How to Hire an Airbnb Photographer for your Vacation Rental

If you have ever booked a vacation rental online, you’ll know that there's a very short commute from the property name to the images. The same goes for those looking to book your Airbnb online as well. According to statistics, most people only read 20-28% of the words on the page.

In fact, the layout of Airbnb is also arranged such that the images go right under the property name on the property page. With 90% of the information being processed by the brain being visual, it is only natural that such a move would only help visitors to the site decide better on which property they would be checking in to.

If visitors are not happy with the first impression of the property that they get through your property’s photographs they are most likely not going to read your property description or reviews as highly irreparable damage may have been done in terms of first impressions. Therefore, it is highly important to get your photography absolutely perfect to be able to procure bookings for your property.

High importance is shown by Airbnb for photography, the online travel portal even offers a dedicated photography service. In this article, we discuss hiring a photographer for your Airbnb and everything you must take into consideration when doing so.

The Importance Of Photography To The Success Of A Vacation Rental

On Airbnb or any online travel portal for that matter, every book is judged by its cover. Unfortunately, that means that regardless of how well kept your property is, bad pictures mean fewer bookings. This is mainly because bad pictures take away from the professional look of your Airbnb. According to a survey conducted, only 15% of property owners and managers hire professional photographers. However, the same research shows that listings with professional-level photography earn 40% more revenue than those without.

In a nutshell, if fewer people are clicking on a property’s lead photo it is going to be next to impossible to generate enough sales to keep the property afloat. So whichever way you look at it, poor listing photos can cost your rental thousands of dollars in revenue a year.

Key Things To Remember About Airbnb Photography

• Properties with more photos tend to have more bookings. It is best to have between 20-40 photographs in your listing
• The lead photo needs to act like a magnet pulling guests towards your listing.
• Showcase the different rooms, amenities, and the neighborhood of your property in your photographs.
• Use ONLY landscape mode photographs. Photographs in portrait mode show up as either stretched or cropped.
• Photographs must be of high quality and of at least 1024 x 683 pixels.
• Stand out from your competition – compare your listing’s lead photo with others that show up together and make it stand out.

Things To Do Before You Hire A Photographer:

There is only so much that photographers can do. Your property must look Instagram-able for the pictures to turn out that way. Here’s a list of things to look into before your photographer turns up.

• Clean up rooms that you want to take pictures of
• Set up your rooms in the most flattering way possible
• Think of the best times to picture outdoor locations such as the garden and main entrance
• Come up with props and trinkets such as throws and cushions that you can use to add a pop of color to an otherwise monotonous room
• Pay attention to the small things, always keep dustbins and unsightly doormats out of the picture
• Have extra staff around to help with any heavy lifting when setting up your rooms for the photographs

Answering Some FAQs About Hiring An Airbnb Photographer

How much does Airbnb photography cost?

The price for Airbnb photography is not published, as prices can vary due to the size of the property and geographic location. After signing up for the service and entering your listing ID, you will receive a quote via email within 24 hours. After which, you will be free to decide to move forward or not. According to hosts online you can be charged anywhere from $100-$400

Does Airbnb provide photographers?

Airbnb does not provide photographers but they can match you with a photographer if the service is available in your region. Airbnb is not very transparent about where they pick their photographers from but it looks like they have a pool of photographers in areas where the service is offered where a standard rate is agreed on to shoot listings for interested hosts.

Can I select my Airbnb photographer?

Unfortunately, the answer to this is no. All Airbnb photographers are vetted and trained to closely follow Airbnb’s Creative guidelines. You will be connected with a photographer based on their availability and location.

If you don’t want to go for an Airbnb photographer you can pick someone from your locality or you can take the pictures yourself. But you may find that at least for the initial set of pictures, you’ll want to hire someone with knowledge and access to a high-quality camera, lighting tools, and editing software.

How long will the photoshoot last?

A photoshoot lasts up to 1 hour. We ask that your house is photoshoot-ready by 8:00 AM the day of the scheduled appointment.

How will I receive my images?

Once your images are approved, they are immediately published to your listing, where you can then make edits such as changing their order, deleting, and/or adding captions.

In Conclusion:

Your property’s photographs can literally make or break your listing, especially the lead photo. Take time to pick photographs that showcase your property, its amenities, and everything else that makes your property great for the first few images. Most guests decide which property to click on based on the lead photo alone so make sure yours pops. For more information read our blog article on vacation rental photography.