Photographing new-build apartments: when to shoot and what to show

In short

• A new build is photographed after the final clean, once protective films, materials and tools are gone and the lighting works.
• Empty rooms show the space and the materials clearly. Virtual staging, from €25 per image, helps show how they can be used and is always labelled as a digital visualisation.
• Materials and finishes need their own closer shots, in addition to the room overviews.
• The entrance, common areas and facade belong in the listing, because the buyer is buying the building too.
• For several apartments on the same day there is 10% off the second and 15% off the third.

When is the right time to photograph a new-build apartment?

Right after the final clean and before viewings begin. If the shoot happens earlier, dust, protective films and building leftovers show up in every frame and cannot be properly fixed in editing.

Before you book a date, check the following:

• Protective films have been removed from window frames, worktops, sanitary ware and appliances.
• The glass is clean inside and out and the floors are free of dust and footprints.
• The power is connected and all light fittings or spotlights have bulbs of the same colour temperature.
• Sockets, switches, door handles and cover plates are fitted.
• There are no ladders, buckets, pallets or sacks on the balconies or in the common areas.
• The entrance and the surrounding area are accessible and clean.

If any of these is still pending, it is better to move the shoot by a few days than to publish images that look like a building site.

Should it be photographed empty or furnished?

It depends on when you want the listing to go live and on whether there is a show apartment. All three options are legitimate, as long as the viewer knows what they are looking at.

If the apartment is going to be furnished, a practical approach is to photograph it empty now, so marketing can start, and add photos of the furnished rooms later.

How should virtual staging be used in empty rooms?

As a complement to the real photos, on a few key images, and always clearly labelled. Virtual staging costs from €25 per image and adds digital furniture to a photo of the real, empty room.

• Choose the rooms whose use is not obvious: the living room with dining area, the main bedroom, a second room as a child’s room or home office.
• Publish the empty version of the same frame next to it, so it is clear what is being handed over.
• Furniture is placed at a realistic scale. A bed that would not fit in reality has no place in the image.
• Floors, window frames, the view and other permanent features of the property are not changed.

Every edited or digitally furnished image is labelled as a digital visualisation. This protects the developer as well, because the buyer will not expect furniture or equipment that is not included.

How do you show materials and finishes?

With closer shots that complement the overviews and with accurate colour. In a new build the materials are a key selling point, and in a general view of a room they usually get lost.

• Kitchen: worktop, cabinets, fittings, built-in appliances.
• Bathrooms: tiles, sanitary ware, taps, shower enclosure.
• Floors: wood or tile, lit to show texture without harsh reflections.
• Windows and doors: frames, glazing, shutters or shading.
• Installations: video entry phone, thermostats, air conditioning, underfloor heating, where present.

The shoot is done with wide-angle and tilt-shift lenses and professional lighting, so vertical lines stay straight and glossy surfaces are not blown out. In post-production, retouchers and colourists make sure white is white and the tones of the materials match reality. Construction flaws are not erased digitally: if something needs fixing, it is fixed on site before the shoot.

Do you need photos of the common areas and the building exterior?

Yes, because in a new development the buyer judges the building as much as the apartment. These shots are taken once and reused across every listing in the same building.

• The facade from the opposite pavement, with straight vertical lines.
• Entrance, lobby, lift and stairwell.
• Parking spaces, storerooms, the pilotis level.
• Garden, roof terrace or other shared spaces, if they are finished.

The facade photographs best when the sun is on it and scaffolding, site signs and skips have been removed. Where flying is permitted and feasible, drone photos can be added for +€50 to show where the building sits in the neighbourhood. They are available only as an add-on to a main shoot and depend on the area, the weather, access and current restrictions.

What applies when several apartments in the same building are photographed?

When the shoot takes place on the same day, the main services of the second apartment are 10% off and those of the third 15% off. For 4 or more apartments we prepare a custom quote.

Example: three 85 m² apartments in Central Athens, photos only. The 51 to 100 m² category costs €159, so €159 + €143.10 + €135.15 = €437.25 before 24% VAT. Outside Central and South Athens an area surcharge of 10% to 15% applies to the main services.

In practice, not every apartment has to be photographed. One of each layout type is usually enough, plus any that differ materially in floor level, view or terrace, as long as the listing states clearly which apartment is pictured. Delivery is within 3 working days via cloud link, in a separate folder per apartment if you ask. See our full range of services for developers.

What about units that are not finished yet?

They are not photographed as if they were ready. They are presented with visuals that are declared as such, and the photo shoot takes place once the space is handed over clean.

• Off-plan marketing packages start from €490 and are designed for property sold from the plans.
• A 3D render of an interior costs from €150 and of an exterior from €220.
• Construction progress visits start from €249 and show interested buyers what stage the project has reached.

When the last apartment is complete, the visuals are replaced by real photographs. That way the listing shows what actually exists at every stage, and anything digital carries the relevant label.