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Incredibly Bad MLS Photos - What Were They Thinking?

I know many people have already posted "bad MLS" shots, but really...I ask you:

Do we ever get tired of seeing them. The pure insanity of what is out there amazes me. In a short 30 minute period I came up with twenty.

If you are ever having a bad day or feeling a little blue, sit yourself in front of the computer and check out the MLS. My husband and I had a really good laugh, unfortunately at the expense of some poor homeowners who just happened to pick the wrong person to market their home.

living room with throw rugs

How many rugs do you count?

I'm not sure what type of marketing approach this

is, but it looks like someone collected rugs,

all shapes and sizes, and somehow thought that

showing off their wonderful rug collection,

could somehow help sell this home.

foggy bedroom

Was there a filter on the lens?

Is this Irish Fog or are the sellers heavy smokers?

Is the seller a chain smoking bagpipe player?

The whole "foggy" feel is like from a scary movie!

kitchen

There should be a prize for anyone who can

figure out where each appliance is!

Come on, now...this is online as a representation

of a product you are trying to sell...

are you kidding me!

bedroom

What is wrong with this picture? Let's count 'em up...

personal photos, dated everything, clutter, furniture

placement...and the winner,

a cat on the bed!

Why hide all evidence of pets in the home, let's just put

the pets in the MLS photo.

liv room with dog

Speaking of pets...sure, put the dog on MLS!

Is anyone else afraid of that plant?

attic

Someone's heart was in the right place

on this one. Nice little sitting nook...

Are those stuffed animals, I'm not sure?

Whatever they are, they don't make me want

to visit this house.

giant tv

Maybe if we light the fireplace for atmosphere no

one will notice the GIANT TV in the room.

That's enough for today...trust me, there are plenty more for another time.

______________________________________________________________________________

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Posted by Sharon Tara New Hampshire Home Stager on 03/26/2008 02:08 PM

Comments (55)

bad mls pictures, bad photos, bad real estate photos, poor marketing

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55 Comments on Incredibly Bad MLS Photos - What Were They Thinking?

MAR

2008

I hope they aren't counting on the pictures to sell the house.

Sharon - we should have a "bad photo of the week" contest. We'd probably get quite a few good laughs.

It's always interesting for me to see/read about other areas and their MLS rules. In my area, the photos once uploaded are the property of the MLS and are not allowed to be freely shared like this. One more reason I like the photos that I upload to be good ones (or none at all if they can't be). I wouldn't want anyone taking them and embarrassing my clients by posting them on the Internet in places they didn't authorize for the purpose of amusement.

Some great examples of what not to do! what an easy way for agent #2 to get the listing when it expires.

Sharon this is hilarious! The funny thing to me is that I receive appraisals in underwriting packages with people, cars, pets, you name it in the photos. I've even had a "fetish" closet well documented in the appraisal of a refinance!!! Which means I have to reject the appraisal and send it back to the mortgage broker/appraiser for new pictures. It never occured to me that agents would make these similar mistakes but I guess some do! Great Post and I would love to see more!

Great post. Photography 101 should be part of the Real Estate exam! NAR states that 70% of potential home buyers check the internet FIRST. A rule of thumb I like to use before posting to MLS- "would I laugh if I saw these when I was searching?" and "would I want to see this property?"

Thanks for the info! Great comments on your photos posted!

Beth

Great post and Great points. Thanks for taking the time to find some great examples of what not to do.

Now, if we can get everyone to take nice photos AND get all agents to spell everything correctly in the MLS, we'll all be in great shape!

It looks like most of those pictures were all one listing. Talk about dated and ICK!

John If they are counting on these photos to sell the houses, they may be waiting awhile!

Marzena That would be a difficult contest to judge, they would all be real winners! There would be no shortage of entries.

Kris If you google "bad mls" you will find many, many sites to view pictures like these. I just don't understand where they keep coming from. How can there be that many realtors posting such horrible photos and just not getting it? I would never post a bad photo and identify the address or agent. I do recommend to clients that when they are considering an agent that they should go to MLS and see what type of photos that agent has listed. I would not hire an agent to sell my house if this were an example of their marketing skills.

Sharon...I'm laughing too. You beat me to a post on the very same thing. I was going through some MLS photos just yesterday scratching my head the entire time. Some of my favorites....

A mop and bucket in the kitchen along with two lawn and leaf size bags of garbage...was glad to see the home seller was cleaning up the place...but shouldn't he or she have done that before the photographer showed up?

A picture labled master bedroom that literally just showed a picture of an oversized dresser with a stack of laundry on top. You couldn't see any of the room at all.

A family room photo of a cluttered coffee table and the couch...again...WHERE IS THE FAMILY ROOM?

Lastly...a hodge-podge room...couldn't tell honestly what it was meant to be, but it looked like a dungeon for animals....there were 4 animal crates and in one the family's dog looking at the camera as if saying....Please, please buy my house so I can get out of here.

I'm with you on this one....if a home's calling card is photos on a MLS site...bet there are a lot of silent office phones.

