Latest / Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights / How Great Photography Boosts Your Vacation Rental Business

Transcript

How Great Photography Boosts Your Vacation Rental Business · Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights

• 0:00
  Hello and welcome to host Planet Bite Size, the podcast brought
• 0:03
  to you by Host Planet and House Philly.
• 0:05
  My name's James Farley, the founder of House Planet, and our
• 0:08
  goal is. To share everything you need to.
• 0:10
  Know about? Buying and managing.
• 0:12
  Short term rentals. Today's guest is Frank Bosey
• 0:14
  from Host Philly and he's got 5 tips to share about photography.
• 0:18
  OK. Real talk now, for all you hosts
• 0:20
  out there, you know that moment when your guest messages you
• 0:23
  again? With.
• 0:24
  Hey, what's the Wi-Fi code? Or you're staring at 5 different
• 0:28
  calendars wondering if you've accidentally double.
• 0:31
  Booked the cottage. Yes, we've all.
• 0:33
  Been there. That's why here at Houseplanner,
• 0:36
  we recommend Housefully. It's basically your rentals
• 0:39
  Control Center. It handles bookings across all
• 0:42
  the big platforms, syncs your calendars to ensure there are no
• 0:46
  double bookings, automates guest messages, and even creates these
• 0:50
  really slick digital guidebooks that stop all the repeat
• 0:53
  questions. Honestly.
• 0:54
  It just makes your life easier. And keeps.
• 0:57
  Your guests happier helping you achieve those all important five
• 1:01
  star reviews. And here is a little bonus.
• 1:04
  If you're a Houseplanet listener, you can get $500 off
• 1:08
  onboarding for Housefullies property management software and
• 1:11
  30% off digital guidebooks for life.
• 1:15
  Just hit the link in the show notes and use the codes Planet
• 1:18
  500 for the PMS and Houseplanet GB for the guidebooks.
• 1:24
  And if you'd like a proper walkthrough.
• 1:26
  There's also a link to book a demo with Frank Bosey from
• 1:29
  Housefullie He. He will show.
• 1:30
  You how it all works. Less stress.
• 1:33
  More bookings sorted with house filling.
• 1:42
  Frank, thank you for joining us on House Planet Bite Size.
• 1:45
  You've got 5 photography. Tips to share for vacation
• 1:50
  rental hosts. So take it away with tip #1.
• 1:53
  Yeah. So again, just thank you, James
• 1:55
  for having me on bite size. I'm always pumped to talk about
• 1:59
  something that can. Seriously, make or break your
• 2:03
  short term rental business and that is good old photography.
• 2:06
  Ultimately, I mean when it when it's time to start planning your
• 2:10
  travel, we all scroll through Airbnb and Verbo and let's be
• 2:15
  honest, if the photos don't catch your eye in the first
• 2:17
  couple of seconds, we keep moving.
• 2:20
  And guests are the same exact way.
• 2:23
  In fact, travellers spend less than 10 seconds deciding whether
• 2:27
  to click into a listing. And in those 10 seconds, they're
• 2:31
  looking at one thing and that one thing is your photo.
• 2:35
  So if you're, I mean, photos are your first impression and
• 2:39
  they're your billboard, they're your sales pitch all rolled into
• 2:43
  one. And platforms really like
• 2:46
  Airbnb, they actually reward listings that get more clicks
• 2:50
  and get more saves. And really what drives those
• 2:54
  clicks are your cover photo. And really the kicker here is
• 2:58
  when your photos stand out, not only do you get more bookings,
• 3:02
  you can actually raise your nightly rates.
• 3:05
  I've seen hosts swap in professional photos and we see a
• 3:09
  20 to 30% bump in occupancy. And that's the power of visuals.
• 3:14
  So really like what makes a good set of photos.
• 3:17
  Like you said, we're going to keep it simple today with five
• 3:20
  easy steps. And that's, and because
• 3:23
  ultimately that's, that's what it is.
