- FAQs: Creating a listing on Homegate?
- 6 tips for successfully listing your apartment
- Renting out a property: our tips
- Find a tenant
- Renting out a garage or parking space
- Sell your property successfully with our 8 top tips
- Benefits of using an estate agent
- A community of heirs inherits a property
- Security notice
- Selling a building plot
- Selling a farmhouse
- Estate agent commission: when, how and how much?
- Renting out an apartment yourself
- 5 mistakes to avoid when looking for tenants
- Terminating a tenancy agreement
- Photos for property listings
- Documents for renting out your apartment
Photos for property listings: Tips for high-quality images
Images are the first thing people notice in a listing. Whether they click or keep scrolling is often decided within seconds. We’ll show you how to create high-quality listing photos with simple steps – and attract more relevant enquiries.
Why images matter so much in property listings
Property searches mostly happen online, and they’re highly visual. People often compare several listings at once and scroll quickly through the results. In those moments, first impressions count – and they’re almost always shaped by the images. Before anyone reads the description, they’ve already decided within seconds: Is this right for me, or should I keep scrolling?
That’s why strong visuals can make all the difference. Poor-quality photos, on the other hand, can cause your listing to be overlooked, even if the property itself is appealing.
The good news: You don’t need professional equipment or photography skills to create great listing photos. With a smartphone and a few simple tips, you can take high-quality images that make your property stand out.
3 common photo mistakes in property listings
Many people make similar mistakes when taking listing photos, often without realising it. These can directly affect how appealing your listing looks. Here, we’ll walk you through the most common ones and how to avoid them, using typical examples (the images are AI-generated and slightly exaggerated to highlight the issues).
Mistake 1: Image too dark
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The classic: photos that are too dark. Images with too little natural light feel uninviting – and your listing is more likely to be overlooked.
- Rooms look smaller, tighter, and less welcoming
- Details and layout are harder to recognise
- The property can appear older or less well maintained
Better: Bright images
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Make the most of natural daylight and present the space in a warm, inviting atmosphere:
- Take photos during the day
- Open curtains and blinds
- Switch on additional lights if needed to reduce shadows
Mistake 2: People in the photos
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It might seem like a nice way to show everyday life – but people (especially children) don’t belong in property listing photos.
For one, they distract from the space and make it harder for viewers to imagine themselves living there. For another, there are privacy considerations: if a person is clearly recognisable, the photo can only be published with their explicit consent.
Better: Skip people altogether
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To avoid legal risks and misunderstandings, it’s best not to include any people in your photos (and watch out for accidental reflections in windows or mirrors).
A child’s room can still be clearly recognisable as such, but showing children playing is something for professional marketing campaigns, not for a property listing.
The same goes for pets: it’s better to leave them out, as they can be distracting.
Mistake 3: Clutter
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Clothes, personal items, or everyday objects lying around can feel distracting and make the space look smaller and more chaotic.
They can also create an unclean impression, which quickly affects how the entire property is perceived and makes it harder for viewers to imagine this as their new home.
Better: Tidy up
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To make your property look well cared for, give it a thorough tidy before taking photos. Clear no-gos include dirty socks on the floor, full ashtrays on the table, or used dishes in the kitchen.
Be mindful with decoration, too – less is more. Plants or a picture on the wall are perfectly fine as long as they’re subtle. A large football flag or an action movie poster, on the other hand, can draw too much attention.
More common mistakes in listing photos
Unfavourable angles
Tilted lines or shots taken from too high or too low can distort the space and look unprofessional. Hold the camera at about chest height, keep lines (walls, doors, windows) straight, and avoid extreme wide-angle shots.
Also, make sure to take all photos in landscape format: this works best for listings and preview displays on property platforms.
Too much detail
Close-ups of decorations, plants, or furniture don’t give a clear overall impression of the property. Instead, aim to capture as much of the room as possible in each shot.
Image editing: keep it subtle to stay credible
The same applies to editing your photos: less is more. Small adjustments are perfectly fine and can even improve the result. Just keep it realistic and avoid anything misleading.
✔ Slightly adjust brightness and contrast
✔ Make minor colour corrections
✘ Avoid heavy filters
✘ Don’t retouch in a misleading way
The goal is to give an honest impression of the property, not a glossy, picture-perfect version.
Which rooms should you photograph?
To give people a complete picture of the property, include at least one strong photo of each room. Not all spaces carry the same weight, though – so it helps to follow a clear order for your gallery:
- Living room (often the cover image)
- Kitchen
- Bedroom
- Bathroom
- Additional rooms, such as an office or home gym
- Balcony or garden
- View
- Exterior of the building
- Basement, attic, garage, bike storage
- Floor plan (at the end)
There’s no fixed rule for the ideal number of photos. Aim for enough to cover the entire property, but without overwhelming viewers. Too many images can feel off-putting.
A good rule of thumb: put yourself in the shoes of someone searching. Which photos would you expect to see, and which ones would catch your attention?
