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Bad MLS photos: come on, agents, would it kill you to use a flash?

Recently, I have been on the hunt for a third rental property for one client and the next home for another client to remodel. In the process, I have looked at literally hundreds of listings on the MLS. And in more than a few, I have found photos that raised more questions than the dark photo of a tub y answered.

How about a nice gloomy bubble bath?

dark photo of a house

Can't you just imagine the kids playing out here? Maybe they already are, but you just can't see them.

It's past their bedtime anyway.

small dark photo of a living room

This photo to the right of what might be a fireplace in what might be a living room is the actual size on the MLS.

But it's humongous compared to the one below, which the copyright information can't even fit on. I think it's a photo of a kitchen.

tiny photo of a kitchen

Maybe it's a kitchen in a birdhouse!

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Robin Rogers, Realtor, Broker-owner, ABR, TRC, CRS

Also Cat Owner, Photographer, Smartass, Aspiring World-Class Drummer

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Posted by Robin Rogers, CRS: fun and professional real estate agent and investment adviser on 10/19/2009 05:48 PM

Comments (13)

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13 Comments on Bad MLS photos: come on, agents, would it kill you to use a flash?

OCT

That's great. I'm dying to know why everyone always leaves the toilet seat up in the bathroom photo. I was an underwriter for 5 years..........so many appraisals with toilet seat up. That's about 10 appraisals per day, you do the math.

Why???

Robin, I am with you!! How are people supposed to decide if they want to look at something if they can't tell anything by the photos? Instead they are looking at OTHER PROPERTIES since there are PLENTY ON THE MARKET!!!! :-) Great post!

Robin I keep telling you that you need to become a professional photographer.

With just a little practice of the zoom, and what a flash will do, with a digital camera, agents and appraisers could take much better digital photos. I take multiple shots, especially outside with the different angles of the sun creating shadows in the photos.

Robin, I sat at the computer in my office with a rental client this week-end looking at rental listings. The ones with bad photos, she would say no, NO... I explained that the pictures were just bad but her response was still no... by the way, I'm looking for a good rental if you have one...

Howdy there Robin

I sure would not want to look at the homes in those photos. I'm a wonder-en why the Copy Right, sayes Bord of Realtors, I've not ever seen that before. Do all Agents in Texas do that?

Baker Home Commercial Properties Inspections and Consulting AR Signature

OCT

How funny, Robin.

I always try to shoot at least 2 or 3 photos at a time because sometimes the flash doesn't go off on my digital. It doesn't always register if I don't click on a light source first. So, even if I forget to do this and a photo shows up dark, there is always the "brighten" feature in Preview or Photoshop. Why don't agents just lighten their lousy photos?

My theory on bad MLS photos is simple. If you don't know how to take a good picture, hire someone to do it for you.

Your sellers are paying you quite nicely to market their home.

You can afford the $50.00 or so it'll cost to get professional looking pictures out to the world.

Robin, This is a pet peeve of mine (and I don't have that many!). I don't know what special skill it takes to take pictures that are actually useful in helping get the home seen. Anyone can take better pictures and I can't imagine why they don't bother to.

Thank you for the compliment, Carl! But if Craig is only going to pay me $50 a listing, I guess I'd better stick with real estate.

Thing is, if your photo doesn't turn out well, I don't think you should put it on the MLS. The point of having photos is not just to show what the house looks like, it's to show the house in its best light. If the photo doesn't help sell the house, it's better to leave it out instead of just sticking it in as a place holder. And then go back and take a better shot, or work on it in your graphics program.

In my opinion, anyway.

OCT

Robin, You are so right! Clients deserve to have clean, clear photos that highlight the features of their home and surrounding property. It's amazing how many luxury properties I see that have grainy, out-of-focus or blurry pictures. What are they thinking?!

OCT

Robin,

I cannot believe some of the photos placed online for the world to see. I think it is ridiculous when they shrink them too much and you are unable to figure out what the photo is.

Ann Hayden

OCT

Crazy, huh? I have some more MLS stuff to post this week--this time words, not photos!

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