August 6, 2026
How many photos do you really need for an apartment listing?
More photos aren't necessarily better. Here's the number that works based on the property's size, and why a listing with eight photos loses out to one with twenty.
Most listings fall into one of two extremes: eight photos, which aren’t enough to get a sense of the apartment, or forty photos showing the same living room from six different angles. Both are problematic, but for opposite reasons.
The number depends on the size, not the budget
A three-bedroom apartment doesn't need forty photos. It doesn't have forty things to show off. A single-family home with a yard and a second floor does.
The simple rule: Each room gets one wide shot that shows it in its entirety, and another only if there’s a detail that’s really worth seeing—a unique kitchen, a view from the window, a balcony.
Up to 70 meters: 15 to 20 photos. 70 to 140: 25 to 35. 140 to 280: 40 to 55. Above that, depending on the property.
Why "Too Little" Loses
Someone looking for an apartment goes through dozens of listings. A listing with eight photos leaves them with questions: What does the second bedroom look like? Is there a security room? What can you see from the balcony?
An unanswered question is a reason to keep scrolling. He won't call to find out—he'll just move on to the next listing, where the photos provide the answers.
Why Too Much Is Also a Loss
Forty photos of a three-bedroom apartment make it seem like I'm repeating myself. The viewer starts skipping through them, and once they start skipping, they miss even the good photos.
There’s also a less obvious effect: when every corner is photographed, the apartment looks smaller. Too many photos break up a single, cohesive space into many small pieces.
What's More Important Than Quantity
Order. The first image determines whether people will click at all, so it needs to be the strongest one—usually the living room or the front of the house, not the hallway.
This is followed by a sequence depicting a walkthrough of the apartment: entrance, living room, kitchen, bedrooms, bathroom, balcony. Anyone who views the photos in the order in which they walked through the apartment will understand it without having to think.