of your vacation rental should have a minimum image size of 1024 × 683 pixels—larger is even better.

When uploading photos, also pay attention to the order of the images: especially the first pictures need to be compelling to immediately capture the attention of interested viewers while scrolling. The most important is the cover photo—after all, it is the first thing potential guests will notice. Additionally, meaningful image descriptions that highlight the advantages of the depicted areas can enhance the attractiveness of your listing.

Why is investing in professional photos worthwhile in the long run?

The value of high-quality photos is demonstrated by a study from Airbnb: listings with professional images experienced the following advantages:

• 28% more bookings.
• 26% higher price per night.
• On average, 40% more earnings.

In this way, professional real estate photos can make your vacation rental more attractive to potential guests. In addition to an increased booking rate, this also brings the advantage that interested parties perceive your vacation rental as more high-quality and are more willing to pay higher prices.

Guests especially appreciate when the photos accurately depict what they can expect in the accommodation. This is more likely to lead to positive reviews, which can, in turn, influence your vacation rental marketing.