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How Can Realtors Post Bad Pics?

Suzieque
last year
last modified: last year

I'm frequently amazed by how bad some listing photos are. Here is just one example among many that just floor me (especially the interior). How can a realtor post pics like these and how can the homeowner think it's ok?

(My in-laws are looking to relocate to the area in this listing).

Would these entice you to view this house?

Comments (20)

  • Kate
    last year

    I have seen so many bad listing photos! I think if I were to put my house on the market I would first inquire about who will be taking the pictures and then want approval before posting.

    Suzieque thanked Kate
  • Mrs. S
    last year

    Oh, the photos are awful quality, but it could be worse. At least the photos show the home itself.


    A long time ago, we hired a realtor to rent out a house, and her "son, the photographer" took photos. The photo they used on the listing was the actual backside of the house, showing none of the gorgeous pool/yard/landscaping, just the concrete abutting the back of the house. None of the gorgeous front yard and attractive, large driveway and landscape and freshly painted house. I hadn't even checked the listing for over a week. It didn't even mention that there was a pool. That was a total fiasco.

    Suzieque thanked Mrs. S
  • bpath
    last year

    We had a property on the market and I had to remind the realtor to do something a out the lictures that show the vacuum cleaner, someone’s foot, etc.

    In the listing you shared, what is with the kitchen pics at the end? ”This is how it could look in 2023”? I can barely tell what it looks like now. And seriously, all the hallway pics?

    Suzieque thanked bpath
  • oreolucca1
    last year

    That is terrible. I am a realtor and pay a professional 350 dollars to give me great photos. I will say it is frusturating when you spend time with a client and go over what needs to be decluttered a d picked up and you go shoot the house and its a mess. the ohotographer pick up nothing and i run around trying to get the rooms ready. A lot of this is common sense

    Suzieque thanked oreolucca1
  • palimpsest
    last year
    last modified: last year

    The example just kinda looks like lazy cell phone photos. Sometimes the price of the property does not warrant the use of a professional photographer, but for $700K + they should.


    Well one reason that is rarely discussed is when the property is rented.

    Renters can be extremely uncooperative, particularly when they may not want to move.

    They have no vested interest in making the house look good, and at least here, you may have minimal opportunities to get inside the property before the closing.

    I have attempted to look at properties where the tenants decided to refuse entry.

    I have a whole file of pictures of tenants in the real estate photos, including...lying in bed.

    People say " The agent./photographer should straighten up, make the bed, do the dishes" for good photos. Yeah try it until you get in trouble for touching people's personal belongings without their express permission. And sometimes even sellers will behave like this.




    Suzieque thanked palimpsest
  • tete_a_tete
    last year

    Very odd photos indeed.


    I can't see the logic of them. They certainly don't show off the subject well.

    Suzieque thanked tete_a_tete
  • worthy
    last year
    last modified: last year

    Loads of mad, bad and sad MLS photos here.

    Party anyone?

    Direct gateway to Hades.


    Hangin' Out.


    Uber?

    Suzieque thanked worthy
  • PRO
    HALLETT & Co.
    last year

    I can’t pick my favorite between the finger, the open toilet seat, or the mop bucket. We just bought a vacation home where the ONLY kitchen photo was a closeup of the range top and the lobster puzzle hung on the wall behind it. There was actually a pretty good sized kitchen which you would never know from the listing.

    Suzieque thanked HALLETT & Co.
  • john3582
    last year

    The sex swing house was all over the internet. The realtor did an interview on Slate. Then I think the owner turned it into a Arbnb. The neighbors were not happy.

    There was a weird bathroom. Worth looking it up.

    Suzieque thanked john3582
  • Toronto Veterinarian
    last year

    I found myself wondering the same thing just yesterday (I frequent the MLS website to shop for friend - it's always nicer when it's someone else's money!). It's not just messy homes (which isn't the fault of the realtor), but simply bad photos, as you demonstrated. Out of focus, off kilter, useless angles, bad lighting.....just plane unattractive. There's a difference between badly staged photos (with things in the shot you may not want), but actually bad quality photos. The first is forgivable, in my opinion, because that's as much on the owner as the realtor. but bad quality photos is entirely on the realtor.

    Suzieque thanked Toronto Veterinarian
  • tete_a_tete
    last year

    In my post I was referring to the photos in the link which the OP had given. The framing of the photos was odd. I felt I wanted to see higher and lower than what the photos showed.

    Suzieque thanked tete_a_tete
  • Fori
    last year

    The photos in the OP were bad but not scaring-me-away bad. More oooo i gotta see it in person bad. My impression was Good House Bad Photographer.

    Suzieque thanked Fori
  • cpartist
    last year

    I can’t pick my favorite between the finger,

    Um, I'm not sure that's a finger.

    Suzieque thanked cpartist
  • palimpsest
    last year

    No, there's a finger in the photo of the original post, not the inflatable thing.

    Suzieque thanked palimpsest
  • PRO
    Jeffrey R. Grenz, General Contractor
    last year

    Two reasons:

    1. Cheap
    2. Lazy


    Pro photos don't cost much starting at 150-250 to get professionally composed, well lit AND THE TOILET SEAT CLOSED.


    There's a saying "you only need one buyer"

    My version "if/when a great photo generates more interested buyers, you will get you a higher price"

  • palimpsest
    last year

    Actually it's standard during open houses here for the agent to open the toilet seat and leave it open. One they are checking that it is clean (and you would be surprised how often it is not) and two people will sometimes Use it During Showings. (if you can believe it).


  • PRO
    Jeffrey R. Grenz, General Contractor
    last year

    Agent who leaves a toilet seat open was raised by wolves.


    Its private property, not a highway rest stop.


  • worthy
    last year

    Sounds like you've had a model home or two!

  • palimpsest
    last year
    last modified: last year

    Are you going to be the agent who pushes the bathroom door open and says "Stop immediately" when potential buyer goes into the bathroom and closes the door?

    It's the potential client or the seller with the dirty house who was raised by wolves, not the agent or photographer.