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Ugh...doctored/misleading photos are the worst. I really don't understand the point - outside of an open house, I guess, where the agent can look for fresh meat or stir up interest in another property. Most people only look at houses with their own realtor, right? In which case, the wasted trip has no benefit to the seller or the seller's agent. In fact, if the home is occupied, one could argue it actually hurts the seller to put up fake pics, as they have to be inconvenienced for no reason more often.
Ugh...doctored/misleading photos are the worst. I really don't understand the point - outside of an open house, I guess, where the agent can look for fresh meat or stir up interest in another property. Most people only look at houses with their own realtor, right? In which case, the wasted trip has no benefit to the seller or the seller's agent. In fact, if the home is occupied, one could argue it actually hurts the seller to put up fake pics, as they have to be inconvenienced for no reason more often.
I always love going to a house that looks better than the photos, not one that lets me down. But do I understand that people might not take a chance if the photos aren't nice enough. I tend to look at things in a specific location I want, whether or not the photos impress me.
I understand wanting to get the buyers to the door, so to speak, if the seller is certain that the good will out weigh the bad. And if the seller has moved out of the house, what do they care how many failed showings there are? At least with the seller still living in the home he would not want a parade of people going through in hopes of catching "the one".
But why not show me that the house is on a busy street, has a shared driveway, has a steeply sloped lot, is at the bottom of a hill? Why not show that the stairs to the basement are narrow, the deck is in need of cleaning, etc., etc.? Buyers can decide if they can put up with that ahead of time. Of course, show plenty of attractive and realistic photos to offset any potential negatives.
I understand wanting to get the buyers to the door, so to speak, if the seller is certain that the good will out weigh the bad. And if the seller has moved out of the house, what do they care how many failed showings there are? At least with the seller still living in the home he would not want a parade of people going through in hopes of catching "the one".
But why not show me that the house is on a busy street, has a shared driveway, has a steeply sloped lot, is at the bottom of a hill? Why not show that the stairs to the basement are narrow, the deck is in need of cleaning, etc., etc.? Buyers can decide if they can put up with that ahead of time. Of course, show plenty of attractive and realistic photos to offset any potential negatives.
Wide angle shots just make me queasy.
Because it makes sense typically to get a buyer in front of the house, in the house, and then let them decide if those negatives can be overcome.
I don't want a potential buyer making that determination at midnight, in their pajamas, the day before they're going out to view homes.
That being said, I do not instruct my photographer to conceal anything. While I might not show a photo highlighting a negative, I also won't photoshop or get creative to cover up something.
We bought a house last week, 500 miles away. Driving that distance to look at houses got old fast.
Eventually I used google earth to do a drive by. You get to see what they don't want you to.
They do have their tricks, thats ok. So do we. !
So just use your common sense and outwit them.
Re' the newspaper article, what socialist crap !
Australia's Dept of Fair Trading,
AKA: the Ministry of I'm too stupid to be an independent consumer.
I've felt the same irritation! -- Why take spectacular, wide-angle, estate-looking photos of ordinary properties or otherwise very small rooms (or how about over-the-top descriptions)? Any potential buyer can't immediately see the difference upon viewing the actual property.
I think the realtor theory is that they can attract potential buyers they can steer to other properties - or 'talk' into buying, but, it leaves most people feeling somewhat hoodwinked. In retail, they call it 'bait and switch.' In RE, it is an unethical practice that causes people to mistrust realtors.
Somewhat hoodwinked? It's cheating.
If a microwave oven looks distorted (ultra wide, for example), in a view looking into the kitchen, then I know there may be other cheating going on in the photos and maybe the property itself.
I called a realtor on this Sunday and he said "people want to see the whole kitchen [or the whole side] all in one photo". Is that true for the rest of you? Would you prefer to see wide-angle but inaccurate pictures, or do you want to see the house as it is, still photographed well, though.
I want to see what is actually there, not the idealized version of the property. (Staging does not affect me much, though it does give me decorating ideas.)
I also hate it when the windows obviously do not show what is outside. Entire houses are blurred or smudged out of the view (especially side of house kitchens), overhanging utility lines are removed, etc.
It is totally unethical.
I live where the utility lines are underground, and I prefer that; however, don't lie to me by smudging them out of photos, when they are really there.
Not really, I would be buying the house, not the view, you can sell based on view but you cannot buy it.
Think of it like this, you buy the house with open skies all around, then a water tower gets built.
Same thing. You only bought the house, not the horizon.
Or put the other way, you buy the house with the water tower looming over the fence, two yrs later the water tower is removed. Can the seller come back for more money ?
you got it cheap, is this now unfair to the seller ?
Haha, this reminds me of my house that I am selling. I had to go to another state and left everything to the Realtor. She went to the house and took photos on a rainy, dark, depressing day. When I looked on Realtor.com, I was like what the hell? I talked to her on the phone about it and she went back to take new photos when it was sunny.
Haha, this reminds me of my house that I am selling. I had to go to another state and left everything to the Realtor. She went to the house and took photos on a rainy, dark, depressing day. When I looked on Realtor.com, I was like what the hell? I talked to her on the phone about it and she went back to take new photos when it was sunny.
Does this count as cheating?
No. Well, maybe in Seattle.
Wait for good weather, but if you have some foliage pictures taken when it was drizzly, I might include those, too. Wet foliage usually looks beautiful.
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Check the microwave ovens in the photos
