Michelle:  Thanks!  Our job is to draw attention to positive and away from negative...not to hide the negative and deceive potential buyers. 

Gerry:  I tell my clients before I even start the consult that the quality of their mls pictures should be their priority.  When all is said and done, they need pictures that will appeal to buyers.

Donna:  They were not trying to deceive, they just wanted people to see their yard at it's best and Summer is when it looks it's best.  When I explained how it would be perceived they totally understood it would be a bad idea.

Maureen:  Thank you!  I agree - covering up only creates more problems.

Valerie:  Honesty being the best policy, and all that!

Kathy:  I've gotten pretty darn good at photo manipulation and I have been known to "erase" some stray wire or book left on the floor...but deceptive editing for the sake of hiding a flaw from buyers is never a good idea.

Debi:  In the two cases re: green grass that I stateed above, it was a matter of wanting people to see the house when it looks it's best.  The intention was good, they weren't trying to hide anything.

Cathy:  I totally agree.

Marianne:  Virtual staging is another issue.  The work of Michelle Molinari, for example, is brilliant.  It takes a very special talent to do what she does.  It is used to enable people who cannot visualize to actually see potential and possibilities.  I don't consider it deceptive unless it is used without the explanation that it is not what the house currently looks like.

Another form of virtual staging is to stage only for photos and then leave the home vacant for showings.  I'm not a real fan of this concept, but I don't consider it deceptive.  It is conceivable that the photos were taken before the sellers moved out.  Buyers may be disappointed to find the house vacant, but they can refer to the photos to get an idea of furniture placement possibilities.

Cynthia:  I love it when you stop by!  Gee, I wonder why?

Heather:  That's the important thing to consider.  Do you want your name and your business reputation based on deception?  Thanks!

Virginia:  Your guess is as good as mine! 

Lise:  It's too bad you will have to reshoot, but it is what it is.  Mother Nature can really mess things up sometimes!

Cindy:  I've had clients that were looking to deceive too, but in this case they just wanted to put their best foot forward. 

Debra:  Does the home owner have any photos of the landscaping in the Spring or Summer?  I've had sellers leave photos out for potential buyers to see the home in different seasons. 

Janna:  It is surprising how many pictures are left in the wrong season.  Another reason for "what were they thinking" to be asked.

Liz:  Just doing the work instead of wasting energy on deception would be the best way to go.

Nancy:  Virtual staging as a visual tool is a very good idea.  People are much easier to convince when they can see what we are suggesting.

Jan:  Thank you!  I'm happy to hear you enjoy the blog.

Ginger:  I would certainly consider doing a one-day staging.  I think it is better to have pictures of the house staged than not having the house staged at all.  There is a big difference between having furniture in pictures/not having furniture in person and freshly painted in photos/dated ugly wallpaper in person.

Leslie:  I have made changes like that many times.  I had a picture of a bedroom once that only had one lamp next to the bed.  I "cloned" the lamp onto the other nightstand so both sides of the bed had lamps.  It looked so much better!