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Bad MLS Photos.....Hall of Shame!

I just stumbled upon a rather funny blog which features a 'Bad MLS photo of the day' every day (naturally).

I know property photos are always being hotly debated here on activerain so I thought I'd post you the link if you hadn't seen this site before....

http://www.reagentinct.com/category/bad-mls-photo-of-the-day/

You may all know it already, but I certainly hadn't seen it before today so there you are!

I love the blog because the pics are funny, but what they represent is actually far more tragic. Joe Public doesn't expect to see virtual tours on every real estate website he visits, but if it looks like an agent hasn't even bothered to turn on the flash, then what does it say about the agent?

From my own experiences in looking for properties, so much has been based upon those pictures. As far as I was concerned as a buyer, one photo of the outside of a property was never enough to stimulate my interest. And anyway, if the agent has bothered to take a camera to the property, why not go inside and take some snaps too? Or is there something to hide?

I'm not saying anything new here, everybody knows the shortcomings of MLS photos. So until the industry sorts it out, lets all have a giggle at those agents who don't put so much thought in to their camerawork...

Here is one of the pics I stole from the blog to get you started:

As always, have a gorgeous day. :-)

Posted by Poppy Dinsey ~ London, UK on 08/23/2007 09:15 AM

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12 Comments on Bad MLS Photos.....Hall of Shame!

AUG

2007

Poppy, thanks for the laugh !

Looks like the agent missed an opportunity to show off that pretty carved fireplace mantel. Without the television set to provide light, it would have been dark in there!

I saw one on MLS a few months ago that had two basement photos which were nearly completely black!

I recently wrote a blog on this one myself. Take Good Pictures - It Will Be Worth Your Effort

Why would anyone think the above photo would help them sell a home? I don't get it.

Poppy- Thanks for the heads up. It is amazing how many bad photos there are out there. You can buy some great digital cameras these days for under $1000 which is nothing in the long term. It's really not even that expensive to hire a photographer. And yet the photos often stink anyways. I guess that makes it easier for us to stick out.

My sellers sometimes ask me why I take so many pictures. I tell them that it's because you can't always tell how a space will look in a picture until you see it, and it's best to get several different views and pick the best ones instead of coming back and redoing it. PLus, sometimes the windows glare and lighting is bad, and I need several options. It amazes me that so many agents do such a half-arse job.

lol Poppy, it is incredible that some agent (and the client lets them get away with it) would actually post poor photos when it is a magor part of our business to promote properties! Crazy stuff!

You can look on localism and see many bad photos. I guess its in the agents head that these look good. Maybe there should be a designation TGP or taking good photos.

Brutal! Could you imagine if that was your house for sale with that picture?

Thanks for the comments guys, glad I could make some people smile :-)

What Jeffrey says is so true, I couldn't believe the way an agent made my uncles property look like once. The photos were so dark and dreary that the property looked tiny and yet the agent was trying to get an extremely high price for it because, (surprise, surprise) it was actually one of the nicest homes in the town. He suggested they used his own photos for the listings!

Thanks Poppy. Quality photo representation is one ot the answeres to "Why are you worth that much money?"

Pictures on the MLS are very powerful marketing tool for your listings. The key is to take good bright pictures, if you can't you should hire a professional. The lead photo should be the front of the house. It's a natural photo in terms of telling the story of what the house is like. It's important that this is a good photo as this is the very first impression a buyer will get of the house. If on the day of the photo shoot the day isn't all that nice, you can and should "drive by" and shoot another one and update it. When used correctly pictures can become a very powerful marketing tool.

Anthony

SEP

2007

I'm always shocked at the photos agents use! I've linked to you on Shak & Jill!

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Poppy Dinsey ~ London, UK

Anaheim, CA

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