Real estate photography on your phone can look as good as many professional shoots — if you control the three things that matter most: light, angle and order. This guide gives you a 15-minute routine and a shot list you can follow at every viewing.
Professional photography is still worth it for premium sales and new launches. But for the rental you're listing this afternoon, your phone is enough.
Before you shoot: prepare the room (5 minutes)
Most bad listing photos are bad because of the room, not the camera.
- Open every curtain and blind and switch on every light, including lamps and under-cabinet lights. Mixed light is fine; dark corners are not.
- Clear surfaces. Kitchen counters, bathroom shelves and bedside tables should hold three items at most.
- Hide personal items — photos, mail, toothbrushes, shoes, laundry.
- Close toilet lids, straighten bedding and cushions, put bins out of sight.
- Clean the lens. A smudged lens is the number-one cause of hazy photos.
Camera settings that matter
You don't need a pro app. On any recent phone:
- Shoot horizontally (landscape). Listing galleries and WhatsApp previews are wide.
- Use the 0.5× wide lens sparingly. It fits more of the room but distorts edges. For most rooms the standard 1× lens from a corner looks more natural; use 0.5× for small bathrooms and kitchens.
- Turn on gridlines and keep vertical lines — door frames, walls — straight up and down.
- Tap to focus on the brightest area and drag exposure down slightly so windows aren't pure white.
- Use HDR (on by default on most phones). It balances bright windows and darker interiors.
- No flash, no filters, no portrait mode.
Angles: chest height, from the corner
Hold the phone at chest height (around 1.2–1.4 m), level, and stand in a corner or doorway looking toward the opposite corner. This shows two walls and the depth of the room — which is what makes a space feel big.
Avoid:
- shooting from eye level and tilting down (walls lean inward);
- shooting straight at a flat wall (the room looks like a box);
- getting yourself in mirrors and reflective glass.
The shot list (10 minutes)
Shoot in this order — it's also roughly the order clients want to see them:
| # | Shot | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hero shot — main living area | Best light, from the corner, show the window or view |
| 2 | Living area, reverse angle | Shows the flow to kitchen or balcony |
| 3 | Kitchen | Counters clear; one shot wide, one of key finishes |
| 4 | Dining area | If separate |
| 5 | Main bedroom | From the doorway corner; bed made, curtains open |
| 6 | Other bedrooms | One each |
| 7 | Bathrooms | Wide lens, lid down, towels straight |
| 8 | Balcony, garden or view | The shot that sells many apartments in Dubai |
| 9 | Storage, laundry, maid's room | Practical details clients ask about |
| 10 | Building and amenities | Pool, gym, lobby, entrance, parking |
| 11 | Exterior / street | For houses and villas |
That's 12–15 photos — the sweet spot for a listing. Fewer looks thin; many more and clients stop scrolling.
Shoot a 30-second video too
While you're there, record a short vertical walkthrough: start at the front door, walk slowly to the living area and the view, then the kitchen and bedrooms. Keep the phone steady at chest height and narrate the price, size and one standout feature. It doubles as a Reel or TikTok — see our guide to property video for brokers.
Choosing the cover photo
Your first photo is the one that appears in WhatsApp link previews and at the top of your listing page. Choose:
- the brightest, widest shot, usually the living area or the view;
- a photo with no clutter and straight lines;
- never a bathroom, corridor or building exterior for an apartment.
In Relaio Listings, the first photo you send becomes the cover, and you can drag to reorder in the dashboard. See edit and manage listings.
Quick edits (optional, 2 minutes)
Your phone's built-in editor is enough:
- Straighten verticals.
- Lift exposure and shadows a little; keep colours natural.
- Crop out anything distracting at the edges.
Avoid heavy filters, fake skies or virtual furniture unless you clearly label them — misleading images can breach advertising rules and they disappoint clients at the viewing.
Respect privacy and permissions
If the property is tenanted, ask the tenant before photographing and avoid showing their belongings and documents. Don't include people, car number plates or neighbours' windows. And only use photos you took or have permission to use — portals and other agencies' images are copyrighted. The UK Intellectual Property Office's guidance on copyright is a useful plain-English primer on why.
The 15-minute routine
- Lights on, curtains open, surfaces clear (5 min)
- Lens clean, gridlines on, landscape (30 sec)
- Shot list from hero to exterior (8 min)
- 30-second walkthrough video (1 min)
- Pick the cover, send to WhatsApp, done
Do it at every listing and your pages will look consistently professional — which, over time, is what makes clients remember you.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a tripod?
Not for most rentals. Bracing your elbows against your body at chest height is enough on a modern phone. A small tripod helps in dark rooms and for perfectly straight verticals.
Which phone is best?
Any phone from the last few years with a good main camera and HDR. Technique — light, angle and a clean room — matters far more than the model.
Should I photograph at night?
Only for a view that's genuinely better at night, such as a skyline or marina. Make it one extra photo, never the cover.