secretive home listings ??? (Ava: for sale, real estate, credit)

[djdairyp]

Does anyone know why some people/agents are more 'secretive' about their listings than others.

Many agent sites don't list the addresses, but they give the MLS number so you can just go to mlsli and click the map to see where it is. And even on MLS it seems like only 10% or so of houses actually give the physical addresses while the rest are undisclosed. Or even worse, houses with no pictures, why waste your time, i wouldn't even bother with that. For the most exposure and least waste of time isn't more information better. I mean if your front yard is the LIE and you dont want to advertise that, its understandable but its a waste of time for buyer and seller to do showings to people for whom this would automatically rule out the listing

Are these remnants of times past? where doing this actually did keep your address a secret ... because in todays world an undisclosed address is easy to find out, just more of a pain. If there is a photo, and they give the general area of the house, you go to google maps, look at the satellite view and pick out the features of the house, shape, driveway, trees and you can find it. Then you can use that further to find the house address. You could also do this on zillow or mynassauproperty.

So i guess back to the original question, why not just give the address, why is it an easter egg hunt to find the address. A interested buyer will find out the address sooner or later as they have to go there at some point.

[TomMoser]

Old time real estate practices were to never give out the address, so that the buyer would have to come to your office and get in your car.

Today, as you pointed out, it is very easy to get this information. I, for one, am very free with it because if you don't give your customers what they want they will just go elseware.

Most agent sites (not MLSLI.com or Realtor.com) take feeds from the MLS, so what you are seeing is often not their listing. They don't give addresses because they don't want you driving over to the house and then calling on the listing agents sign. They at least want to get a chance to talk to you to see if you might want to work with them.

[TeamExit]

this boggled my mind when i was searching for a house. how many listings had NO pictures, or even worse i think, HORRIBLE pictures that you couldnt tell anything from. this is the information age, listing things for sale on the internet with no description or pictures is kind of rediculous i think. it leads to a waste of time for everyone involved, or leads to nothing because the listing is just passed over or dismissed by the potential buyer.

[AndreaII]

IMHO, you've got to see a house in person. It's very difficult to tell from pictures what a house is really about.

[Elke Mariotti]

Originally Posted by TeamExit

this boggled my mind when i was searching for a house. how many listings had NO pictures, or even worse i think, HORRIBLE pictures that you couldnt tell anything from.

Sounds like lazy and/or inexperienced agents to me... They are not doing their Seller clients any favor. Lots of people, including agents, don't bother with listings that don't have photos. In this market especially, when there is lots of inventory!

[ShouldIMoveOrStayPut...?]

A picture is worth a thousand words, no pictures or photo's taken from obscure angles also speak volumes.
I have to laugh at these listings that have a picture looking outside from inside the home, the yard, the street, etc....everything but a shot of the home itself. Or the one angled perfectly to make the home look like it is secluded as a mountan cabin when the neighbor's home is fifteen feet off the west side.
Agents may think they are being clever and using good salesmanship, but I think these practices just serve to discredit them.

Google "Street View" (Not All Streets Available) can tell dirty secrets about a home since the camera mounted truck does not have any schedule and homeowners do not know when it is coming. One lisitng I was following had an optimal photo of a home on the agency site. "Street View" showed the sloping downward driveway leading to garage and basement level blocked off with sandbags. Area gets a tremendous annual snowfall and melt.

[TomMoser]

Yes, some agents are very good at taking pictures that present the home in the best possible light. However, as marketers, that is their job. Have you ever seen a picture of a McDonalds burger? Looks pretty good, doesn't it? I'm not defending those who post pictures that are out and out misrepresentations (photoshop anyone?). I'm just pointing out that it is the agents job to show pictures of the home that are as flattering as possible.

[budsvtec]

You have to worry when you see pictures of a house and there are double pictures of one room and no pictures of the kitchen, bathroom or even the exterior of the home. That usually means that they are outdated.

Usually The pictures on the internet are the best parts of the house....because that is what will draw the buyer in.

[dman72]

No pictures=no e-mail from me. If you're too lazy to care, I don't want to work with you. It's unbelievably easy to put pictures up..I just can't fathom someone trying to sell you a HOUSE not bothering to take the time to take pictures.

[newtoli]

There is a house down the street from us that we were interested in possibly purchasing. A sign went up for the local Realtor, we called and asked about the listing and the price. The answer was:

"Who wants to know?".

Incredibly unprofessional.