5 Questions You Should Ask When Choosing a Vacation Rental Photographer
You've acquired your vacation rental location, hired professionals to clean, furnish, and possibly even manage your location. But what about those beautiful photographs you see? Hire a professional to do those as well.
As a new Airbnb host, you may have snapped a few pictures using your iPhone, but they don't look quite the same as the Airbnb photos you see when you're browsing vacation rental sites. Why? You might ask. Most of the images you see are taken by a professional photographer and for a good reason. Fact: professional real estate photos can double, or even triple your bookings. You may be excited to get your listing on the market, and fast. However, a vacation rental tip for owners: use a professional to do this work and do it before your first listing. From an Airbnb marketing standpoint, you won't regret it. Your rental is much more likely to book with the help of a professional. As you begin your search for a professional rental photographer, you should keep these five questions top of mind.
What is your pricing structure?
Before entering into the rental photographer search, decide on how much you're willing to spend. In the photography world, you'll get what you pay for. A professional vacation rental photographer can range from several hundred to several thousand dollars depending on your location and the size of the rental property. Some charge based on the number of images you receive, some charged based on the square footage of your vacation rental, and others may determine a price based on your nightly rate. Some may even use a combination of all of the above to determine the fair market value for their services. Photographers are artists, and their photos are artwork. Most photographers price their services in relation to their skill level. The more you spend, the more likely the images are to elicit strong emotions in your customers, and the more likely your customers are to click on your listing and book your rental. When hiring top quality photographers, you often see a return on your investment that can be several times what you spent in the first year alone! If however you decide to go with the lowest bidder, your returns will be minimal.What services do you offer?
After you've agreed on how much you're willing to spend, decide what you want your real estate photographer to do. Many offer much more than just the standard photo shoot. A 360 Tour encourages potential customers to click on your listing because they can experience your rental property first hand. Many customers expect more than just photos of their vacation rental search. Your real estate photographer will need 360 cameras & equipment. For a listing with a beautiful landscape, i.e., beach, lake, mountains, you may consider asking for drone photos. Whichever of these options you decide, know that you are investing in the success of your rental property.Do you specialize in real estate photography?
Don't be afraid to ask your real estate photographer for the years of experience they have in the business. Photography is a broad field with several niches. The typical portrait photographer of babies, families, and high school seniors may know their way around a camera, but they may not be familiar with the niche that is real estate photography. Interiors photography requires very specialized equipment and techniques to capture the best results. Especially when considering properties with fantastic water views or other scenic views. These views can be nearly impossible to capture for the average photographer who does not possess the proper equipment or know-how.What will I receive, and when will I receive it?
Be sure to ask your photographer precisely what you will receive when the job is completed. How many images do they provide? What size will the photographs be? Will the images be edited? How soon will I receive the photos after my appointment? Most photographers provide turnaround within a few days, but some may take several weeks. Arming yourself with this information can only help you in the long run. If you have a vacation property in a highly trafficked area, you'll be able to ask around and receive quotes from various photographers. Do what is best for you in your Airbnb marketing conquest.What is your licensing agreement?
Make sure that you understand exactly how the images you are purchasing will be licensed for your use. Every photographer handles the licensing of their images differently. Some may provide you with the rights to use the images on VRBO or Airbnb, but not on printed marketing materials. Some may provide you with a full release to use the images however you please. Some photographers may only license images to you for a stated amount of time, such as 1-2 years, and require you to pay a re-licensing fee in order to continue using the images beyond that time period. Most photographers will retain ownership of the images for use on their websites and portfolios. Regardless of the licensing they provide, you should make it a point to ask about how the images will be licensed to you before you select your photographer.