You know the whole “golden hour” perfect lighting part of the day? Well, the summer months are the “golden hour” season of the year—the time when everything looks a little better, a little dreamier. Use our property photography checklist to get the best photography of your communities, optimized for marketing.
The goal is always to lease-up your community. Well, having a collection of beautiful photos (the best possible ones) will make marketing’s job way easier.
Property Photoshoot Prep Checklist
You’ll want to check off every one of these property photoshoot checklist items before your photographer arrives (not while they’re trying to capture the perfect shot). You’ll both save time and headaches if you prepare ahead of time:
Quality Property Photography’s Important
LONG SHELF LIFE
When you invest in high-quality images, you’re not throwing money down the drain. By choosing the proper season (summer) and preparing in advance (with our checklist) you’ll be that much closer to taking photos that will stay useful in your marketing for a good, long while. Since the gallery is one of the most viewed pages on your website, having a great photo of your clubhouse or pool creates a longer lasting impression than any amenities list ever could. (Think of it this way: Would you rather see a photo of a pool with all the umbrellas and chaises around it, or would you rather read “large pool” in the list of amenities?)
BUILD THE BRAND
Quality apartment photography captures beautiful images—but also so much more: the lifestyle and the experience your property offers. Your space is unique, your ambiance is different, and your community isn’t the same, according to your brand. And your photos should reflect that. When you show off beautiful, well-composed photos that work within your brand guidelines, you set yourself apart. Images, or rather, photos, evoke emotion, tell your brand story, and lead to a more consistent brand image. Bottom line: Investing in quality property photos shows your prospects that you’re invested in your brand, and likewise: in them.
Apartment Photography Shot List Checklist
Capture multiple angles of the property for each of these areas in both wide/overview shots as well as tighter details when worthy.
*Adjust this apartment photography shot list checklist to the specific spaces your community has to offer. Add or remove amenities as needed.
Get the Details
While you have a photographer there, take a closer look. By adding detail shots to your list (more interesting angles, photos of people at the clubhouse, closeups of feet in a pool, someone cooking dinner in their unit) you can create an unstoppable lifestyle image library that NO one else will have. And the photos will be authentic because they’re actually part of your community. Provide your photographer with your apartment brand guidelines so they know what kind of vibe and ambiance they should be looking for and helping capture.
When you get the photos back, you can use them to enhance your brand and make completely unique visuals for any number of your marketing materials.
The heart of summer is a lovely time to refresh your property photos, and it’s our favorite for when plants look their best. (But your brand may be an “autumn”—so you do you.) Follow our checklist, invest in high-quality, professional photography, and bump up the appeal of your property to your prospects (and likely your current residents, too). Your marketing efforts are about to get an extra shot of sunshine.