If you spend some time looking for apartments on Craigslist you’ll eventually come across a common theme: there are no good photographs of apartments. If there are pictures included in the listing they’re either stock photos that show the same room over and over again or they give a blurry look into what you think might be a closet. It’s a plague on the real estate industry and deters potential renters by making them second guess what seems to be a shady listing. There’s an easy way to avoid this situation: take good pictures of the apartment. It’s not too difficult and although it takes more time than quickly snapping a few shots, it will pay off in the long run.
The first, and possibly most important, thing to do is to clean the apartment. One of the worst things you see in the few clear pictures you get online is a cluttered, dirty apartment. A less than spotless apartment not only makes the quality of the apartment look bad, but it usually makes it look smaller and crowded. Floor space is king in the city so making your apartment looked cramped is only going to make things worse.
Having a nicer camera is always a plus, but it’s not necessary. You don’t need to be using something a professional photographer would use, but if you can find something higher quality than your grainy camera phone the picture is going to look much more appealing. Lighting is also immensely important when taking photos. Dimly lit spaces make the apartment look dreary and don’t allow the potential renter to see the details of the apartment, unless you’re attempting to cover up the details, then that is another issue.
Take plenty of pictures! Certain angles will make the apartment look cramped and others will make it look spacious. Try and take as many as possible to give the renter a good idea of everything: the kitchen, the bedrooms, the closet space, the windows, etc. And for goodness sake stabilize your camera. This can be done through a tripod or even something as simple as setting the camera on a bookcase. I know it’s obvious, but a blurry picture doesn’t give much of a look into the apartment and makes you look unprofessional.
So whether you’re independently trying to market your place or you’re an agent trying to attract more customers, pictures can make a huge difference.
