How to make a virtual tour of a rental listing from your own photos
A virtual tour of a rental is a swipe-through of the actual unit's photos, in walking order, with a short caption on each. Shoot the unit once, order the photos like a walk from the front door, and caption only what is visible. DoorKeeping builds the tour for you from the listing's photos.
What a virtual tour is
A rental virtual tour does not need a camera crew or 3D scanning. It is a sequence of the unit's real photos, in the order a visitor would walk, that a renter swipes through on the listing page. The renter sees how the rooms connect before deciding whether to book a tour in person.
Good tours use only photos of the actual unit. They do not use stock images, photos of a different unit that looks similar, or edits that add furniture or features that are not there.
What to shoot
Shoot with the lights on and the blinds open, on a clear day if you can. Hold the phone sideways. Clean the unit first; clutter and dirt cost you more than any camera can fix.
- The front of the building and the unit entrance.
- The entry and living area, from the doorway, then from the far corner.
- The kitchen: counters, cabinets, appliances, sink.
- Each bedroom, with the closet open.
- Each bathroom, including the tub or shower.
- Laundry, storage, balcony or yard.
- Anything a renter asks about: parking space, mailboxes, building entrance.
Take two or three photos of the larger rooms from different corners. Fewer than ten photos leaves gaps, and more than twenty-five makes a tour tiring.
Write captions that are accurate and fair
A caption should say what is in the photo and nothing else: "Kitchen with gas range and stainless steel refrigerator", "Second bedroom with two windows and a closet". Do not describe people, the neighborhood, schools, or who the home would suit.
The reason is fair housing. HUD's regulation on discriminatory advertising, 24 CFR 100.75, says discriminatory notices, statements and advertisements include using words, phrases, photographs, illustrations, symbols or forms which convey that dwellings are available or not available to a particular group of persons because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin. Photos of the unit and captions of its features avoid that. A caption such as "perfect for young professionals" does not.
| Instead of | Write |
|---|---|
| Great for families | Three bedrooms, two bathrooms |
| Safe, quiet neighborhood | Unit on the second floor, windows face the courtyard |
| Spacious modern kitchen | Kitchen with 12 feet of counter and a dishwasher |
Do not claim features that are not in the photos, such as a view or a renovated bathroom, unless they are real and you can show them. Do not use virtual staging that places furniture in empty rooms; show the unit as it is.
Put the photos in walking order
Start with the strongest photo of the main room, then walk through: entry, living area, kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms, extras. Finish with the building exterior or a floor plan if you have one. A tour that follows a walk is easy to follow and answers the first questions a renter has.
Small habits that make the photos better
- Shoot in the middle of the day, when natural light is even.
- Turn on every light, including closets and bathrooms.
- Stand in a corner so the camera sees as much of the room as possible.
- Keep the phone level so walls look straight.
- Reshoot after any repair or new paint so the tour matches the unit.
A tour is only as good as its photos. Update it when the unit changes.
How DoorKeeping handles it
Every listing in DoorKeeping gets an AI virtual tour: a swipe-through of the real unit's own photos on the listing page, next to Book a tour and Apply now. It uses only the photos you upload for that unit, and each caption describes only what is visible in the photo. It does not invent features and does not describe people, the neighborhood, schools or who the home suits.
You preview the tour, edit any caption and reorder the photos before it publishes. It can also read the captions aloud, but that narration is off unless you turn it on. The virtual tour is part of DoorKeeping's listing feature and is included in the $2 per unit a month price, with no add-on and no extra fee.
Sources
Questions
- How many photos should a rental virtual tour have?
- Between ten and twenty-five photos usually covers every room from a couple of angles without wearing out the viewer.
- Can I describe the neighborhood in a photo caption?
- Keep captions to what is visible in the photo. Statements about who the home or area suits can run into fair housing rules, so leave them out.
- Does DoorKeeping charge extra for the virtual tour?
- No. It is part of the listing feature, included in $2 per unit a month.