Why Professional Photography Matters: Book your vacation rental more frequently and for more money with this impactful marketing strategy

If you’re struggling to keep your vacation rental booked, your dilemma could be as simple as the photographs you publish on your listing. Think about it – you have 20 seconds to capture a renter’s attention, and those renters recall 80% of what they see versus only 20% of what they read. Do you think your potential guest is going to scroll down to the property description if their first impression of your property includes poorly lit spaces and small rooms?

Hire a professional photographer to elevate your brand and show renters you are committed to your business. By using professional photography for your listing photos, you will increase clicks, reservations, and profits.

Airbnb, who now has 4.5 million listings worldwide, tested this strategy by offering new vacation rental owners free professional photo shoots. Properties that used professional listing photos were booked 2.5 times more frequently and brought in $1,025/month.

Some may argue that professional photography is even more important to vacation rental owners than to home sellers. When travelers base their perceptions of your property off of the iPhone pictures you took yourself, it is difficult to get reservations. This is why your photographs need to be stellar and taken by a professional.

By conducting the first half of your business solely online, it is essential to building trust through visuals and descriptive written content.

Vacation owners share first-hand how professional photography changed the game

One HomeAway vacation owner swapped out his iPhone 5 listing images for professional photos and saw an income increase of 39%. He realized quickly that “good enough” hadn’t been working. With new images of his home, he was able to increase prices as he continued to book reservations.

Vacation rental owner, Michelle, was able to book her Arlington, TX property for months following her professional photography shoot. “So many listings now you wouldn’t believe it,” she told Virtuance. Better yet, she was able to sell one of her properties for more than she imagined. She credits her professional photographs.

Chad, a Nashville HomeAway vacation owner, was thrilled that he received 8 new reservations within 9 days of posting professional images of his listing. “I expected it to start heating up for 2018, but I definitely think the new pictures had a lot to do with it,” he stated.

Choosing the right real estate photography vendor to suit your needs

Before you hire a professional real estate photographer, remember that you have options.

Select a professional photography company that understands how to market a vacation rental, like Virtuance. Available in 23 markets nationwide, with new markets launching every quarter, Virtuance offers vacation rental owners high-quality images proven to increase reservations and profits.

How is Virtuance different from other professional real estate photography vendors? HDReal® image processing technology and award-winning customer service are two significant drivers for the company.

Virtuance’s groundbreaking image processing system,HDReal®, enhances images taken by their professional photographers using 25 machine-learning algorithms. The finished images are proven to capture buyer attention faster and hold visual attention longer than any other photography solution. Also, their SOP is designed to fulfill orders efficiently without skimping on image quality, which means your images are guaranteed for delivery by 5 PM the day following your photoshoot.

Reliable hands-on customer service with easy, flexible scheduling is another important quality to find in a real estate photography company. In 2018, Virtuance received the “Best of Houzz Customer Service” award, an honor is based on a number of factors including the quantity and quality of client reviews from 2017.

Ultimately, your photography vendor should understand the market. Their images should improve your vacation rental listings and grow your brand portfolio.

Better photos equal more reservations and more reservations equal more profits and positive reviews. Likewise, more positive reviews equal more reservations, and the cycle continues.

Want to learn more about why visual marketing is vital for brand and business success online? Check out this presentation.