As an owner, you know all the intimate details about what makes your property so great. The challenge is in conveying those to prospective renters. Vacation rental web sites help by providing you with a custom web site for your property, and promoting it to family vacationers around the globe. So what can you do to leverage this worldwide exposure? Attractive and descriptive photos can take a good property listing, and make it great. And it is a lot easier than you think.



So a picture really can be 'worth a thousand words', as they say. But how you create the best impression for your property? Here are some tips from the vacation rental property marketing experts at GreatFamilyRentals.com:

1. Digital or film, either works

Whether you use a traditional film camera or a digital one does not really matter. Use what you're most comfortable with. Even single-use, disposable cameras (with flash) can take reasonably good photos. Both digital and film camera technologies are sufficient to capture images extremely well. We recommend 400-speed film for the best results from film cameras.

What matters far more is how the camera is used. Which brings us to...

2. Interiors - Plan the setting

Professional home photographers spend hours creating the right look before snapping the first picture. While we don't recommend similar time devotion, a little time making sure your property is presentable will pay off. You will likely take your pictures between rental sessions, after the property has been cleaned. Of course renters like seeing everything neat and tidy, but we've noticed that sometimes a less sterile view helps vacationers imagine themselves in your property - and that's what it's all about. Here are some ideas to make the interior of your property look less like a hotel room, and more like a vacation home:

- Set the dining table for a meal, including wine glasses and candlesticks

- Put out some board games or books on the coffee table

- On your deck or patio, put a beach towel and a couple of cold drinks next to those chaise lounges

All right, since you're taking pictures, the drinks don't really have to be cold, but you get the idea. Of course your property should be clean and neat, but making it appear more like it probably does when occupied, helps show the potential of your vacation rental.

Spend a few minutes choosing which rooms you wish to show. Common areas, like living rooms and kitchens are important. You might not think your kitchen is anything special, but that's not the point. Many vacationers like to see the kitchen's layout, even if they know what equipment it contains. Primary bedrooms are important as well, as they allow renters to visualize their sleeping arrangements.

If your property has anything out of the ordinary on the inside (a complete home theater, for example), it's a good idea to take a photo of it as well (and don't forget to include it in your property description). For many properties, views to the outside are important - so capture them, and at the best time of day.

Like any good Realtor would recommend, turn on all the lights inside your property before taking your pictures. Set your flash to automatic, so that it will fire whenever necessary. Set your zoom on its widest setting and move back to position yourself to capture as much of each room as possible.

3. Exteriors - Open your eyes

You probably don't think too much about how your property and the surrounding area appear. You've been in and out of your rental property hundreds of times. But take a few minutes and decide what you'd like to show potential renters - it could sometime make the difference between someone booking, and passing. Showing which unit is yours in a multiple unit building can be helpful. If your property is a house or detached condominium, the exterior appearance and setting can be a big selling point. Amenities specifically for your unit can be worthwhile showing as well, such as swing sets, docks, saunas, etc.

Aside from your particular property, there are probably other reasons to book your vacation rental. So show them! Include a photo of the beach your renters can use. Put one in showing how close the chairlift is from your front door. Show the pool, playground, fishing pond, hiking trails, etc. You may be wondering, should I only show features that are for my guests only, like a private pool? Of course you'll want to include these, but by all means you should include non-exclusive amenities as well. Potential guests want to know what then can do, where they can go, etc. The idea here is to give potential renters a sense of the setting of your vacation rental property, and the best things about the immediate area. All the more reason to book their vacation with you!

4. Maps, floor plans, etc.

Perhaps there some things about your vacation rental property that you'd like to show prospective renters, but you can't take a picture of them. Does your property have a unique or particularly expansive layout? In addition to the description you write, there is a way to include a floor plan in your listing. Just take a photo of it! Lay out the floor plan on a table with good light. Try to position yourself directly above the center of the floor plan, instead of at an angle - that way it won't be distorted. Sometimes standing on a chair can help. Lastly, make sure you hold the camera very still so that the image is not blurred when you press the shutter.

5. Labeling your photos

Here's another opportunity to include information about your vacation rental property. Don't pass up the opportunity to label your photos when you upload them! And include some descriptive text. Which sounds better to you: "Master bedroom" or "Spacious master bedroom with king bed and Gulf view"? If the seasons affect the views your property offers, like leaves on trees that block that mountain view in the summer, or the sunset that's only visible from the living room window for part of the year, you should label your photos appropriately. Such as: "Sunset view from balcony in August". Some might assume that these views exist throughout the year, so it's best to be explicit in this regard. Don't forget to label maps and floor plans, too, so prospective renters know what they're looking at. These are all opportunities to help get inquiries and sell bookings for your vacation rental property, so take advantage of them.

6. Processing issues

Unfortunately, all film processing is not the same. We prefer one or two day service from an off-site lab, compared to typical one-hour results. While we've gotten acceptable results from one-hour service at a drugstore, the off-site labs provide more consistent photofinishing quality. If you try one hour processing and aren't happy, you can always have a lab reprint your photos.