Commercial property listings are arguably trickier to promote than residential equivalents, in part because prospective buyers or renters will have a longer list of requirements than those with domestic premises in their sights.

That said, high quality photography can still sell office space more effectively than even the most cleverly worded marketing copy. So if you are wondering how to handle this aspect, and you want to take the reins yourself, stick around for some tips on what’s involved.

Understanding Lighting Techniques

Lighting can make or break your property photos, particularly when you’re trying to convince prospective buyers to snap up office space in a crowded marketplace. 

Here’s how to get it right:

• Natural Light: Shoot during the golden hours, which occur just after sunrise and before sunset. This provides soft, warm light that flatters any commercial space.
• Artificial Light: Use LED lights for consistency. They’re adjustable and mimic daylight effectively.
• Mixed Lighting: Combine natural and artificial light carefully. Ensure the color temperatures match to avoid odd tints in your photos.
• Soft Boxes: Diffuse harsh shadows with soft boxes, making rooms appear evenly lit without stark contrasts.
• Reflectors: Bounce natural light into darker areas of a room using white boards or professional reflectors.

So, why bother with all this in the first place? Well-lit spaces look more inviting, rather than leaving them feeling bland or, worse still, actively inhospitable. Since close to $1 trillion in loans for commercial premises is set to be due this year, even small steps like this can have a majorly positive impact on the amount of interest a listing generates.

Utilizing Advanced Camera Settings

Mastering your camera’s settings is another way to instantly elevate your property listings. 

Here’s a quick guide:

• Aperture (f-stop): Use a mid-range aperture (f/8 to f/11) for sharper images with deeper depth of field. This ensures both foreground and background stay in focus.
• ISO: Keep ISO low (100-400) to minimize noise, which keeps images crisp and professional.
• Shutter Speed: Opt for slower shutter speeds when using a tripod, especially in low light. This allows more light into the sensor without sacrificing clarity.
• White Balance: Adjust white balance according to lighting conditions, whether that’s daylight for natural light or tungsten/fluorescent for artificial sources, to keep colors true-to-life.
• Focus Mode: Use manual focus on key features like unique architecture details or focal points in rooms.

Dialing these settings precisely lets you ensure each photo showcases the property at its best. And while there are lots of factors that organizations seeking office space will weigh up when making this decision, you can grease the wheels of this process if you’re on top of camera controls from the get-go.

Staging the Property Effectively

Staging is a tried and tested process in the real estate game that transforms a space from ordinary to extraordinary. Here’s how to stage like a pro:

• Declutter: Remove personal items and excess furniture. Clear spaces feel larger and more inviting. If you miss something on the day, you can always use online tools to erase backgrounds easily, so all is not lost.
• Cleanliness: Ensure every surface shines. Spotless environments suggest high maintenance, appealing to potential buyers or renters.
• Furniture Arrangement: Arrange furniture in ways that maximize space flow and natural light. Consider symmetry for a balanced look.
• Accents and Decor: Add tasteful decor elements like plants or wall art. These small touches add warmth without overwhelming the room.
• Neutral Palette: Stick to neutral colors on walls and major furnishings, as they appeal to wider audiences by allowing them to imagine the space as their own. Too much personality can have the opposite impact.

Basically, you need to put in some hard work before you’re even ready to take the lens cap off your camera. But with the right staging, even well-worn commercial properties can have a new lease of life on film.

Capturing Key Architectural Features

Highlighting architectural details can make an office building, warehouse or commercial unit stand out. 

Here’s how to do it:

• Focus on Unique Elements: Capture distinctive features like vaulted ceilings, intricate moldings, or custom built-ins. These elements set the property apart.
• Wide-Angle Lens: Use wide-angle lenses to encompass larger sections of a room or exterior, making spaces look expansive and inviting.
• Low Angles for Height: Shoot from lower angles to accentuate ceiling height and grandeur. This perspective adds drama and elegance.
• Symmetry and Lines: Emphasize symmetry in your shots where possible. Highlight straight lines in architecture, like beams or tiled floors, to create visually pleasing images.
• Textures and Materials: Zoom in on high-quality materials like marble countertops or hardwood floors. Detail shots add texture that viewers can almost feel.

These techniques ensure every photo not only looks great but tells a compelling story about the property’s character. And with commercial property vacancy rates set to rise to 24% within the next couple of years, you really want this narrative hook to help you avoid being caught up in the rise of low occupancy.

Implementing Drone Photography

Drone shots offer stunning perspectives that ground-level photos can’t match. And when you’re dealing with commercial premises, it’s one of the only ways to make the scope and scale of the site conspicuous in digital listings. 

Here’s how to use drones effectively:

• Aerial Views: Capture the property’s layout, surrounding neighborhood, and nearby amenities. This gives a sense of its size and the context in which it sits.
• High Altitude Shots: Use high altitude images to showcase extensive properties or scenic views, like nearby lakes, parks, or cityscapes.
• Low Hovering Angles: Fly the drone low for dramatic angles of architectural details and landscaping.
• Smooth Movements: Aim for smooth drone movements for video tours. Jerky motions distract viewers. Recruiting an experienced drone pilot is the best way to achieve this – of which there are more than 330,000 officially registered specialists nationally.

Wrapping Up

Bringing out the best in your commercial property listing is only possible if you have a good set of photography skills up your sleeve. Moreover, the only way to really develop them is to get out and start shooting yourself. Accept that it will take a bit of practice to get all that we’ve discussed right, and eventually you will be able to capture genuinely stunning snaps that also help to sell your property.

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