You’ve heard the saying: “a picture is worth a thousand words….” This couldn’t be more true for your Airbnb listing. The photos are the highlight of your listing so you need to make them shine! A quick browse through of Airbnb and you’ll see many hosts out there making detrimental photo mistakes that are costing them bookings. Don’t be one of these hosts! Check out these eight great Airbnb listing photo tips to help you ensure your photos are showcasing your listing in the very best light.

1. Tidy up before taking photos

I’ve added this first because it is the most important of the Airbnb listing photo tips I’m going to share here. TIDY UP! Before taking your listing photos, ensure the space(s) is clean and organized; don’t leave random items lying around that make your place look dirty and cluttered. For example, when taking photos of the kitchen, move the trash cans out of sight so they aren’t in the photo.

2. Lighting, lighting, lighting

Seriously, the amount of light makes all the difference in the world. Allow as much natural light as possible to enter the room; open all the blinds, curtains, doors and turn on all the lights. The golden hour to take listing photos is in the morning about an hour and a half directly after sunrise or in the evening, an hour and a half before sunset. These times are ideal because you won’t get harsh direct sunlight coming in.

3. Stage your place with props

Make it easy for guests to imagine what it would be like to stay at your place by staging your place with a few props. This will give them a sense of what they can do while using your space. For example, put an open laptop and mouse at a table or desk to let them know your place is work-friendly. Or take a photo of a tea cup next to a comfortable chair to sell the idea that your place is comfy and the perfect place to read a good book. Or set the table with dishware to show that your place is family and cooking friendly.

4. Post photos in sequence

Post photos of your Airbnb listing in a logical sequence as if you were actually walking your guest through your listing room by room. You want to give them a good idea of what the space is like as a whole. If you’re doing home-sharing, do include photos (in logical sequence) of the areas your guests will have access to.

5. Take the photos at waist level from the corner of the room

To make the room look more spacious, take a landscape photo from the corner of the room at waist level. Be sure to capture all angles so guests get a 360 degree view of the entire room. Last but not least, take the photos in landscape mode, not portrait mode. This will ensure you get more of the room in the shot.

6. Include photos of any extra amenities you offer

If you offer extra amenities in your listing, for example, a crib, a ping pong table, or a basket of snacks, be sure to include photos of these items in your listing. If you charge extra for any of your amenities be clear about the cost in the caption of the photo.

7. Take a lot of photos

Make sure you take lots of photos so you have more to choose from. Ask friends and family to help you decide which photos are the best and only post the BEST photos!  It’s about quality, not quantity. Anywhere between 12-20 photos is a good number of photos to have. I like to have about four photos for the living room (or the main room you want to highlight), two to three for the kitchen, two per bedroom, and two for the bathroom.

8. Don’t be afraid to use your smartphone’s photo editing feature

When I have a new listing, I use my iPhone’s camera to take all of the photos. This is for several reasons: It’s fast, easy, convenient and I can edit the photos directly on my phone. If you haven’t played with your smartphone’s photo editing feature you should. You can transform a photo in a matter of seconds by just tweaking a few levels.

Want to take it up a notch? Sign up for Airbnb’s professional photos

I highly encourage that you invest in professional photography for your listing. If you’re serious about maximizing your profits, this is a must. First impressions matter. Beautiful photos make your listing stand out and can help you get booked more often. The biggest benefit (aside from the fact that the photos will look amazing), is that the photos will be captioned as “Verified Photo” from Airbnb. This tells your potential guests that they’re dealing with a professional host.

Having the right photos for your listing doesn’t have to be difficult or scary. It just has to get done! The important thing is to get your listing’s photos up as soon as possible so you can start getting reservations. If you follow these Airbnb listing photo tips, you are bound to have great photos from the start.

Happy hosting,

P.S. If you found this blog helpful I also recommend Eight Reasons Why You Should Have an E-lock on Your Airbnb Property