When it comes to marketing your new development, professional photography and videography aren’t just a nice to have; they’re the foundation of setting the tone for your launch. Before your building is complete, these visuals are what help residents envision themselves there.
Whether your development is weeks or months away from opening its doors, here are six key considerations to keep in mind when investing in pre-launch photography or videography.
1. Start Shooting Early Before Completion
The best time to photograph your community is immediately after one unit is completed, rather than waiting until the entire building is finished.
Most of the time, developers bring us in during construction, which is happening all around us. We’ll walk through hard-hat zones to shoot the first completed unit so that the leasing team has authentic visuals ready to go (that aren’t AI-generated).
Those early images and videos become the foundation for all of your pre-lease marketing efforts: your website, social media, print materials, and listings. The sooner you finalize these assets, the sooner you can build momentum and awareness for your new development.
2. Focus on the Feeling of Living There
When we walk into a space, our goal isn’t just to capture its features; it’s to showcase the lifestyle a potential resident can enjoy in the space. When we shoot the kitchen, we shoot it like you’re in the kitchen, right where you’d be sipping your morning coffee or cooking dinner.
In the bedroom, we pay close attention to showing its actual size and scale. For bathrooms, we capture the materials, cabinet finishes, countertops, fixtures, shower vs. tub, and the things that developers are asked most frequently about.
It’s important to be meticulous about lens choice when shooting these spaces. We use the one that most accurately represents the space, so there’s no bait-and-switch feeling when someone walks in. Authenticity builds trust, and trust fills units.
3. Capture What Matters Most
Some spaces pack more punch than others. Amenities and shared spaces like fitness centers, lounges, outdoor areas, and pools make a big splash (pun intended). These visuals sell lifestyle and community, not just square footage. See an example of that here.
If your development targets families, a single image of a pool or water slide can instantly communicate that it’s a family-friendly community. For professionals, images of coworking spaces, podcast rooms, or lounges tend to resonate more deeply.
It’s crucial to get just one image that can really sell the community. You want to brand it with lifestyle as quickly as possible.
4. Work Smarter Around Construction Challenges
Pre-leasing photography often means working in imperfect spaces. We’re used to walking into a room that still has paint touch-ups or appliances covered in plastic, and within an hour, it’s photo-ready.
Our team collaborates with builders and on-site crews to tidy up what’s visible in-frame, so that the space feels polished and intentional.
When amenities aren’t finished yet, we’ll photograph the neighborhood, local restaurants, shopping plazas, and parks, to highlight the lifestyle your residents will enjoy. These images fill the gap while your site develops and help keep marketing content fresh.
5. Think of Photography as Brand Identity
Photography isn’t just for listings; it’s your brand language. A consistent visual story builds recognition and trust. For pre-leasing, this might include staged lifestyle images featuring professional talent to showcase activity, such as families in the pool, people walking dogs, or friends gathering in common areas. Here’s exactly how to create a shot list that leads to success.
We want the amenities to look active, lived in, and inviting, even if residents aren’t living there yet. It gives potential residents the sense that it’s established. Most companies will use stock photography before they even get to us because they’ll have nothing on site, so they start with very generic images of families in a pool, people riding bikes, etc.
Later, as the community grows or updates interiors, new photography helps refresh the brand and showcase upgrades accurately.
6. The Approach Evolves as the Property Does
Our process for photographing a property differs significantly between pre-leasing and the final stages. We typically shoot in phases, beginning with one or two finished units while the rest of the site is still under construction.
A few months later, we go back to capture the newly completed amenities, like the fitness center, resident lounge, or shared spaces. To polish things off, we photograph the pool, exteriors, and other final touches once the project nears completion.
For established communities, our work often focuses on repositioned units, which are spaces that have been updated with new flooring, wall colors, or kitchen materials. In those cases, our images help marketing teams evaluate and showcase upgrades accurately.
From construction dust to full completion, every phase requires a slightly different eye, but our commitment stays the same: capturing each space with honesty, precision, and attention to the smallest details.
The Takeaway
In today’s competitive multifamily market, professional photography and videography are one of the smartest early investments a developer can make.
Done right, it doesn’t just show a space; it tells a story. It captures a lifestyle, builds trust, and makes people feel like they’ve already found home.
So before your building is even complete, start thinking about how your visuals will represent it. In pre-leasing, the right photo doesn’t just grab someone’s attention; it gets them to sign the lease.
