Adding and Ordering Photos

Photos are the most important element of any marketing package. Before buyers look at the price, the ARV, or the repair estimate, they look at the photos. Bad photos -- blurry, dark, poorly framed, or too few of them -- signal to experienced investors that the wholesaler is either careless or hiding something. Either way, they move on.

Deal Run stores all property photos in secure cloud storage and serves them through a CDN for fast loading on any device. This guide covers uploading, format requirements, setting a primary hero photo, reordering the gallery, recommended photo counts, what to photograph, and using Google Street View as a fallback when interior access is not available.

Uploading photos

You can upload photos from two places in Deal Run:

1. The deal detail page: Open your deal and scroll to the Photos section. You will see a grid of existing photos (if any) and an upload area.
2. The marketing package editor: Navigate to Sell > Market for your deal. The photo management section appears near the top of the editor.

To upload photos, either drag and drop files directly onto the upload area, or click the upload area to open a file picker. You can select multiple files at once. Photos are uploaded directly to secure cloud storage and are available immediately in your marketing package.

Each photo is stored under your user account and deal ID, following the path structure /{user_id}/{listing_id}/. This keeps your photos organized and isolated from other users and deals.

Supported formats and file size

Deal Run accepts the following image formats:

• JPG / JPEG: The most common format from phone cameras and digital cameras. Recommended for all property photos.
• PNG: Supported but not recommended for photographs. PNG files are significantly larger than JPG for photo content. Use PNG only for screenshots or images with text overlays.

The maximum file size per image is 25 MB. In practice, most phone photos are between 2-8 MB, so you will rarely encounter this limit. If you are shooting with a DSLR in RAW format, export to JPG before uploading.

Images are served at optimized resolution for web display. The original file is preserved in storage, but the marketing page and PDF generator use appropriately sized versions to ensure fast page loads, especially on mobile devices where many buyers view deals.

Setting a primary (hero) photo

The primary photo is the hero image that appears at the top of your marketing page, in email blast thumbnails, and in social media link previews (Open Graph images). It is the single most impactful visual in your entire marketing package.

To set a primary photo:

1. Navigate to the photo grid on your deal detail page or marketing editor.
2. Hover over the photo you want as the hero image.
3. Click the star icon or "Set as Primary" option that appears on hover.
4. The selected photo will move to the first position and display a primary badge.

Your primary photo should almost always be the best exterior front shot of the property. This is the image that represents the deal everywhere it appears -- in email subjects with image previews, on social media shares, in the marketplace listing card, and at the top of the marketing page itself.

Reordering photos

The order of photos in your gallery matters. Buyers scroll through them in sequence, and the order should tell a visual story of the property -- exterior first, then interior room by room, then any damage or notable features.

To reorder photos:

1. Open the photo grid in the deal detail page or marketing editor.
2. Click and drag any photo to a new position in the grid.
3. Release to drop the photo in its new position. The order saves automatically.

A recommended photo order for a standard single-family property:

1. Front exterior (hero -- this is your primary photo)
2. Back exterior / yard
3. Side views (if notable features or damage)
4. Kitchen (best angle first)
5. Kitchen (second angle)
6. Living room / main living area
7. Master bedroom
8. Master bathroom
9. Secondary bedrooms
10. Secondary bathroom(s)
11. Garage / carport
12. Mechanical systems (HVAC, water heater, electrical panel)
13. Damage areas (roof, foundation, water damage)

This sequence gives buyers a natural walkthrough experience. They see the curb appeal, then flow through the interior, and finally see the areas that need work. Every photo should add information.

Photo count recommendations

The number of photos in your marketing package directly impacts buyer engagement and offer conversion. Here are the benchmarks:

• Minimum (acceptable): 8 photos. Enough to cover the exterior and main interior spaces. Below this threshold, buyers assume you are hiding something or did not have full access.
• Good: 10-12 photos. Covers all rooms plus exterior angles. This is the standard for a solid marketing package.
• Excellent: 13-15 photos. Includes everything above plus mechanical systems, damage areas, and neighborhood context. This level of detail signals professionalism and builds trust.
• Maximum effective: 20 photos. Beyond this, additional photos provide diminishing returns for marketing purposes. Buyers want thorough coverage, not an exhaustive catalog.

