Two Ways to Source Professional Photography for Your Short Term Rental
Well, HELLO friends! It’s been a minute. In fact…it’s been about a YEAR! If you’re curious why I took a year off from blogging, stay tuned. I’ll be creating some fun blog posts that recap what we’ve been up to in the past year SOON.
In the meantime, I’m so excited to be getting back to sharing tips + tricks to make your own STR (Short Term Rental) design + hosting journey smoother and simpler. Your unique journey won’t look like mine…that’s a guarantee…but my hope is that as I share what’s worked for me, you can incorporate the bits and pieces that feel right for your business. So let’s do it!
PAY THE PRICE
Ok…yes, this may be obvious. But, I do feel it’s worth exploring. You could just PAY for a professional photographer to take pictures of your beautiful space for your listing. There are a few ways you can source a fabulous photographer:
Head over to Instagram and do a search for local real estate photographers in your area
Reach out to a real estate stager or realtor in your area and ask if they can make a recommendation
Connect with other hosts and ask if they can recommend someone
Once you get those recommendations, take a look at the photographer’s previous work. Does their creative eye appeal to you? Do you believe the way they capture a space will catch the attention of your ideal guest? Once you reach out to them, there are a few questions I would recommend asking:
Will they be able to take photos in the daytime and the evening so there’s a good mix for your listing?
Can they take some additional artistic type photos (close ups of various aspects of the design and aesthetics of the space) that can be used on social media?
Will they be sharing the photos on their own social media platforms? If so, will they tag you/your listing’s account to increase visibility?
If you find a photographer that’s a good fit for your unique goals and your branding….consider hiring them! It’s a business expense and WELL WORTH IT in the long run. Honestly, you’re leaving money on the table every single month as a STR host if you don’t have professional photos. They increase the value of your listing, they increase bookings and they make it possible to ask more per night. It’s a no brainer.
This is an EXCELLENT example of a more artistic photo you’ll want to consider having your photographer create for you.
This is NOT a great listing photo…the fact alone that it’s in portrait rather than landscape means you may not want to add it to your listing. But it’s PERFECT for branding and use on social media platforms.
Wondering WHAT to actually include in your STR to be certain you’re completely GUEST READY?
I know the feeling, friend. I actually created a MASTER LIST for myself early on in my STR adventure so I could make sure I didn’t miss a thing.
I would love to share it with you! I call it the Essential STR Checklist and it’s yours for FREE at the link below!
Happy Wholehearted Hosting!
COLLABORATION
What if you are on a very tight budget to get this thing off the ground? Consider collaboration. What does that mean? I’m so glad you asked! Let’s dive in!
There’s a strong possibility that the photographer you’re hoping to hire would love a night or two in a beautiful STR. Why not yours? There are so many benefits to inviting the photographer to stay for FREE in exchange for photos for the listing:
They can provide feedback on the space (I highly recommend having trusted people who will tell you the TRUTH stay in your space before you actually open it up to complete strangers!). They can stay…try all the things…and tell you what might need a little more attention before you actually host REAL guests.
You can create the listing with your own photos (just enough to satisfy your chosen OTA - Online Travel Agency) and actually create a booking for your photographer so they can leave a review. Priceless. You’ll want to be sure the REST of your calendar is blocked if you don’t want to invite real guests yet, but this is a great way to get your listing off to a good start with a great review right out the gate!
Because they’re staying one or more nights, they’ll have every opportunity to take photos at various times of the day, with differently lighting and get lots of more artistic photos you can use in the listing or on social media. That’s a BIG deal!
Once you establish this kind of collaboration, it can serve you so well for years to come. Take good care of your photographer! If you plan to add additional STRs to your portfolio, having them on your team will be everything! Another thing to consider: If you can select one photographer to run with for the longterm, their unique eye for capturing your spaces will become a crucial part of your branding. Choose your photographer well and with the big picture in mind!
I’ve had the same photographer capturing my spaces for listings and branding for the last 4 years and 20+ listings! She’s AMAZING and has helped immensely in capturing my brand and establishing a consistent thread throughout all of my interior design work. If you’re local to the Albuquerque area and you’d like to connect with her, you can do so here. If you’d like to see how she’s captured my spaces through the years…check out just about all the images here on my blog and scroll through my Instagram account. She’s taken just about ALL those images!
BONUS TIPS
There are a few additional things I think might be helpful to know or consider…so I’m going to just list them out here….
You’ll want to plan to be at your STR when the photographer is taking pictures to be an extra set of hands and to make sure things look the way you want them to for each photo. I would even recommend offering to be present if they’re actually staying in the space. As them when they’ll be taking photos and plan to stop by. Especially if they’re taking images in the daytime and again in the evening. They may need some help putting the space back together the way you want it…
Consider being ready for one of two pictures of you and possibly your team in the space while the photographer is there. Trust me…you’ll be so glad you have a couple shot for your social media and branding! Ask the photographer if that’s an option and consider planning for it!
Take a few minutes and explore your photographer’s social media presence. Do they have a significant audience on Instagram or Facebook? This could be a HUGE win for you. It’s likely they’ll post about your listing and it will have great exposure to an audience that you may not have. It would also be worthwhile to create an account on Instagram for your listing/brand so they have some place to refer their audience to when they fall in love with the images and want to know how to book! This is the beauty of collaboration and partnership! If you’d like to see an example of an Instagram account for a STR listing or brand:
https://www.instagram.com/no10ranch/ (This is the account for our ranch with seven cabins! We’re just getting started!)
You’ll be so grateful you took the time to prepare a little bit for a photo of yourself in the space you’ve poured your whole heart into!
This picture is so dear to me. I don’t host this space anymore…and I’m so glad I have this. I love the way it captures the joy of this moment. The space is ready! I did the work…my heart is full…I’m exhausted…but it was TOTALLY worth it.
Dear friend. Plan to be in at least ONE photo. You’ll be so grateful you did. I regret that I didn’t do this very thing for the 20+ spaces I’ve designed + hosted.
And that’s a wrap! I hope this has been helpful for you and has your wheels turning about what kind of photography you’re looking for, how you might can connect with a great photographer and ways to optimize that relationship and the photos they capture to the MAX.
Happy Wholehearted Hosting, friend!
Hosting can be LONELY. As me how I know. But it doesn’t have to be that way for you, friend! We have a COMMUNITY and we’d love to welcome you in!
Click below to join our STR Design + Hosting Community today!