Thanks for the chuckle. Cheers!

Joeann It is too bad that the sellers are the ones to pay the price!

Chaz Wow, I'm sure you have seen it all. I guess in your situation, you can kind of understand. People are caught unprepared when the appraisor shows up and starts shooting pictures. But, MLS...these are supposed to be sale ready properties, this is marketing we are talking about! I will post more photos soon! Thank you.

Beth Thank you! Great point about the Internet...it is where they start their search. You are asking yourself the perfect questions before listing. Your Sellers are lucky to have you representing them!

Renee Oh no, bad spelling too? I've been too distracted by the photos to notice the spelling. You may be asking too much!

Donna They are not all the same lising. Sad, huh?

Gina Your photos sound pretty bad too. You just have to laugh as you are finding them. It is totally unbelievable what some people will put out there.

Sharon- Though I don't usually slow down to gawk at a car accident, I do get a slight thrill from bad photos! I think it's just a case of catching people being human, but these photos are there to sell the home, not give people a warm chuckle! But, I guess that's why WE are here...to rescue these poor sellers from themselves! And, by the look of these photos, the agents don't seem to have much input.

What is sad is that these rooms could be amazing - with the right stager! Unfortunately, I have seen some bad photos right here in AR.

Kristina, KFM Staging & Design - A Minnesota Home Staging Company

Elaine Great analogy, the accident scene! You just can't help but want to look. You are correct about these sellers needing us. Something is missing in the marketing thought process of the person that actually makes the decision to use these photos.

Kristina A stager would have made all the difference in the sale of these homes, but a huge improvement could have been made in most of them just by cleaning up before the photo was taken. So much of it, is just common sense! You are right, AR membership does not necessarily mean perfect MLS shots.

There are some amazing photos on our mls. Bad angles, terrible lighting, clutter and trash all over - it's scary what some people put out there. I'm sure you've seen the cozy family room photo with a big jug of 'Anal Lube' on the end table. LOL.

These photos made me laugh too. In our area, the typical bungalow has doorway details and I can't count the number of MLS photos that are shot straight up toward the ceiling (white of course). I know they are trying to show the door detail but everything gets washed out. I recently saw a listing for an expensive home and counted 13! toilet shots out of 25 photos. We work with really terrific agents but we provide the photos for the MLS. I would want to research the photos an agent posts before listing my home with them. Good post.

so funny, loved the "rug room"...oh no, we don't wanna show off hose gorgeous wood floors, let's show off our crazy rug collection.Too funny!

Sharon, Great post, got a good laugh out of it...and actually some Realtors think that they are doing a service to the sellers with photos like that. I don't know but I bet those who saw the photos with the animals in them most likely thought that the house smelled..and they are probably right..

Sharon, What a great post! Those pictures are amazing. Makes you wonder, doesn't it? Surely the sellers go online and see the fuzzy photos, wouldn't you think? I can understand them "thinking" the cluttered pic's look good, since they live that way, however, the fuzzy ones? Amazing! I loved Marzena's idea about having a "BAD" photo contest. That would be a hoot! Elizabeth

Great photos - well, not really, but you know what I mean.... great what not to do photos! Why is it we never get tired of these?

Ok, these are beyond bad, these are absolutely appaling, they need desparate help!

MAR

2008

Posts like this are positive proof of how many folks out there need our professional staging help!

Gene Who wouldn't want to check out a home with anal tube in it's MLS photo? Amazing!!

Cheri I always tell people to check out the listings of any agent they are considering. Sometimes people just shouldn't be given a camera!

Beth Why would you remove the furniture and leave the rugs? The floors could be selling the place!

Mary Lou It is almost like smellavision, isn't it! You can just imagine the pet hair everywhere too!

Elizabeth You have to wonder if the sellers are even looking at the listing.

Melissa It is so unbelievable to us that we just have to laugh! Kind of like visiting the carnival or circus freak show...you are creeped out, but fasinated at the same time!

Cindy and Maureen Wouldn't it be great if we could somehow make "after" shots from these bad photos, showing what could be. My inner stager just wants to go to each of these rooms and make them right! I hate seeing them look like that.

Sharon, I have my clients look over their MLS photos and remarks to make sure they are happy with everything. I think several of mine would flip if I had photos of the home looking like that. Great rug collection, lol!

This would be funnier if it came from someone who wasn't a stager. Funny, but true.

I want afters too - fix it quick.

I see this all the time on MLS. I have even posted on this.

If a Picture is Worth a Thousand Words....Wouldn't it be Worth Thousands of $$$?

MAR

2008

Thanks for the photos, they are funny and real, which is sad for those agents.

Elizabeth Your clients are lucky to have you! The rug photo looks more like a photo that should be on Craig's List, Rugs for Sale!

Greg I don't know what you mean. How does the fact that I'm a stager make the pictures any less funny?

Kathleen I'm pretty good with Photoshop, but not that good!

Barbara Your post is excellent, well written and right to the point. The pictures can either make you money or cost you money.

