Your first photo has to work in a phone feed
Most people meet your listing as one small image in a scrolling feed. That first photo decides whether they tap.
Pick a bright, wide shot of the main living space or the room that best explains the home. Avoid close-ups, dark rooms and night-time exteriors as the first image.
The shot list for a rental
Keep to one or two photos per room. Renters want to understand the layout, not see the same sofa from five angles.
- The main living space, from the corner that shows the most floor
- The kitchen, with worktops cleared
- Every bedroom, one wide shot each
- Each bathroom, shot from the doorway
- Laundry, storage, parking or outdoor space, if the rent includes them
- The front of the building or house in daylight
How to take the photos on your phone
- Shoot in daylight with the curtains open and every light on
- Hold the phone sideways (landscape) at chest height
- Stand in a corner or doorway to show the shape of the room
- Use the main lens rather than the ultra-wide, which bends walls at the edges
- Keep the phone level so walls stay upright
- Clear counters, beds and floors before you shoot
Put the photos in a logical order
After the first photo, walk renters through the home in the order they would see it on a viewing: living space, kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms, then extras and the outside. It makes the layout easy to follow on a small screen.
Keep the photos accurate
Photos that make a unit look bigger, newer or brighter than it is bring people to viewings who then walk away. That wastes your time and theirs.
Correcting how a photo was taken is different from changing the home. ProLister fixes dark exposure, colour casts and tilted lines, and never adds, removes or changes anything in the room.
Frequently asked questions
How many photos should a Facebook Marketplace rental have?
Enough to show every room a renter will use, usually one or two per room plus the outside. Check the listing form for the current photo limit, as Facebook can change it.
Should the first photo be the outside or the inside?
Usually the inside. A bright living space tells renters more at feed size than a building front. Lead with the outside when it is the main selling point, such as a house with a yard.
Can I use the same photos on Zillow and Facebook Marketplace?
Yes. The same well-lit, accurate photos work on both. Keep the set current on every site so renters see the same unit everywhere.
Is it OK to edit rental photos?
Correcting light, colour and straightness is fine as long as the photo still shows the unit as it is. Do not add furniture, remove damage or change the view.
