Real Estate Photography

• Estate agents (makelaars) who need listing photos for funda and their own site.
• Homeowners selling themselves via a listing service, who want the same quality as an agent.
• Landlords and property managers renting out apartments.
• Short-stay and holiday rental hosts for Airbnb and similar platforms.
• Commercial property: offices, shops and business units for sale or lease.

A funda listing is normally placed by an estate agent or via a service that lists on your behalf; private sellers generally cannot list directly. Check the current options on funda or with your agent.

Listing photos follow a few rules that separate them from ordinary interior photos:

• Vertical lines stay vertical. Walls and door frames should not lean.
• Windows are not blown out. The view outside is visible, usually through exposure blending (HDR) or flash.
• The lens is wide but not distorted. A room should look accurate; exaggerated space leads to disappointed viewings.
• Every room from its best corner. Usually from the doorway or a corner at chest height.
• Order follows a walk-through. Exterior, entrance, living room, kitchen, bedrooms, bathroom, garden or balcony.

For a typical Dutch apartment of 60–90 m², 20–35 photos is common. Narrow staircases, split-level bovenwoningen and small bathrooms are where experience shows.

Most of the difference between a good and a bad listing is preparation, and it is free:

1. Clear kitchen counters, bathroom surfaces and the hallway.
2. Remove personal photos, fridge magnets, laundry and bins.
3. Turn on every light, open all curtains and blinds.
4. Make beds with plain, light bedding.
5. Mow the lawn, sweep the balcony, put bikes away.
6. Book the shoot for the time the main rooms get the most light; a south-facing garden looks best around midday.

For Dutch homes with the living room at the back and a garden (achtertuin), an afternoon shoot often works best. In winter, aim for 11:00–14:00.

Drone flights in the Netherlands are strictly regulated. The operator needs to be registered and certified for the category they fly in, and many places are restricted: around airports (including a large zone around Schiphol), over parts of many city centres and in nature reserves. Your photographer or drone operator checks the location before confirming. Most townhouses in city centres cannot be photographed by drone at all.

Quotes to agents and companies are often excluding BTW; ask for an invoice in the company name. For hotels and short-stay properties with facilities, see hotel photography.

Photos are usually one of the last steps before a listing goes live, so they should not become the delay. A typical order for a sale:

1. Agreement with your estate agent and a listing date.
2. Energy label (energielabel) and measurement arranged — an energy label is generally needed when selling or renting out a home; check with your agent.
3. Home cleared and prepared as above.
4. Photo shoot, with floor plan measurements taken at the same visit if booked.
5. Photos delivered, commonly within one to two working days, and the listing goes online.

For rentals, the same photos serve the listing and the inventory check at the start of a tenancy; ask for a few extra detail shots of floors, walls and appliances.

In busy markets such as Amsterdam, Utrecht and Haarlem, homes can have viewings booked within days of going online, so the first photos are the ones that count. See our pricing page for how starting prices compare across services.