Robert Even sadder for the seller! It surprises me everytime I see a bad photo that there are still people who post them.

APR

2008

Sharon....I got ya beat.... Check out my "LADY IN ROBE LISTING" LOL

http://activerain.com/blogsview/483288/The-LADY-IN-ROBE

David Yes, I think you win! I checked it out and what is with the lump in the bed...I think the husband is in there!

Sharon,

Thanks for the laughs -- - I needed that!!! Yeah, that kills me, and these were the GOOD photos of the houses? Don't look very inviting to me. Thanks for the post.

APR

2008

Sharon, I think your right about the "lump"...everyone seems to agree that Hubby was in the bed "robe-less".

I get very distraught with frontal shots of a home that are right into the sun . Happens all the time.

Sheri You are welcome, glad you enjoyed, sad it is at someone elses expense. It is such a shame that MlS photos aren't always taken serious enough.

David ok, that visual I didn't need this early in the morning, thank you!

Trey As annoying as that is, I'm a little more forgiving when it is poor photography skills. These photos are examples of poor judgement and proof that people just don't understand the basic concept of preparing your product for sale. Don't get me wrong, if you have poor photography skills, you should get someone who is skilled to take the photos.

SEP

2008

I feel sorry for the homeowners in these situations. As hard as it is to imagine, some people don't understand the importance of a clean, staged home. Unfortunately, the agent they listed with didn't feel it was his/her professional duty to explain that to the seller. They were merely interested in getting the listing in the MLS and hoping someone would buy it.

In really difficult situations, I've taken my clients out to "shop" the competition so they could see what their home was up against especially when they were competing against new construction. Hard to argue about keeping the beds made and the kitchen picked up when they see how a model home looks.

I also think it's a great idea to have the agents in your office preview the home and provide feedback on condition. When a comment comes from more than one person, the sellers tend to take more notice.

I even helped one client clean their home when they couldn't afford to hire a cleaning service. Their house had been listed with his cousin for 8 months and she never told them it was filthy. It went under contract in 5 days after cleaning.

Don't be afraid to respectfully tell your sellers what they need to do to GET and KEEP their house ready to sell. It's not always easy to do, but it's part of being a professional and really shows you are keeping your customers best interest in mind.

Thank you for saying that Joan and it is what we home stagers do. I tell my Realtors that if they can't go there with their clients, I can.

This is my favotie passtime esp. on cold rainy days. I look thru listing and find the worst ones to post.

please consider posting to this group too http://activerain.com/groups/ThisIsForSaleYouMustBeKidding

These photos make me want to scream. Don't the agents care? Where's their fiduciary responsibility?

I sometimes wonder if the agents aren't wearing some kind of blinders when they take photos.

Joan Your clients are very lucky to have someone who is not afraid to tell them what is in their best interest. It is a shame that so many homes have to go through several realtors before getting sold because so many just don't take the job serious enough. I feel sorry for the homeowners too.

Kathleen That is where a professional stager can really make the difference...we can say the things that need to be said and the realtor isn't blamed.

Virginia As amusing as it is to look, how sad to think that these people are trusting a professional to sell their home and this is how it is represented to the world. Thanks for the new group...I hadn't heard of it and I can't wait to check out the posts...I joined!

SEP

2008

Bob I don't know if they are wearing blinders, have poor eyesight or just aren't very good photographers, but they sure aren't using very good business sense.

This is really classic stuff. I can't understand how I have to teach agents to take pictures of their listings. Shameful!

Such a disservice to the client.......

There's a right way and a wrong way to do things. Just do it right! It'll pay off so much better in the long run.

The Right Way!

The Right Way

The Wrong Way!

The Wrong Way!

SEP

2008

Weichert Realtors It is shameful, it doesn't seem possible that pictures of this poor quality still make it onto MLS.

Craig Great photos! You wouldn't think you would have to be quite so obvious, but obviously you have to go to this extreme.

Sharon, great laugh for today. Probably because it's so true. I love the comment of having potential sellers check out your competition's listings and photos. One more thing to add to our listing presentation.

have a great week.

Linda

SEP

2008

These photos crack me up. I'm amazed at what realtors will put on the MLS. It's SO cheap to hire a professional photographer who will also do a virtual tour...I think it's around $90 and worth every penny.

Linda I always recommend that sellers view the listings of a realtor before considering hiring them as their realtor. The pictures a realtor uses to market a property says a lot about the quality of their service.

LaNita Unfortunately, it isn't just cost...some realtors just don't realize the photos they are using are as bad as they are. I've been shown pictures that I would never use, that the realtor thought were good. You are right, though, the use of a professional is the smart way to go.

DEC

2009

Sharon, those were great - well, bad, but great examples of "what were they thinking?" lol

As a real estate photographer, I actually have started a folder for photos I find on listings that make me go OMG out loud - this is one of my favorites:

do you feel like someone is watching you?

Amy Hunter

Amy: OMG! You have given every stager here the shivers with this picture!

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Sharon Tara New Hampshire Home Stager

Portsmouth, NH

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