• 3:25
  It's, it's simple. It's a simple change that you
• 3:27
  can make on your end. The first one, I mean, light it
• 3:31
  up. Lighting is everything.
• 3:34
  Natural light makes your property feel bigger, brighter,
• 3:38
  even just more inviting. So those overhead lights, on the
• 3:42
  other hand, they can cast this like yellow or blue tone that
• 3:46
  really makes the room look harsh, dated and just dry.
• 3:50
  So go ahead. I would say take photos in the
• 3:54
  morning or late afternoon when the sun is softer.
• 3:57
  Open every curtain, open every blind, and even open doors to
• 4:02
  let more light in. But also remember when you're
• 4:05
  opening the windows, turn off the ceiling lights, turn off
• 4:09
  those lamps. So the colour of the room is
• 4:12
  just consistent across the board.
• 4:15
  If one room feels too dark sometimes it happens based on
• 4:18
  the location of your listing. Maybe bring in a small lamp just
• 4:24
  for the shoot but also keep it indirect and subtle.
• 4:29
  Don't use like those big like white bright lights.
• 4:33
  The Next up would be maybe I would say to shoot wide.
• 4:37
  So guests ultimately they want to visualize themselves in the
• 4:40
  space. And the easiest way to do that
• 4:43
  is to see the entire room at once.
• 4:45
  So wide shots create this flow. They help people understand how
• 4:51
  all of your rooms connect. So it's sometimes it's a little
• 4:54
  awkward taking pictures, but stand in the doorway or like the
• 4:58
  corner of each room just to get the best angle.
• 5:01
  And if possible, a lot of the smartphones now have this built
• 5:04
  in. It's use a wide angle lens and
• 5:08
  take at least two photos per room, maybe one from the doorway
• 5:12
  and then one again awkwardly from another corner of the room
• 5:17
  and keep your angles consistent. That's important.
• 5:19
  So the listing needs to feel natural as the guest scrolls
• 5:25
  through, kind of like a walkthrough is kind of
• 5:29
  ultimately what you want, what you want to for the guest to
• 5:32
  experience. And you may want to also invest
• 5:36
  in a professional photographer who really specializes in short
• 5:41
  term rentals. And it's easy to find those.
• 5:42
  You wouldn't think so, but just by asking your local short term
• 5:46
  rental Facebook group, they're full of recommendations.
• 5:50
  And then you also want to declutter your unit.
• 5:53
  So a messy or busy photo distracts from the beauty of the
• 5:57
  space. Guests want to see themselves
• 6:00
  living there, not your extension cords or yesterday's now on the
• 6:04
  counter. So go ahead, clear those
• 6:06
  countertops in the kitchen. Just leave maybe one or two key
• 6:09
  items like a fruit bowl, maybe a coffee maker, and just tuck away
• 6:15
  those personal items like your shoes, your coats, toiletries,
• 6:20
  sometimes pebbles, depending, I'll touch on this later, but
• 6:23
  pebbles, if you're not a pet amenity or a A, what is it?
• 6:29
  A A pet friendly. Pet friendly.
• 6:31
  There you go. Yeah.
• 6:32
  And then, like I said, hide cords behind the furniture if
• 6:36
  possible. But also keep your decor simple.
• 6:39
  Just think clean and welcoming rather than lived in.
• 6:44
  But you also want to tell a story.
• 6:46
  And this is where you take it from good photos to great
• 6:49
  photos. So guests don't just want to see
• 6:51
  a bed, they want to visualize and imagine themselves curling
• 6:56
  up into it. They just don't want to see a
• 6:58
  patio or the view. They want to picture themselves
• 7:02
  sipping wine at sunset or drinking their coffee in the
• 7:06
  morning. So what I would suggest is stage
• 7:09
  this like lifestyle touches something like a like a blanket
• 7:15
  folded neatly neatly on a bed or on a sofa.
• 7:19
  Put a laptop on a desk to hint that you're workcation friendly,
• 7:26
  maybe even like a charcuterie board on the dining table.
