Boing Bong...What's in Your Listing Pics???

I think it's a vase, lol. That's too funny. I wonder why the agent didn't look at his/her pictures before posting them.

Often the agent doesn't even show up for professional photography, and hardly looks at what they post. That said it looks like a dandy and could be considered an object of art. I wonder why they have all of the fluorescent lighting in the basement?

Many of us would just think it was a pretty piece of art. So how do you know so much??

Margaret

It's possible that the listing agent did not recognize the item as drug paraphernalia. After all, a brassiere is more universally recognizable than a bong. Too bad the photographer didn't just rotate this bong a bit to hide the pipe. It could look like a tall vase.

PG WARNING for the following paragraph: Bathrooms are always tough, because people leave out personal products and even medications. I had a nice listing last winter where the homeowner had left a hot water bottle (with assorted attachments) hanging in the master bath. That device may not have had any meaning to young agents (especially males), even if they are familiar with the slang term "douche bag." Because of the large mirror in the bath, it was practically impossible to get a photo of the master bath. I was present when the photographer was taking photos at that house, and I quickly went in and rearranged the bathroom. I sure don't want to be put in that situation, though! By the way, the same homeowner left bras hanging to dry in the main level laundry room, also! What WAS she thinking?

Now don't go judging that agent, they probably did not even know what it was, lol. Besides, as long as it is not being ACTIVELY USED, what's the harm :-)? Thanks for the laugh! 

I am cracking up (pun intended) at Liz's statement above.  Your picture is a good point however about taking the time to really survey the details in a photo.

I can't believe it's in the picture, even if the agent didn't know the owner did.

I have found several questionable items during inspections, Pot, Coke, Gay porn and more.

To read more about the things I have found read "Home Inspectors most embarrassing moments."

Maybe the owner has a Doctor prescription for medical marijuana, in any case it doesn't belong in a listing photo...I suppose the listing agent could have thought it was some kind of a planter.

"Some kind of a planter" is right!!!  And they say I'm naive . . .

A bit tacky and inappropriate, but you have to admit, it matches the decor.

Mike

Bob - That photo reminds me of a home I showed to a Deputy Sheriff client I had as a buyer.  When we got to the master bedroom, I noticed light coming through the louvers of the closet doors.  When I opened to turn off the light, there were benches, with a number of very healthy looking marijuana plants sitting there.  The deputy said, "Close the doors, leave the light on, and we didn't see that."  It was never mentioned again:-)  Other than I let the listing agent know she might want to talk to the seller, since this property was a rental.

Bob  - I had the same experience: I went on a staging consult with an agent for a potential job. The father who lived in FL was the client and wanted us to stage another residence he owned in NJ while his son  was off at rehab. Needless to say, there were cigarette burns, bongs and other drug paraphania. The agent had to relay this information to the owner before we would even begin the project.

Hi Bob,

I truly had no idea what that was in the picture until I read your blog.  Maybe the listing agent was naive as me.  Now, once I knew (or if I suspected it at the time), I would take the picture down and ask the sellers to remove it from the house.

Lisa

Bob ~  it may make the potential buyers think that other drugs may have also been used in the house.  I almost always have to "rearrange" things for the photos.  After all, they do reflect back on me as the listing agent.

BTW - about 12 or 15 years ago, when I worked at my old company, we would tour new listings.  One of the houses actually had a bong sitting on their coffee table for all of us to see.  Not only that, they were burning incense to cover up the recent use of the bong.

Okay, first of all, I had to ask Michael what a Bong was. The first I'd ever heard was in the Stay the Course group. Now, after knowing that, that's freaky. Worst part is now it's showing up in listing photos? Wow. Some people dont think do they?

Now if it was attractive, maybe it would be OK ;-). But this is just darn ugly.

I thought it was a vase. LOL. I have never seen a bong and maybe the listing agent hadn't either.