Why do apartment ads do this? (Photos of everything except inside the unit) (apartments, tenant)

[ohhwanderlust]

I'm apartment hunting, and I'm noticing that many listings contain tons and tons of photos...of everything (even the dumpster out front) except the actual unit inside, or even a model unit. These are from rental companies too, not just private landlords renting out their in-law units.

The most annoying ones are the ones with a bunch of photos of the gym. A gym's a gym...you've seen one, you've seen them all.

I don't know about others, but I honestly don't care about the lobby, gym, pool, outside shrubbery, etc that much. Other than location and my budget (which can be ascertained without pictures), the only thing I care about is how the actual unit I'd be living in looks, in terms of layout, amenities, flooring, how clean and well-maintained things look.

Do most people care more about the property's gym than where they'd actually be living? Or is it a red flag, that they keep outside appearances nice, but in reality they're actually slumlords to their residents once they're trapped in a lease?

I just skip over these ads, since it turns me off. But this seems to be the case with a lot of listings. Why do they do this?

[reenzz]

Originally Posted by ohhwanderlust

I'm apartment hunting, and I'm noticing that many listings contain tons and tons of photos...of everything (even the dumpster out front) except the actual unit inside, or even a model unit. These are from rental companies too, not just private landlords renting out their in-law units.

The most annoying ones are the ones with a bunch of photos of the gym. A gym's a gym...

I don't know about others, but I honestly don't care about the lobby, gym, pool, outside shrubbery, etc that much. Other than location and my budget (which can be ascertained without pictures), the only thing I care about is how the actual unit I'd be living in looks.

Do most people care more about the property's gym than where they'd actually be living? Or is it a red flag, that they keep outside appearances nice, but in reality they're actually slumlords to their residents once they're trapped in a lease?

I just skip over these ads, since it turns me off. But this seems to be the case with a lot of listings. Why do they do this?

They likely still have tenants in those units who haven't vacate yet or they could have multiple units available.

[Zippyman]

Originally Posted by ohhwanderlust

I'm apartment hunting, and I'm noticing that many listings contain tons and tons of photos...of everything (even the dumpster out front) except the actual unit inside, or even a model unit. These are from rental companies too, not just private landlords renting out their in-law units.

The most annoying ones are the ones with a bunch of photos of the gym. A gym's a gym...you've seen one, you've seen them all.

I don't know about others, but I honestly don't care about the lobby, gym, pool, outside shrubbery, etc that much. Other than location and my budget (which can be ascertained without pictures), the only thing I care about is how the actual unit I'd be living in looks, in terms of layout, amenities, flooring, how clean and well-maintained things look.

Do most people care more about the property's gym than where they'd actually be living? Or is it a red flag, that they keep outside appearances nice, but in reality they're actually slumlords to their residents once they're trapped in a lease?

I just skip over these ads, since it turns me off. But this seems to be the case with a lot of listings. Why do they do this?

The trend in my area is not to rent "apartments", but to rent a "lifestyle".. . They highlight the game room, the weight room, the lounge & lobby & the fountains out front. It must be working, because in my area at least, many times two-bedroom apartments rent for more than real houses with yards & garages.

[Corn-fused]

It is one of my pet peeves when PMCs/LLs don't post good photos of the inside of an apt or the photos are too dark, blurry, etc that you still can't get a good idea. Or the ones who don't post any photos at all. Dumb.

And one of the worst are those stupid bubble like photos where the rooms, etc are all distorted and rounded. (not sure what that type of photography is called). I can't figure out what the purpose is for posting that type of photo. Are they trying to hide something? Otherwise it makes absolutely no sense.

We make sure to post good clear photos and a lot of them so people can see every single room and all details of the apt. We hide nothing. We also post dimensions of every room including the total sq ft of apt as well as a detailed description of all amenities. It saves us a lot of time in not having to field a lot of questions and most importantly, not having to do so many showings to people who may be not interested or it never would have worked for them once they step in the place. So it is beyond me why some of these places don't work smarter and give as much info up front as possible. People are busy nowadays and they don't have all the time in the world to be running all over the place to view apts sight unseen.

And I don't buy the idea that someone else mentioned for not posting photos because the unit is occupied or they have many apts available. They should have photos prior to when the current tenant(s) moved in and if they have many units available then they should surely have plenty of photos of all of the apts that they took at one point in time.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Originally Posted by Corn-fused

........It saves us a lot of time in not having to field a lot of questions and most importantly, not having to do so many showings to people who may be not interested or it never would have worked for them once they step in the place. .......

Oh? You have a client base in the area where you work where the potential clients actually read the ads? No one in my area reads them. They call and ask how many bedrooms, what the rent is, what the deposit is, do I take dogs, what kind of heat, yadda, yadda, yadda... all of which is stated very clearly in the ad in more than one place.

I put things in my ads about what sort of tenant will qualify and the ones who won't qualify still come and then stand there and argue with me that I should take them anyway.