For AI-assisted repair analysis, more photos produce better accuracy. If you are using Deal Run's AI repair estimation feature, aim for 15+ photos with at least 30 for high-confidence estimates. The AI analyzes room condition, visible damage, and fixture quality from photos to generate itemized repair costs.

What to photograph

Below is a comprehensive shot list organized by property area. You do not need every single shot listed here, but covering all the major categories ensures buyers have enough information to evaluate the deal without scheduling a walkthrough first.

Exterior

• Front elevation: Straight on, full house in frame, showing roof, siding, windows, front door, porch, and landscaping. This is almost always your hero photo.
• Back of house: From the back yard looking at the rear of the property. Shows rear exterior condition, back porch or patio, fence, yard size.
• Both sides: Especially important if there is visible damage (peeling paint, damaged siding, foundation exposure) or notable features (side entry garage, secondary entrance).
• Street view / neighborhood: Stand across the street and capture the house in the context of the neighborhood. Shows neighboring properties, street condition, and general area feel.
• Driveway and garage exterior: Condition of the driveway (concrete, asphalt, gravel), garage door condition, width and configuration.
• Roof: If you can capture the roof condition from ground level or an elevated angle, do so. Roof condition is one of the highest-cost repair items and buyers want to see it.

Kitchen

• Wide shot showing overall layout, cabinets, and countertops.
• Second angle showing appliances (stove, refrigerator, dishwasher).
• Close-ups of any damage: warped cabinets, cracked countertops, damaged flooring, dated fixtures.

Bathrooms

• One wide shot per bathroom showing the full space -- vanity, toilet, tub/shower.
• Close-up of any damage: cracked tile, water stains on ceiling, corroded fixtures, missing caulk.

Bedrooms and living areas

• One shot per bedroom, preferably showing the window (for natural light assessment) and closet door.
• Main living room showing the largest wall and any focal features (fireplace, built-ins, ceiling height).
• Dining area if separate from the kitchen and living room.

Garage, mechanical, and systems

• Interior garage shot (shows storage space, condition of walls and floor, access to attic).
• Electrical panel (open the panel door and photograph the breakers).
• Water heater (shows age via manufacturer label, condition, type -- gas or electric).
• HVAC unit -- both the outdoor condenser and indoor air handler if accessible.
• Plumbing under sinks if there are visible leaks or outdated materials (galvanized, polybutylene).

Damage and condition issues

• Foundation cracks (interior and exterior).
• Water damage -- stains on ceilings, warped flooring, mold growth.
• Roof damage visible from attic or exterior.
• Outdated or hazardous materials (knob-and-tube wiring, asbestos tile, lead paint indicators).

Photograph damage clearly and without trying to minimize it. Experienced investors expect to see problems -- that is why they are buying at a discount. What they do not expect, and will not tolerate, is discovering problems on the walkthrough that were not visible in the photos. Undisclosed issues kill your credibility and make buyers question everything else in your package.

Google Street View as fallback

Sometimes you do not have interior access to a property. The seller may not have granted access yet, the property may be occupied by tenants, or you may be marketing a deal before the option period starts. In these situations, you still need photos for your marketing package.

Deal Run integrates Google Street View as a fallback for exterior imagery. When a property has zero uploaded photos, the marketing page automatically displays Google Street View imagery using the property's latitude and longitude coordinates. This provides at least a front exterior view of the property.

If you are using Street View as your only imagery:

• State clearly in your description: "Interior access pending -- walkthrough available upon request."
• Do not imply you have seen the inside of the property if you have not.
• Be transparent about any repair estimates being based on exterior condition only, with a note that numbers may adjust after interior access.
• Upload your own photos as soon as you gain access. Street View images should be a temporary placeholder, not a permanent substitute for real photos.

Google Street View imagery can be outdated by months or even years. If the property's exterior has changed significantly since the Street View car last passed (new paint, damaged roof, overgrown yard), note the discrepancy in your description so buyers are not surprised.

For more on building a complete marketing package, see Creating a Marketing Package. For details on how photos appear in the generated PDF, see PDF Deal Packages.