• 7:29
  So just also with all of those, you want to think about your
• 7:32
  target audience. Now, if it's families show like
• 7:36
  a game night set up. If your market or your target
• 7:39
  audience are couples, go ahead, put wine glasses on the balcony.
• 7:44
  And you also speaking about balconies is you want to include
• 7:47
  outdoor lifestyle shots too. So if you have porches, fire
• 7:52
  pits, hammocks, what I also see a lot of are pictures of local
• 7:57
  attractions within walking distance.
• 8:00
  And that also goes a long way because again, it's having the
• 8:04
  guests visualize themselves staying at your property.
• 8:08
  And then you could also zoom in on the details.
• 8:11
  So once you've shown the big picture, you're going to bring
• 8:13
  the guests into those little moments that make your property
• 8:17
  special. So details communicate warmth,
• 8:21
  they communicate thoughtfulness, but also gives you the
• 8:24
  opportunity to leverage your brand and gives them a sense of
• 8:27
  who you are, your personality photograph like unique artwork,
• 8:34
  hand picked decor. What goes a long way as well is
• 8:37
  locally branded throw pillows, mugs, coffee, showcase your
• 8:43
  welcome basket if you have one as well.
• 8:45
  So snacks, wines, treats from local vendors.
• 8:49
  Also, I've seen a lot of our users do this is they'll go
• 8:52
  ahead and they'll snap a shot of their host fully digital
• 8:55
  guidebook QR code and they have it displayed in the living room
• 9:00
  or like even on like a welcome card.
• 9:03
  By doing this, it's not only going to look more professional,
• 9:07
  but also it's going to show that you've put thought through the
• 9:10
  guest experience and where really where host fits in.
• 9:14
  And this is kind of where the the connection is made is
• 9:17
  photography. Yes, it gets you the booking,
• 9:21
  but the stay itself needs to live up to those photos and to
• 9:25
  the promise. And that's where host fleet or
• 9:27
  even a good property management software comes in handy.
• 9:30
  With the right property management software, you can
• 9:33
  automate guest experiences. I mean, guest messages, you can
• 9:37
  keep operation smooth. So guests actually feel the same
• 9:41
  kind of the same wow factor that they saw in your photos.
• 9:44
  And with Hostfully's digital guidebooks, you can extend the
• 9:47
  magic of those photos. Because in our guidebooks,
• 9:50
  guests can scroll through the beautiful visuals of your
• 9:53
  property, the local recommendations like the coffee
• 9:56
  shops, the trails, those hidden gems that you know about right
• 10:01
  from their phone. It's like your photos just keep
• 10:03
  on selling even after check in, which gives you that five star
• 10:07
  review. So really the take away today,
• 10:09
  James, is photos just aren't decoration.
• 10:14
  But start considering them as marketing.
• 10:18
  So great photos get you more clicks.
• 10:21
  More clicks get you more bookings, more bookings get you
• 10:26
  more revenue. So refresh your photos at least
• 10:28
  once a year. Keep it bright, clean, but also
• 10:32
  personal and show the lifestyle, not just the space.
• 10:35
  And let tools like Hostly help you deliver the experience
• 10:38
  behind those photos. Because it really at the end of
• 10:40
  the day, a picture isn't just worth 1000 words.
• 10:43
  In short term rentals, it could actually be worth $1000.
• 10:47
  So that's my little take away for photos.
• 10:51
  I love it. Yeah, it could be worth $1000.
• 10:53
  Yeah, we all, we all want those big bookings.
• 10:55
  No doubt about. That we really do.
• 10:57
  Yeah, fantastic. I mean, I think you know, with
• 10:58
  photos it it really is probably. One of the most simple things to
• 11:02
  get right, but also one of the most effective.
• 11:05
  You know, Remember, the OTAs are judging everything that you do.
• 11:09
  They're judging how quickly you reply.
• 11:11
  They're judging your listing title, your descriptions,
• 11:15
  everything, your guest messaging, of course, your
• 11:16
  reviews, but they're really judging your photos and they
• 11:20
  want them to be professional, high resolution.
