Photos and listing tips: how to make your property stand out

Before visiting a property, people rule it out or pick it from the photos. With a phone and half an hour of preparation you can have a listing that gets opened more and brings better viewings.

Before you take the photos

• Tidy and clear. Put away clothes, dishes, toys and personal items. Fewer things make a space look bigger.
• Clean windows, mirrors, bathrooms and the kitchen.
• Fix the small things: blown bulbs, a door off its hinge, a stain on the wall.
• Open the curtains and switch on every light.

How to take them

• In daylight, mid-morning or mid-afternoon. Avoid direct sun coming through the window.
• In landscape. That is how they appear in results and when the link is shared.
• From a corner, at chest height, to show as much of the room as possible.
• With the phone level: walls should look vertical.
• No people, no pets and no reflection of you in mirrors or glass.
• No filters or edits that change how the property looks. Anything that doesn't match at the viewing costs you the deal.

Which photos to include, and in what order

1. The best photo first: usually the living room in good light, the front or the view.
2. Living and dining room.
3. Kitchen.
4. Each bedroom, starting with the main one.
5. Each bathroom.
6. Balcony, terrace or patio, and the view.
7. Parking and storage.
8. Shared areas: lobby, gym, pool, park.

Use every photo your plan allows. On LuxuryHomes.com.co you can also add a video link and a 360° tour link.

The title

Say what it is, what for, and where: "Apartment for sale in Laureles, Medellín". You can add the one detail that sets it apart: "with terrace", "renovated", "facing the park". Avoid all capitals, exclamation marks and words like "opportunity" or "bargain".

The description

Write for someone who doesn't know the property. An order that works:

1. A one-line summary: what it is, area, bedrooms and its best feature.
2. The layout: how the spaces are arranged, floor, lift, parking.
3. The condition: age, renovations, finishes.
4. The building or complex: shared areas, security, the monthly building fee.
5. The area: transport, roads, schools, shops, parks.
6. The terms: whether pets are allowed, whether it comes furnished, when it is available.

Short sentences, no odd abbreviations. And fill in every field of the form (area, estrato, bedrooms, bathrooms, parking): the search filters depend on them.

In Spanish and in English

On LuxuryHomes.com.co every property has a title and description in both languages, and each version has its own page on Google. If your property could interest foreign buyers, write the English version properly: don't leave the Spanish text in its place.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a professional photographer?

Not to begin with. A recent phone and good light give clear photos. For high-value properties, a photographer usually pays for themselves.

Can I use renders or photos of another apartment in the building?

Only for new developments, and saying so. For resale properties, the photos must be of the property on offer.

What else helps?

Placing the pin on the map accurately, setting a market price and replying the same day.