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Today's Pet Peeve... Bad MLS Photos!!

By Kristen Wahl

Real Estate Agent with Re/Max Plus

May 14, 2011 10:45 AM

How many times have you seen a photo like this in the MLS?

furniture photo

What was the agent selling, the furniture?

And this one...

Drive-by Photo

Couldn't the agent have taken the time to get out of the car??

It always amazes me when agents don't take the time to take high-quality photos of their listings. Since over 90% of today's buyers start their home searches on the internet, the MLS photos are the public face of that property! Buyers decide whether or not that home is worth seeing based on those photos. Don't some agents want their listings to sell?

Now, I'm not saying agents need to hire a professional photographer to capture each new listing. I don't. I would just love to see everyone in our profession take the time to try different angles and lighting. Since the advent of digital cameras, we can take tons and tons of photos of each listing without wasting any film. Most importantly, though, I'd like to see every single agent get out of the car!!

Personally, I take great pride in my listing photos. I put forth the same effort on every home, whether it's listed for $60,000 or $160,000. I take quite a bit of time getting the photos just right. Moving items around, stepping forward and back... my sellers probably think I'm obsessive! But it's completely worth it to me, and I believe my sellers appreciate it, too.

Please, if you're considering selling your home, don't hire someone just because they say they're the "neighborhood expert" or you've seen their signs around. Take the time to ask friends and family for referrals, and talk to a few agents to see what each one has to offer. Photos are just the tip of the iceberg; some agents just put forth more effort to sell each of their listings. It pays to find an agent who will really take the time to work for you.

*****

I am proud to help buyers and sellers in the Greater Rochester, New York area find their dream homes. If you are considering purchasing or selling a home in the Rochester area, don't hesitate to contact me. I pride myself in providing the best possible service for my clients!

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Realtor®
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Gay E. Rosen

Julia B. Fee Sotheby's International Realty - Larchmont, NY

As Real as Real Estate Gets!

Hi Kristen : I love those photos.. it helps me obtain the listing after it expires! Ha1 Best,Gay

May 14, 2011 10:47 AM

Kristen Wahl

Re/Max Plus - Rochester, NY

CBR

LOL. Gay, great point!! I have the house from the first photo listed right now because it didn't sell!!

May 14, 2011 10:49 AM

Laurie Jarrett

Keller Williams Realty Heritage-New Braunfels - New Braunfels, TX

REALTOR - New Braunfels, San Marcos, Texas Real Es

I love this and completely agree! I know one broker around here that takes all his pictures with a cell phone camera. I can always tell the listings are his without even looking at the listing because the pictures are always blurry!

May 14, 2011 11:01 AM

Laurie, I can definitely think of some agents like that around here, too! Cell phone cameras are great for some things... but not so good for others!!

May 14, 2011 11:21 AM

Iran Watson

Georgia Elite Realty - Marietta, GA

Marietta Real Estate Agent - Photographer

The ones where they don't even bother to get out of the car just make me laugh. Do these people have any idea the message they are conveying with this type of laziness in their photography? Sure, its probably an REO but what that tell the viewer is that its such a dog house it isn't even worth getting out of the car to take a proper photo. Oh well, I guess some people will never get it...

May 15, 2011 04:41 AM

Michele Myers

Prudential Homesale Services Group - Harrisburg, PA

Harrisburg/Hershey Realtor

I agree . . .there's no reason to use poorly taken photos. I use a professional photographer for convenience and to get an edge in the listing presentation meeting, but I always got out of the car and took the best photos I could. Shame, shame.

May 15, 2011 11:42 AM

Iran, exactly! To me it's just as bad if not worse than having no photo at all. Even if it's a bank the agent is working for, they still have an obligation to do their best for their client.

Michele, that's an interesting point about professional photos. I tend to work on properties that average around $100-150K, and I've never had a seller expect professional photos, but I'm sure in higher price ranges especially that does give you an edge.

May 15, 2011 11:55 AM

Lanre-"THE REAL ESTATE FARMER" Folayan

Samson Properties - Bowie, MD

I don't make promises.I deliver results.SOLD HOMES

I agree with Gay. Pictures with no photos after a listing expires is even better. Found your blog on Twitter.com. You don't have to be a professional to take very good pictures. Thanks for the sharing. Great post.

May 15, 2011 03:53 PM

Lanre, I'm glad you found me! Thanks for the comment. Yes, agents like that do make our jobs easier. It's not hard to impress someone with low expectations!

May 16, 2011 05:33 AM

Carol Zingone

Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Florida Network Realty - Jacksonville Beach, FL

Global Realtor in Jax Beach, FL - ABR, CRS, CIPS

My favorite pet peeve: listings in the MLS over 30 days old with only ONE PHOTO! Particularly happens amount REO's on our area.

May 16, 2011 08:38 AM

Carol, that happens a lot with REOs in my area, too. That reminds me, don't you love houses that have been on the market for 6 months and still say, "WON'T LAST!!"?

May 16, 2011 09:43 AM

Debbie Laity

Cedaredge Land Company - Cedaredge, CO

Your Real Estate Resource for Delta County, CO

These types of photos make me wonder what the agent is really thinking...or if the agent is really thinking. The only thing worse than bad photos is no photos. The worse photos, in my humble opinion, are those that show the car mirror or door frame. This is the epitome of laziness. Currently our MLS doesn't have a photo rule, but it will soon be mandatory to have at least one picture. I'm on the board of directors.

May 19, 2011 08:04 AM

Debbie, our board enacted that rule about 2 years ago, and you know what's sad? I can think of one broker who lists a lot of investment properties and still doesn't put up a single photo!! I have no clue if our board doesn't fine then or if they just don't mind paying out. But for the most part that rule has solved the no photos problem.

May 19, 2011 08:24 AM

Judy Aubuchon

Classique Properties - Satellite Beach, FL

I'm glad to see that other agents feel the same as I do about the picture(s), in the MLS. Our MLS does have rules as far as pictures are concerned however, the rules that we are enforcing are lame at best. First of all, I want to see what is going to be the buyer's first impression. If they have a heartache over the exterior photo, then I put those homes on the back burner until I have shown the properties that appeal to the buyer. I also can't believe that photos are taken with the toilet lid up, dirty dishes in the sink, sunsets, etc. Anyone that is old enough to buy a home most likely knows what a sunset looks like. It's hard to believe that agents think those pictures could possibly appeal to anyone. Sellers must not follow up to see how their home is being marketed or they would certainly fire their lazy agent.

Jun 04, 2011 05:20 PM

Today's Pet Peeve... Bad MLS Photos!!

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