Do Professional Photos Earn a Better Airbnb Rating in Memphis? What 1,312 Listings Show
Professional photos did not earn a higher Airbnb rating in Memphis: 63% vs 64% scored 4.8 or higher across 1,312 rated listings. Counts, method and what we left out.
No. Among active Memphis Airbnb listings that display a rating, 63% of those with professional-looking photos score 4.8 or higher. For listings with amateur-looking photos it is 64%.
We looked at every Memphis Airbnb listing seen active in the last 30 days. That is 2,648 listings, and 2,243 of them display an overall rating. Of those, 1,312 also have a photo class, either professional or amateur, from a review of the cover photo and gallery.
What the count shows
| Photo class | Rated listings | At 4.8 or higher | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional-looking | 744 | 467 | 63% |
| Amateur-looking | 568 | 363 | 64% |
The gap is one point, in the wrong direction for the photo-shoot argument. Average photo count is nearly identical too: 20.4 photos for professional-looking listings and 20.8 for amateur-looking ones.
Superhost status shows a small tilt. 57% of professional-looking listings (421 of 744) carry the badge, versus 53% of amateur-looking listings (301 of 568). That is a modest difference and is covered in our Superhost rating gap breakdown.
What this does and does not tell you
A rating is earned after a stay. A photo is what gets the click before it. This count says photos do not predict a higher rating. It does not say photos do not help a listing get booked. We have no clean per-listing booking data, so we are not making that claim.
We also left several things out on purpose. We did not publish a median rating, because medians move when the mix of listings changes. We did not adjust for bedroom count, so treat this as a market-wide read. And 931 rated listings have no photo class yet, so this is a partial panel, not a census.
What an owner should take from it
Photos earn the first look. The rating comes from the stay: a clean unit, clear check-in, fast replies. If you are launching a Memphis short-term rental, a photographer is worth it for conversion, but it will not buy you a 4.8. Plan for the operations side as well. See how booking timing works in when Memphis Airbnbs get booked, and check the permit rules before you list in the Memphis STR permit guide. For where to buy, start with the best Memphis neighborhoods for rentals.
Method
Memphis Airbnb listings last seen active within 30 days of October 12, 2026. Photo class is a visual review of each listing's photos and covers part of the panel. Counts shown, no medians.
Figures on this page are as of 2026-10-12.
Quick answers
Do professional photos give an Airbnb listing a higher rating in Memphis?
Not in this count. 63% of professional-looking listings score 4.8 or higher versus 64% of amateur-looking listings, across 1,312 rated Memphis listings.
Do photos still matter for bookings?
This count does not measure bookings, so it cannot say. It covers ratings only.
How many Memphis Airbnb listings were counted?
2,648 listings were active in the last 30 days and 2,243 display a rating. 1,312 of those carry a photo class.
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