• 11:23
  They want to see, they, their algorithm will look at your
• 11:27
  photos and decide whether it's a property that's going to get
• 11:30
  booked. And if they think it's a
• 11:31
  property that's going to get booked, you're going to go
• 11:33
  higher up people's searches. It is as simple as that.
• 11:36
  And, and the point there that you mentioned about refreshing
• 11:39
  your photos, I've mentioned this a few times on the podcast.
• 11:42
  The last time I did it for my couple of properties, I changed
• 11:45
  the photos and I got 5 bookings in one day.
• 11:48
  The OTAs they noticed and other people saw my listings and, and
• 11:53
  away we go. So, yeah, get a professional
• 11:55
  photographer and, you know, take advantage of all those tips that
• 11:59
  Frank just mentioned, the lighting, the wide angle lens,
• 12:02
  decluttering. And I think staging as well is
• 12:04
  really important. You know, I remember we staged
• 12:06
  things and we used, you know, bunches of flowers and, you
• 12:11
  know, wine bottles and, you know, glass of champagne and all
• 12:14
  that kind of thing, you know, stage it.
• 12:16
  And, you know, people can really imagine them staying at your
• 12:19
  rental. So yeah, photography is the
• 12:21
  number one thing to get right. And I think it's why, you know,
• 12:24
  you did mention it my, if I definitely use a professional
• 12:29
  photographer to, to do it, you know, don't, don't just do it on
• 12:32
  your phone. And of course, then Frank say,
• 12:35
  if people are interested in using Hostfully's PMS, like you
• 12:39
  were saying, to manage their listings or they're interested
• 12:41
  in using the digital guidebook, perhaps they want a demo with
• 12:44
  you. How do people get in touch with
• 12:46
  you? Yeah, I mean, it's
• 12:48
  frank@hostfully.com. Can it get any simpler than
• 12:52
  that? Just shoot me an e-mail, ask for
• 12:54
  a demo. I'll also include, I'll share my
• 12:58
  calendar with you, James. I'll give you a personalized
• 13:02
  one-on-one demo. I'll make sure that all of our
• 13:04
  features, all of our capabilities are reviewed and
• 13:09
  I'll answer any outstanding questions you may have.
• 13:12
  But I would be more than happy to showcase our software for
• 13:16
  sure. Superb.
• 13:17
  Yeah. So if you need some property
• 13:19
  management software, you need digital guidebooks.
• 13:21
  Frank can help you check out hostfully.
• 13:24
  We've also got a couple of special offers.
• 13:26
  Check them out in the show notes.
• 13:28
  Frank. It's been a real.
• 13:29
  Pleasure, thanks for telling us all about photography on host
• 13:32
  planet Bite Size. Always a pleasure James.
• 13:34
  Thank you for having me. Great to chat to Frank Bosey
• 13:37
  there about photography. Remember, use a professional to
• 13:41
  take. High quality.
• 13:42
  Shots and then watch. The bookings roll.
• 13:45
  In All right, that's it for today's episode.
• 13:47
  Remember, this podcast is brought to you.
• 13:48
  In collaboration with Housefully, which is.
• 13:51
  Trusted by short term rental professionals across the globe.
• 13:54
  As a House Planet listener you get 2 exclusive offers 500.
• 13:58
  Dollars off onboarding for house for these property management
• 14:01
  software just use. The code Planet 530% of Digital
• 14:06
  Guide for Life Use the code Houseplanet GB to grab these
• 14:10
  deals. Click the link in the show
• 14:12
  notes. Or head to.
• 14:13
  Housefully.com. For more free education tips and
• 14:16
  trends from the STR industry. Visit houseplanet dot club where
• 14:20
  you can. Sign up for our newsletter.
• 14:22
  Listen to our podcasts. And download a.
• 14:24
  Suite of ebooks for hosts. And property managers.
• 14:28
  That's it for today's episode. Until next time.
• 14:31
  Happy hosting.