After producing 10,000+ walkthrough video tours and photos for apartment communities nationwide, our in-house media team has learned one truth:
Preparation makes or breaks media day.
Hiring a professional media specialist is a big investment with high stakes. You usually get one day to capture every floorplan, amenity, and exterior.
If units aren’t ready or the property isn’t clean, the best camera gear or editing can't save the results—and instead of helping leasing, your visuals will hold you back.
That’s why we created the definitive pre-shoot checklist. Built from 40+ combined years of multifamily media experience, it gives your on-site team everything they need to prepare the property, maximize media day, and walk away with photos and videos that attract renters and fill units faster.
Not every photographer or videographer is equipped to capture apartments. You will quickly learn that there are plenty of talented generalists out there, but apartment media requires a specialized eye.
The angles, lighting, and sequencing that appeal to renters are different from what works in weddings, portraits, or commercial shoots.
We strongly recommend hiring a media specialist who understands how renters shop and will know exactly how to showcase floorplans, amenities, and lifestyle. That expertise doesn’t just lead to better content—it also makes shoot day itself run smoother.
We know it can be tempting to want to upgrade your virtual tour right away—especially when you're in a vacancy crunch—but in order to get the results you want, it's best not to rush to get the media day on your schedule.
You need to use that day to capture a unit in each individual floorplan in your community, which can be tricky. It might take weeks, or even months, to find a day where you know each floorplan has an availability.
If you avoid that step, you'll ultimately end up cutting corners and just filming whatever available units you can. That means certain floorplans get better coverage than others and that inconsistency will impact leasing, forcing you into scheduling future re-shoots that become costly.
Also, be mindful of the seasons. You want your photos and visuals to reflect your apartment community on its best day. While our team can help counteract un-controllables likely cloudy skies, schedule for a time of year where the weather is best in your region.
The other reason why it's important to set an optimal date is that you'll need to coordinate all of your vendor schedules well in advance so that the property looks its best on media day—and the final results accurately represent what renters would see in-person today.
Any visible maintenance tasks—painting, concrete, groundskeeping, lingering unit and amenity upgrades—should be completed in advance.
Even smaller details matter: schedule shoots after routine mowing, trimming, and trash pickup so your photos and videos capture the best version of your community.
It's important to determine in advance everything in your apartment community you want the photographer to cover. Have a detailed plan for which unit numbers, amenities, clubhouse, branding, signage and more that you will feature in your marketing.
A deep clean is the baseline, but it’s just as important to remove anything that doesn’t belong in a photo or video.
If you’re staging, ensure every room is furnished consistently—don’t leave one room sparse while another is fully decorated. If you’re leaving units empty, keep them completely empty. Half-staged or cluttered spaces send the wrong message to renters.
Lighting makes or breaks apartment visuals. One burnt-out bulb can create dark corners or uneven light that distracts prospects.
As part of your prep, walk through each unit to test every fixture and replace bulbs in advance so rooms appear bright and welcoming on camera.
On the day of, give each unit a final pass before the media specialist arrives. Open all closet doors, turn on every light, and pull back blinds or curtains to let in natural light.
A quick wipe-down or last-minute tidy can prevent small distractions from showing up in the final product.
You don’t need to escort the photographer around—just have every unit key organized and clearly labeled when they arrive.
If you prefer, you can unlock doors in advance, but make sure the specialist knows how to reach you. Hand them your card or contact information at check-in so they can get quick answers if needed.
As was detailed earlier, you'll need to give yourself plenty of time in advance to make your property photo-ready. Make sure every major maintenance project is finished and routine landscaping and cleaning are complete.
Don’t overlook the details: streaked windows, dirty siding, or overgrown shrubs all show up on camera. A simple power wash, window cleaning, or fresh mulch can dramatically elevate the final visuals.
Give residents plenty of notice about when the media day will occur, and close down access to your gym, pool, or other amenities for certain periods.
Amenities, like your pool or clubhouse, are showcase features. Make sure those areas are clean and staged so they shine on media day.
Arrange all tables and chairs around the pool, and open up umbrellas. Wipe down your gym and put all weights back where they belong. Sweep the pickleball courts. Give the dog park a once over so there's no "surprises" in the photo. These finishing touches will make a big difference.
Do one final walk of the property before the photographer arrives. Pick up litter, check that the trash area isn't a disaster, and touch up anything that can be quickly fixed.
If there's anything noteworthy that cannot be changed, inform your specialist and they can adjust accordingly.
For example, say there's a cemented area with multiple cracks that you had on the schedule to repair, but the laborer rescheduled.
Try not to panic over every little detail—not every property is going to be absolutely perfect.
Updating your virtual tour content is one of the most important investments you can make in your community’s marketing, leasing, and overall reputation.
The difference between great results and disappointing ones often comes down to preparation. Communities that prepare in advance ensure:
This checklist was built by multifamily media specialists with decades of experience capturing walkthrough video tours and photos. We’ve seen firsthand how thoughtful preparation dramatically improves how communities appear online—and how much faster renters move from browsing to leasing.
If you’re ready to upgrade your community’s media, our team is here to help. We’ll travel directly to your property and capture high-quality photos and video tours for every floorplan, amenity, and exterior.
Pair RentVision's Virtual Tours with our Community Websites and Predictive Advertising, and your visuals power a marketing engine that allows prospects to confidently tour, self-qualify, and lease without ever needing to drive to your property in person.