Apartment hunting is a daunting task, and an exhausting one at that. When I was apartment hunting this past summer, I had my Internet searches down to a near science, which lived and evolved off of one golden rule: If there wasn’t a photo of the property, don’t even bother contacting them.
Real estate photography is crucial when leasing apartments — how can a leasing prospect envision themselves living at a building, when they have no vision of what that building looks like? Photography is especially important on social media where properties have immediate access to their audience with the possibility of speaking to them directly. People check Facebook an average of 14 times a day, and one out of every five minutes on mobile is spent on Facebook or Instagram. Being able to visually represent your property and the lifestyle of the tenants is crucial to being able to connect to leasing prospects.
Check out our process for stocking up on fresh, new social photo assets.
The editorial calendar is our road map when planning out content, so the first thing we do is reference what’s coming down the pipeline and what visuals we need to support that upcoming content. For example, if we want to spotlight the new fitness center at a property, we evaluate if we actually have enough fitness-themed photos.
Once we have identified what the overarching themes of our content are, we put together a shot list of desired photos to complement the messaging. Rather than photos of residents hanging out or engaging with the amenities, we often focus more on a shot list representing the resident’s point of view. What would a resident Instagram if they were hanging out at home? After imagining these visual vignettes, we put together a prop list (fancy yoga mat, anyone?) and then rope in Delucchi Nation for prop donations (we’re a generous bunch).
Side note: We often build our shot list with the intent to capture it strictly using iPhones; while professional cameras are great for a property website or other collateral, the images they take don’t capture the authenticity that resonates with an audience on social media.
Armed with our phones and a dozen props, we go onsite to the residential property to bring our shot list to life! This may require mixing a cocktail, lounging poolside or even striking a pose in the yoga studio — whatever it takes to capture the lifestyle.
While having fun throughout the photo collection phase doesn’t hurt, the process is successful because above all, it is strategic. This approach helps us plan longform content that embodies the lifestyle and brand voice of a residential property, and contributes to the property’s online presence and search rankings. Supplementing evergreen content like this with daily posts depicting onsite activities captured by leasing staff also helps prevent a brand’s social media pages from getting stale or losing viewer engagement.
Once our new photos are launched and live, we sit back and watch users double-tap those masterpieces!
Posted By
Natalie Placek
Categories
Plus Points