Office Space… A great movie. But alas, this is not a movie review. In the past, we have explored some of the simple tools to choosing and taking a listing photograph for street retail spaces. Now, we are moving on to marketing photographs for office spaces, a topic that I had to research as I have more experience in retail. However, there are definitely some trends that are noticeable when viewing office space marketing brochures.

The most noticeable trend? Listing agents tend to feature the outside of the office building, park or complex, if it’s something nice to look at, and then have photographs of the inside as supporting or secondary pictures. As I looked online at all of the spaces that are available for lease, so many of them show the shinny windows, entrances and, when in a suburban setting, landscapes featuring trees, shrubbery and perhaps even a fountain. Support pictures primarily consisted of alternative views of the building, lobbies, elevators, available space layouts and conditions.

So, what are the tips? Here they are:

• Show the outside on a bright and sunny day. Office buildings and complexes can often seem like impersonal places, so taking a picture of the building on a beautiful day will give it a warmer feel. Also make sure to include any landscaping features. Some buildings have beautiful cherry blossom trees, or a nice fountain out front; include those in the frame if at all possible. Some buildings that are in cities have a sculpture out front, if you can squeeze that in, make sure to as well.
• Take the picture of the building on an angle, if possible. Showing an alternative view of the building allows for the viewer to get a good glimpse as to the size of the building. Sometimes, for people who are not in the commercial real estate business, it’s very hard to visualize what a 50,000 square foot office building looks like. Showing a perspective picture helps that.
• Feature the actual office space that is for lease. Show its conditions and amenities. If there is a small kitchenette, show it! Does it have a state of the art conference room? Great! Take a picture! Make sure to also include the cafeteria, hallways, elevators, lobbies, etc., that are not part of the actual space, but are part of the building and accessible to all tenants.
• If you’re able to get a good view of the parking lot, make sure to show that as well. It will let the perspective leaseholder see how many visitors and employees they can accommodate.

Now that you have some tips for the best possible pictures of office availabilities, make sure you have a great camera by clicking here for suggestions and our article on how to take pictures featuring street retail space.