Why Professional Photos Boost Bookings for Your Vacation Property

Why is it important to include pictures of your vacation rental? According to a study by FlipKey, “Travelers are 83% more likely to inquire about property listings that contain over 20 photos.”

Photographs support your property descriptions. Visuals allow the audience to experience your rental property before they book it. Successful photographs can positively influence a renter to book your property.

Why Professional Photographs Are Important

Professionalism is Trustworthy

Before someone rents your property, you need an engaging image.
‍According to a study, visuals take 20 seconds to capture an audience’s attention. How will your photographs appear to guests in under 20 seconds? Will guests read more about your property? Or move on?

Dark, blurry, and unappealing vacation rental images affect bookings. Poor-quality images suggest that the property is unreliable or has negative qualities. A positive first impression can book a rental with a professional photograph.

Vacation Rental Photographs

Especially with online bookings, guests want to know what they are purchasing. Depict your rental property through a variety of images. This will increase your bookings.

You should include images of:

• The kitchen
• The living room
• Bedroom(s)
• Bathroom(s)

Images also include:

• Outdoor green space: Gardens or scenic property
• Extra features: Pool, hot tub, or game area
• Floor-plans

Professional Photos Reflect Pricing

Professional pictures show your commitment to your rental property as a business owner. You reflect your property as a place that is trustworthy. Guests want to stay in a home that is beautiful. They will appreciate a dedicated owner who invests in quality work.

Your photographs support your vacation property prices. Photographs capture that your property is luxurious, family-friendly, and more.

Rental photographs will support your price range. Guests will pay higher prices if your photos highlight a modern, expensive vacation property. The same principle reverses. You will have low bookings if you charge high prices, yet your photographs are poor quality.

The more money you put into your rental photographs, the more flexible your pricing. The better the pictures, the more bookings. More demand equals higher rates.

Professional Photographers Know What They’re Doing

Professional photographers know what attracts renters.

• Staging: Photographers style and stage a home to appeal to renters. They remove personal artifacts and clutter. This highlights the property’s features.
• Camera Angles: We are not professional photographers. We take photographs with our personal aesthetic in mind. Professional photographers consider many factors:
• Taking your thoughts into consideration
• Capturing the rooms’ character
• Composition (lighting, staging, best camera angle)
• Post Production: Professional photographers can choose and recommend the strongest photographs.
• Unbiased view of your home using their photographs
• Know what appeals to the audience

Professional Photographers Increase Bookings

The purpose of professional photography is to increase your bookings.

One example of increased bookings is from a $500 investment. A vacation rental owner replaced his (iPhone) vacation rental photographs with professional photographs. He increased his bookings by 39%. This totaled $10,000 more in income because he switched to professional photography. His original $500 professional photographs brought him $10,000 in return.

How Much Do Professional Photographers Cost?

Finding talented professional photographers is a limited field. The saying, “You get what you paid for” applies to the photographer you hire. Expect to pay $200-$2,500+. This may include:

• Cost to stage the house
• Travel expenses
• Time photographing
• Editing

Where Do You Find Professional Photographers?

Do some research. Search for Vacation Rental Photographers.

Most professional photographers have the skills to take beautiful photos. You want to hire someone specific to the vacation rental industry. Review their portfolio. If you like their work, ask them for an estimate. You should describe your property: four bedrooms, two baths, 1 acre, etc.

Describe your expectations for the project. What do you want your photographs to achieve?

Consider that you might pay more to have a professional photographer travel from out of the area. The return on the investment for such a trip is beneficial, so don’t rule it out.

Why You Should Use a Professional Photographer

You’ve heard the influences of photographs on your audience. Mediocre images negatively reflect on your property. Rely on professional photographers to capture your property. The use of lighting, staging, and composition draws your audience to book.

Professional photographs increase bookings. Do you have a professional photographer to recommend? Share this post on social media with your thoughts and experiences.