How many photos does a property listing need?

In short

• Akinita Media delivers 15 to 40 final photos, depending on size and layout.
• Every space should appear at least once, including the bathroom, the kitchen and the outdoor areas.
• Near-duplicate shots tire the viewer and bury the good photos inside the set.
• A missing room raises more questions than a room that is less than perfect.
• Horizontal photos are the basis for portals, vertical ones are useful on social media.

So how many photos does a listing really need?

Enough for an interested person to understand the layout and condition of the property before booking a viewing, and no more. For most properties that means 15 to 40 photos.

The number comes from a simple calculation: count the spaces and decide how many angles each one needs.

• Main rooms (living room, kitchen, main bedroom): two to three shots from different angles.
• Secondary rooms (other bedrooms, bathrooms, study): one to two shots.
• Utility spaces (hallway, storage room, parking): one shot, if they count as an advantage.
• Outdoor areas (balcony, terrace, garden, facade, view): one shot each, more if they are a key selling point.

If the total comes out far below 15, you are probably leaving spaces out. If it goes beyond 40, you are probably repeating yourself.

What does a suggested shot list look like by property size?

As the property gets larger the number of spaces grows, and so does the number of photos, within the range of 15 to 40. The table is indicative and is adapted to the layout of each property.

Prices exclude 24% VAT and any area surcharge. Every tier is listed in the price list with the cost calculator.

Which rooms must be covered?

Every space mentioned in the listing description must appear in the photos. If you write "three bedrooms, two bathrooms, storage room", the reader will look for all six in the gallery.

1. Living room and dining area, with one shot that shows how they connect.
2. Kitchen, with the worktops and appliances visible.
3. All the bedrooms, not only the main one.
4. All bathrooms and WCs, even the small ones.
5. Balconies, terraces, yard or garden.
6. The view, as it actually looks from the property.
7. The facade or the building entrance.
8. Storage room and parking space, if they are included.

Most owners leave out the bathroom or the small bedroom because "they are not pretty". The interested person will see them at the viewing anyway, and until then their absence looks like something is being hidden. A tidy, honest photo always beats a gap. We explain how to get each room ready in our guide to preparing a property before the shoot.

Why do near-duplicate photos hurt a listing?

Because the reader has limited patience, and every photo that offers no new information brings them closer to closing the listing. Four shots of the same sofa do not make the living room look bigger, they show that nobody curated the set.

• Repeats push the spaces that have not been shown yet further back.
• The reader loses their bearings: they cannot tell whether this is a different room or the same one.
• The whole set looks careless, even if each photo on its own is good.

The rule is simple: two photos of the same room must differ in a meaningful way, either because they are taken from opposite corners or because one is a general view and the other shows a specific feature, such as the fireplace or the kitchen worktop. If you cannot say in one phrase what new thing a photo shows, remove it. We make that selection before delivery, so you receive only the frames that are needed.

How does the number change with the type of property?

The type of property decides where the emphasis should go, even when the floor area is the same.

• Studio: few shots, but from different angles, because a single open space has to be explained in full.
• Apartment: balanced coverage of all rooms, with emphasis on the living room, the kitchen and the balcony. See apartment photography.
• Detached house and maisonette: more exterior shots, meaning elevations, garden, yard and entrance, and a clear order level by level. See house photography.
• Short term rental: besides the rooms, you need details that matter to a guest, such as the bed, the workspace and the kitchen equipment.
• Commercial space: facade, shop window, main room, back rooms and WC. Fewer shots, but with a clear picture of the floor area.

Horizontal or vertical photos?

For the listing you need horizontal photos, because portals and websites display horizontal frames and a room fits naturally into that shape. Vertical ones are a complement for channels viewed on a phone.

• Horizontal: portals, website, print, presentations. This is the core set.
• Vertical: stories, reel covers and social media posts.

A horizontal frame does not always become a good vertical one with a simple crop, because the edges of the room are lost. If you know you will need vertical versions, say so before the shoot, so that the frames which allow it can be composed accordingly. For vertical moving images there is the Social Media Reel, which we explain in our article on photos or video for a property listing.