Airbnb Photography Tips: Resolving The Professional Airbnb Photos Cost Vs Income Puzzle
(A few) Airbnb hosts have a cost vs potential income puzzle to solve before they become a success. Hopefully, the following Airbnb photography tips can help you today.
To set up an Airbnb, money needs to be spent before making money. Unfortunately, some hosts believe they can present the ordinary. Big mistake.
Today we want to consider the consequences of deciding on professional Airbnb photos or not.
Why am I sharing these Airbnb photography tips?
We viewed a new property recently. The owner wanted us to do full Airbnb Management in Simonstown in Cape Town. The property is lovely with a superb view of the harbour. An ideal holiday home for a small family.
After months of contemplating, he kindly sent the following message:
We have decided to go with a more low-key setup and where R1500 for photos is not required. Time will tell whether this will work. Thanks for your input.
Why Would Hosts Choose A Low Key Setup For Their Airbnb Photos?
I am not sure what low-key setup means.
But why go small? Rather not get involved. I wonder…
- Who advised the owner?
- Is it a professional agency?
- Does it mean this Airbnb agency is willing to potentially, compromise quality for cost?
- And long-term income?
Today, with a phone, it’s easy to take interior photos. But will they be good enough? And does it matter?
Actual Professional Airbnb Photos vs Amateur Photos
Let me share two random photos from Airbnb listings by other hosts.
Tell me which photo a professional took and which an amateur took.
Photo 1
Photo 2:
Look at these two photos and tell me:
- Which of these Airbnbs were (realistically) staged?
- Which one is more inviting?
- The one has a perfect perspective. The other shows the skewed door and window frames. Which photo is better?
- One looks spacious and the other one squeezed. (Yes. It’s a small space, but the photo makes it worse). Can you tell me if a professional took the second photo?
Let me now try to explain why professional Airbnb photos are critical. (I thought this was obvious).
What Do Mediocre (Cheap) Airbnb Photos Imply?
You tell me. 😳
When I went for my first job interview, did I wear short pants, a slip slops and a t-shirt?
Or did I dress up, cut my hair neatly, and shave? I did that and even dabbed some aftershave on.
Why did I do this?
I Had To Make The Best Impression Quickly
And I only had seconds. These bosses looked at me before exchanging a word. If I wore a t-shirt, I could see myself out the door in a few minutes.
They may think I don’t care, I don’t respect them or the business where they want to employ me. Why should they respect me with their time, trust and money if I did not care?
The same applies to an Airbnb listing. Guests care about photos first, they cannot view the place physically, they then confirm if they will stay reading the reviews, price and description.
They may like what they see, even with amateurish photos. But, they still think this is an amateur.
Why create this resistance between you, the hosts, and the skeptical guests who risk their money to stay with you (the amateur-money-saver)?
Is it not a small investment with a massive potential for a great return?
More Trouble For The New Airbnb Host: Guests Have No Reason To Trust You On Day One.
Sadly, new Airbnb hosts have no reviews when they launch their properties. And guests consider the photos. And then decide if the nightly rate is worth the risk.
What happens when you use cheap or amateurish photos?
It’s the same as wearing a t-shirt, dirty shoes, and uncombed hair to your first interview.
Guests see amateurish photos as disrespect.
They have two options; they either move on to the next Airbnb or check how low the rates are. If the rates are low they may stay.
Poor photos compromise income. And low occupancy will eventually put pressure on the host to lower rates. It’s a downward spiral.
These crawlers battle it out for the scraps. Sell value rather. It starts with professional photos.
Summary of Airbnb Photography Tips So Far:
- If you are in a highly competitive area with lots of supply, excellent photos are crucial.
- In high-supply areas, poor photos push you towards a low-price strategy. And everyone loses. It is fine to attract guests but is not sustainable.
Do You Believe Me? Professional Photos Vs Amateur Photos In Numbers
Housty.com did research on many of their Airbnb professional photo listings vs amateur photo listings. And this is what they found. I quote them verbatim:
There was an 18.7% increase in occupancy – that is huge!
The average increase in daily rate was a massive 16.4%!
On average, the earnings were an astounding 73.8% higher after photography.
What more can I say?
The other day we had to stage and take professional photos. Date and time set. It’s year-end. But the artwork was late. Do we go forward with stand-in artwork or do we delay until the artwork is up?
We postponed it. We could lose a week’s income. But how much more could we lose because of the inferior artwork shown in the photos? No.
Staging For Professional Airbnb Photos
Another cost the owner did not mention is the cost to stage the home for photos.
Owners can do their own staging. But we prefer to use our professional host to do the staging.
Staging sets the home up for photos so that guests can imagine the scene.
We set wine and wine glasses out, dress sun loungers with towels and a hat, juice, fruit and flowers in the lounge, etc.
The cost to stage is minimal. But the impact is spectacular and a cheap investment with long-term benefits.
LearnAirbnb.com agrees with me when they say,
There are two ways you can get more from your listing, staging, and photographing your rental!
Airbnb Photography Tips From A Pro on making your Airbnb stand out.
Few Cents Investment In Professional Airbnb Photos
For most Airbnbs, professional photos and staging cost less than one day’s income.
- For a small Airbnb, the cost can be 1% to 2% of the annual expected annual income during year one – then zero thereafter.
- For expensive Airbnb, this cost reduces to 0.1% or less.
Low Key Option: A Choice Between A Half Full Or Half Empty Glass?
Am I correct in saying that owners who save money by not choosing professional Airbnb photos are cost-conscious? And reminds me of the owner looking at the glass half empty.
This mindset drives owners to reduce costs. Which is fine. But it has consequences.
It does not focus on ways to increase income potential. Sometimes, it blinds Airbnb hosts from opportunities to succeed beyond the mediocre.
Did you know there are only two kinds of owners looking for an Airbnb Management Agency in Cape Town? Read all about it here.
Let’s move on to a fact from the LearnAirbnb.com study.
Airbnb Superhost Earns Twice As Much As Ordinary Host
Airbnb Superhost earns twice as much as ordinary hosts. And I have never seen a Superhost without impressive photos. There may be. But few.
To me. Superhost hosts see a glass half full. To increase return on investment exponentially, clever costs are necessary.
Conclusion
Respect the guest. Present the best possible face of your Airbnb to potential guests.
A new Airbnb only has photos and rates to attract guests. Better staged photos should ensure higher rates. Poor photos are the start of a downward spiral.
The investment is small. The return is significant.
BTW: why was it even necessary to write this long story on professional photography tips? I thought this was obvious.
What Are The No.1 Consequence Of Not Using Professional Photos?
I am sure you know the answer. You’ll make a less than your neighbour. And a lot less.
Airbnb Photography Tips FAQs
- Can unprofessional or amateur Airbnb photos work sometimes? Yes. If your Airbnb is in an extremely high-demand area – with low supply and most of your Competitors use amateur photos, then go for it. If you want my advice; rather spend less than 0.5% of year one’s annual income and get professional photos.
- Should I hire a photographer for Airbnb? Yes. And not only a professional but an interior photographer professional. Your income would increase by as much as 73%.
- How do I take professional Airbnb photos on my iPhone or Android phone? Take as many photos as possible. Go down to seating and sleeping levels from high to low levels. Take photos early or late as you don’t want the glaring sun to clear to create contrast. Stage the place with flowers, fruit, wine, and beach towels in sunny areas. The most important is consistent lighting throughout. Post-production of photos is critical.
