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I've been looking at homes and noticed that some seem smaller in person than online, and some of the photos make rooms look much larger depending on which photo and angle I'm looking at. So I looked closer and realized that some of the photos are stretched to make rooms look bigger. I can see this from looking at TV's and things that are supposed to be round like clocks. Its also obvious when you compare different photos. I didn't know how common this was and if it is intentional?
This has been going on so long that it's not even worth lifting an eyebrow over. You should see some of the ocean view listing photos in my MLS for properties that have zero view. It's reflective of real estate agents' collective truth-stretching. It's frustrating seeing how the truth becomes more and more slippery the longer agents are in the business. A real estate license is like a jet ski. You may not be an A-hole (liar in this comparison) before you climb on but give it a little while and you'll turn into one. Yes, there are exceptions but posting misleading photos and descriptions has become rote for the majority of agents. I'm an agent, BTW.
I don’t think anybody likes extreme wide angle views and stretched pictures so I don’t know why they are used. It is a violation in our MLS if you Photoshop out flaws or alter the images to hide defects. If you see that it should be reported.
It’s never a good idea for people to be disappointed when they actually come out to see the house. Sure you want pictures that make the place look good, but they have to still represent the actual house people are going to see when they get there or they’re not gonna do you any good.
We went to checkout a house a year ago that was in our dream neighborhood on a lake. It was $550k, we figured if we kept an eye on it and could get it for $500k we could make it happen. The pictures where beautiful, we get there and the house is HORRIBLE. There were 3 man hole covers in the front lawn, no idea what they were for. Huge tree hanging over the house, 1 bad storm and the home would be destroyed, I can't even begin to imagine how expensive it would be to have an old oak that size cut down. The inside was equally horrible. Done as cheap as possible, floors were all wrong, kitchen cabinets were garbage. The basement walkout area was maybe 6.5' tall... the whole thing was a major flop. They could have dropped the price to $300k and I would have walked away. But the pictures made it look like a deal at $550k.
While an agent should post factual photos, the main purpose of the photos are to market the property. It is up to you, as a potential buyer, to check out the house in person, and double check with your own eyes to make sure it is up to par.
Take all real estate photos with a grain of salt, as they are used primarily for marketing, not on the basis to which buy a house. That's why you check it out in person, hire an inspector, appraiser, etc. You should not be making purchase decisions solely based on photos.
I mean, they do the same tricks with staging. Sometime they use children's furniture to make the room look bigger. Should that be illegal too? I've seen some model home beds where a kid could barely fit in it...hilarious, but they are fooling no one, but no harm done since you should obviously be checking it in person yourself.
Wide angle pictures stretching small rooms or cutting-out major flaws seems to be such a common trend, it's almost expected. IMO, many realtors use tactic like they use open houses: To identify and contact potential buyers in the marketplace -- so they can try to sell them something else. In the retail industry, it's called "bait and switch"
Wide angle pictures stretching small rooms or cutting-out major flaws seems to be such a common trend, it's almost expected. IMO, many realtors use tactic like they use open houses: To identify and contact potential buyers in the marketplace -- so they can try to sell them something else. In the retail industry, it's called "bait and switch"
That isn't *really* an accurate description of the motives for open houses. Yes, they're held by agents looking to find buyers, but those agents would be perfectly happy if unrepresented buyers come in and want to buy the subject house! There is NO motive at all for the agent to want to *switch*.
It's just the truth is, most buyers look at a lot of houses, so odds are it may take more than one.
Sometimes we get lucky though! Hope springs eternal.
Last edited by Diana Holbrook; 07-10-2020 at 09:36 AM..
Wide angle pictures stretching small rooms or cutting-out major flaws seems to be such a common trend, it's almost expected. IMO, many realtors use tactic like they use open houses: To identify and contact potential buyers in the marketplace -- so they can try to sell them something else. In the retail industry, it's called "bait and switch"
No. It is called predictive marketing. If a buyer comes in to a two story open house, chances are they will buy a two story house, if they buy at all.
Buyers will buy that open house 1-3% of the time, but they will buy something else 30% of the time within 6 months.
Re ^ The manhole covers in the yard are for the septic system... A good thing for the house to have. :-)
Problem was it's a small yard and the covers where all over.. not like it was a big yard and the cover was hidden next to a bush or closer to the street. They were literally right next to the path walking up to the house taking up a large chunk of the yard.
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