Why it’s time to ditch old property photos for your rental property listing

• Reusing old property photos for listings is a risky practice that can negatively impact your sales and reputation as a rental property owner or manager.
• Recycling old property photos can be misleading as the property’s condition may have changed over time. This can lead to disappointment and erode trust in your credibility.
• While high-quality listing photos may take time to produce, it’s essential to ensure accurate representations of the property and captivate potential renters.
• Avoid reusing stock photos without checking for legal rights, as this can lead to legal complications.

In the fast-paced world of real estate, first impressions are everything. When it comes to listing a rental property, captivating visuals can make or break a deal. Yet, in an age where smartphones are equipped with high-quality cameras, some still fall into the trap of reusing old property photos for their listings. This practice can have detrimental consequences on your reputation and success.

In this blog, we’ll dive into the reasons why you should not reuse old property photos for your listings, and we’ll even provide a bonus recommendation on how to improve some bad real estate photos. After all, your property listings deserve nothing less than stunning visuals that leave potential renters eager to step through the front door.

Should you reuse old property photos for your rental property listing?

Using outdated property photos may seem like a convenient way to cut corners, but it’s a gamble that’s hardly worth taking. Renters are looking for authenticity, transparency, and engaging visuals, and recycling old property photos can be misleading, as the property’s condition or appearance may have changed over time. It’s a surefire way to disappoint potential renters who arrive with expectations that aren’t met, and it can erode trust in your credibility.

Now, high-quality listing photos require some effort to produce. The homeowner, photographer, and any other involved parties such as the rental property manager need to coordinate a time when the home is vacant for a one-hour photoshoot.

The home might need to be decluttered, cleaned, or staged. The photos may take some time to be delivered as editing may be needed. All in all, high-quality listing photos take a while.

These are our recommendations:

• If the photo looks as awful in quality as the one shown above, then always reshoot. Yes, the photo above is a real photo found on the MLS.
• Assess if the photos have strong lighting, composition, and color. These are the basics of photography.
• Assess if the photos are representative of the condition of the home now. You may find that the photos from 10 years ago don’t show the newly planted garden you added last summer or the new mother-in-law unit.
• Under the circumstance that you really have to reuse stock photos, check with the photographer if you have the legal right to reuse them.

Note that improperly utilizing previously used listing photos could lead to significant legal complications. Given that these images can originate from homeowners, real estate agents, brokerage staff, or professional photographers, they may be subject to ownership or licensing arrangements with various parties. So, it’s important to be careful in reusing old property photos. 

This is another common mobile phone snapshot that many DIY homeowners opt for. It often suffers from inadequate lighting, suboptimal camera angles, and a grainy quality.

It’s also best if the photographer is able to leave their reflection out of any shots.

5 James Ave. Atherton, CA (8 bed, 7 bath)

These are our recommendations:

• If lighting, quality, and your phone’s camera are poor, upgrade to a DSLR with an external flash. This is because, in some bathrooms that are dimly lit, the mobile phone’s flash cannot produce a well-lit photo.
• Experiment with angles. You might need to climb into the bathtub and test new angles out to improve the composition.
• Go for wide shots in landscape mode, not portrait mode. Regardless of the camera you use, avoid shooting in portrait mode. Go with a wide-angle lens to get more in the frame.

How to shoot an unfinished home

As a rental homeowner, it is a given that you want to market your property as soon as you can. But, what if your home is undergoing renovation? Should you still take listing photos despite the mess?

Well, a great rule of thumb to follow is to never photograph a property unfinished. The composition, lighting, color, and contrast are all great in this photo, but the content is not, specifically because the dirt lawn and portable bathroom in the middle are visible. The date watermark does not help either.

2517 Sedlak Ct.San Jose, CA. 2 bed 2 bath home

For this case, here are our recommendations:

• Avoid photographing the home if it is not in showing condition. In this photo, we can see that the homeowners are making renovations on the exterior of the home.
• Photographing the home after it’s improved can be a great first impression for prospects browsing on Zillow, Craigslist, or Poplar Homes.
• Try to photograph different angles. If you would like to publish the listing ASAP, you might be able to get away with unfinished renovations or a messy room by testing new angles or avoiding shots that would expose these portions of the home.

Concluding thoughts

In a world where first impressions are paramount, reusing old property photos may seem convenient, but it’s a risky practice as evolving renter expectations demand authenticity. Recycling outdated photos can mislead, eroding trust in your credibility.

Invest time in creating high-quality listing photos, as it ensures accurate representations of the property and captivates potential renters. Through this, you can create a stunning portfolio that leaves a lasting positive impression, enhancing your reputation as dedicated and trustworthy. Remember that your commitment to high-quality visuals pays off, setting you apart in a competitive market and prioritizing prospective renters’ interests.