It's difficult to get good indoor photos. My camera will take a photo of one corner, but not with both the ceiling and the floor; you have to choose which. Photos of corners of rooms aren't of much use to a tenant. They are very useful to me if the deductions from the security deposit are challenges, but to show the inside, not so much. A camera does not have peripheral vision like your eyeball does. The camera only shows what is straight ahead of it, which is why some ads have photos taken with a fisheye lens, trying to show all of the room.

I have to get someone else in to take inside photos for advertising. That's a nuisance for me and a nuisance for anyone, so maybe that is why they don't do it. Not to mention, if it is three bedroom, there are going to be three bedrooms that look exactly like any other bedroom in the country. Most people know that a bedroom is an empty cube with 4 walls, and entry door, and a closet.

[Corn-fused]

Originally Posted by oregonwoodsmoke

Oh? You have a client base in the area where you work where the potential clients actually read the ads? No one in my area reads them. They call and ask how many bedrooms, what the rent is, what the deposit is, do I take dogs, what kind of heat, yadda, yadda, yadda... all of which is stated very clearly in the ad in more than one place.

We must have people who read the ads because I sure don't get that many questions regarding anything that is already listed in the ad. When I first started renting the apts for this owner I did get a lot of questions however, once I took over doing the ad myself and posting the photos it decreased considerably. He barely had any photos nor good ones and his ad was not very descriptive nor detailed. And I actually do everything via email and I have never done any of it via phone and it works very well.

I put things in my ads about what sort of tenant will qualify and the ones who won't qualify still come and then stand there and argue with me that I should take them anyway.


I have never once had that problem by the time a person comes to a showing. I screen very thoroughly prior to a showing all via email (never via phone):

1. I can answer emails on my own time without interruptions and in the order they come in and at any hours of the day/night that work for me. You can't do that via phone.
2. I don't get stuck on the phone or in person for long periods of time answering questions that are already in the ad or people who just want to beg, argue and/or don't qualify anyway. Via email I just tell them that the answer(s) to their questions are in the ad and to please feel free to email me with any questions that are not in the ad. But those types of inquiries are very few.
3. When they email (never phone calls) and ask for a showing I send them a copy of the application and ask them to review it (not complete it) to see if they meet the minimum qualifications. And if they qualify based on the application then they are also required to provide full names of anyone who will be renting/living in the apt as well as what move in date they are looking for.
4. Having the full names I can also do another level of qualifying by looking up their names in our state's public court records (free access) where I can find out if there are any judgments, criminal activity, etc., that they may not have revealed when they said they qualified by reviewing the application.

This all eliminates over 80% of the inquiries I get because I never hear back from them because they obviously don't qualify. And all is done on my own time without any constant phone call interruptions from people asking questions that are already in the ad or from people who don't qualify or people who just want to beg, argue, etc. And the rest of them, if they don't want to read, follow instructions or provide required information then it is their loss.

It's difficult to get good indoor photos. My camera will take a photo of one corner, but not with both the ceiling and the floor; you have to choose which. Photos of corners of rooms aren't of much use to a tenant. They are very useful to me if the deductions from the security deposit are challenges, but to show the inside, not so much. A camera does not have peripheral vision like your eyeball does. The camera only shows what is straight ahead of it, which is why some ads have photos taken with a fisheye lens, trying to show all of the room.

I have to get someone else in to take inside photos for advertising. That's a nuisance for me and a nuisance for anyone, so maybe that is why they don't do it. Not to mention, if it is three bedroom, there are going to be three bedrooms that look exactly like any other bedroom in the country. Most people know that a bedroom is an empty cube with 4 walls, and entry door, and a closet.

I don't see where you find it a nuisance at all in taking good clear concise photos and it surely does not require hiring a professional to do so. Not in this day and age. You take photos once while the apt is vacant and you use those same photos over and over unless you do upgrades and need to retake them.

And, I am not talking about photos of every nook and cranny or every corner and ceiling, etc. We have approximately 12 - 14 total photos; front and back of building, a couple of kitchen views showing all appliances and cabinetry, dining area, a couple views of livingroom, photos of both bathrooms and the laundry area, one photo of garage area and bedrooms are usually one or 2 photos showing the room itself and the closet space. And one diagram of the layout of the apt with dimensions of every room in the description.

People like to feel like they are actually there and can picture themselves living there. It is the closest you can get to seeing a virtual tour video.

see above.

[Mr_Geek]

The inside is usually a disaster so they don't bother.

[ChicagoMeO]

That is b.s. about not being able to take a good pic. Other landlords are able to take a good pic. They don't want to take a pic because the place looks like crap! That's why.

[janet bubby]

I pass right on by these listings. Plenty of other rentals out there that don't waste my time with that sort of nonsense.

[LifeIsGood01]

They are either too lazy to take pictures of the inside, or the place is a mess, or the tenants don't allow it or keep the place so messy that it's not worth taking a pic.