A short-stay shoot runs from about $250 for a basic package to $1,000 or more for a large property with drone and twilight shots. Prices vary based on location, property size, and services.
Professional Airbnb photos pay for themselves fast. Airbnb's own data shows 85% of hosts make the cost back within one night's stay, and earnings run 21% higher over the following year.
Sign with Hometime before 30 November, and we'll put $750 towards getting your property live, which covers professional photography and a deep clean.
How much does Airbnb photography cost in Australia?
A standard package covering a broad range of images typically sits in the mid-range price bracket. Basic shoots start at the lower end, while a large property with drone and twilight shots moves into premium territory.
Airbnb photography package prices in Australia
Package
What it covers
Price
Basic
About 10–15 edited images
$250–$300
Standard
20–30 edited images
$295–$500
Premium
Drone, twilight, larger homes
$500–$1,000+
Australian photographers tend to publish package prices rather than per-photo rates, and editing comes as standard in any professional shoot. So the number to weigh isn't what's bundled in, it's the work itself. Photographers who charge more usually charge it because their images are better, and 25 strong photos will out-book 40 flat ones. Look at portfolios before you compare quotes.
What affects the price
Property size. Photographers price by time on-site, so each extra bedroom tends to add $50 to $100.
Drone and aerial shots. Add $150 to $300. They pay off when the location is the reason guests book - beachfront, acreage, a standout view. Less so for an inner-city apartment.
What's included. Image count, editing, turnaround and licensing each move the price more than most owners expect. You want to use the images on Airbnb, Stayz, Booking.com and your own marketing, with no time limit.
Short-stay photography vs real estate photography
Similar rates, different brief. Real estate photography sits in much the same band, but a real estate photographer sells a building, so the shot list runs wide, tidy and empty. A short-stay photographer sells a stay: the made bed, the deck at golden hour, a morning coffee on the verandah.
Choose on the shot list rather than the price. A guest isn't buying the house, so empty rooms give them nothing to picture themselves in.
Your summer photos don't have to come out of your pocket
Sign with Hometime before 30 November, get your listing live by 15 December, and we'll put $750 towards getting your property earning, with professional photography and a deep clean included.
New listings only. Sign before 30 Nov. Six month minimum term and the $750 is yours to keep.
Why styling matters as much as the camera
The camera captures what's there. Styling decides what's there. It's the difference between a clean, empty room and a room someone wants to wake up in, and it's usually where the lift comes from.
Airbnb styling & photography - before & after: swimming pool
Airbnb styling & photography - before & after: dining room
Airbnb styling & photography - before & after: bedroom
Airbnb styling & photography - before & after: living room
Airbnb styling runs from a $200 tidy-and-dress to a few thousand if you're buying pieces in. Every property we onboard gets styling advice, a deep clean and the shoot booked in that order, so the photos are taken once. It's part of Airbnb management in Australia rather than a line item you chase yourself.
Do professional photos increase Airbnb bookings?
Airbnb's own data says yes. Listings that used its professional photography earned 21% more over the following year, from a sample of about 14,700 listings, and Airbnb says 85% of hosts cover the cost of the shoot inside one booking. The sample is global rather than Australian.
Run it on your own property. At a $250 nightly rate, a $400 shoot is covered by two extra booked nights. The lift also compounds: better photos improve your click-through in search results, which feeds ranking, which brings more views. That's the part that's hard to buy back later, and it's why we'd rather get the photos right at onboarding than fix them at a later date.
Get your photos sorted before summer
Partner with Hometime for professional photography, styling advice and a deep clean, and have your listing built across Airbnb, Stayz and Booking.com. Sign with us before 30 November and take bookings by 15 December - $750 of it is on us.
Many Airbnb hosts typically start by taking photos of their property themselves, typically with a smartphone or even a high-quality DLSR camera. However, if you’re interested in getting professional photos done, there are various options available:
Partner with Hometime and avail of our Airbnb management services: Every Hometime property is shot by a photographer we've signed and vetted in that market, working to a set of standards we built with Airbnb. That means there's nothing for owners to source or brief.
Should I hire an Airbnb photographer?
For most owners, yes. Photos are the first thing a guest judges and the hardest thing to fix once your listing is live with a booking history behind it. If your budget is tight, put it into photography and styling before you spend on anything else.
How much does an Airbnb photoshoot cost per hour?
Photographers rarely price by the hour, because a job costs them shooting time plus editing time, and the editing often takes longer than the visit. We encourage you to look at portfolios before you compare quotes.
How many photos does an Airbnb listing need?
It depends on the size of the property. A one or two-bedroom place needs 15 to 20 at most, while a four or five-bedroom home runs to 35 or more. Cover every room either way, and lead with your strongest shots, since guests judge a listing on the opening few.
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