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Tell me what does not belong in this picture.

By
Real Estate Agent with RE/MAX Advantage

My intention was to write about these beautiful sunflowers that were delivered to our house.  A cousin sent them to Hubby and I love them.  So does he.  They're more beautiful than roses!  I snapped several pictures and upon seeing this one I decided to turn this blog into a lesson.

The lesson is about MLS pictures that we see all the time with distractions, irrelevant objects, objectionable objects, etc.  So what is the glaring item in this picture that needs to be eliminated? 

Sunflowers

You missed it???  Then you're probably guilty of having bad MLS photos!! 

Pat Fenn
Marketing Specialist for CJ Realty Group/Cindy Jones Broker - Springfield, VA

The shoes or the electric plug?

Sep 14, 2010 02:28 PM
David Spencer
Keller Williams Northland - Kansas City, MO
Show Me real estate in Kansas City

The shoes

Sep 14, 2010 02:37 PM
Margaret C. Taylor
Century 21 New Millennium MD - Mechanicsville, MD
St Marys/Calvert/Charles MD Real Estate Agent

A good lesson, thank you.  Margaret C.

Sep 14, 2010 03:02 PM
Maureen Fukumoto
Help-U-Sell Realty Pro - Mililani, HI
Maureen

It is amazing that the camera picks up things our eyes automatically scan past and ignore. I'll bet you didn't notice the shoes until you looked a the photo.

Sep 14, 2010 03:02 PM
Charles Buell
Charles Buell Inspections Inc. - Seattle, WA
Seattle Home Inspector

shoes and time stamp-----and maybe the outlet

Sep 14, 2010 04:21 PM
Ed Kurosz , Lic. Assoc. RE Broker
Douglas Elliman Real Estate - Westhampton Beach & Quogue - Westhampton Beach, NY
Douglas Elliman Real Estate Hamptons & North Fork

The Date and Time Stamp is downright annoying too. Is it necessary when taking promotional photos for a listing???

Sep 14, 2010 04:23 PM
Rita Fong
RE/MAX REAL ESTATE TODAY, Executive Broker 901-488-9590 - Marion, AR
Realtor - Marion Arkansas Homes for Sale

I say the shoes also.  

Sep 14, 2010 08:06 PM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

To all.....the shoes were a surprise when I found them there in the picture and it reminded me of the many times we find toothbrushes and toothpaste and dishrags and underthings in the pictures in the MLS.  I never thought about the time stamp which Charles mentioned but that's a valid complaint I guess.

The gold plate outlet.....that is just one of the things that I did while building the house and spent extra on the gold plates so they'd never go bad.  I didn't foresee people hating gold!  Things go out of style.  Alas, the wallpaper is also "out." 

But the flowers are lovely, aren't they.  Another little funny and a joke.  The flowers came from a florist while Hubby was home and he searched high and low for a vase to put them in and added water.  I noticed after a day or two that they needed more water.  I added some.

With this picture I can see little fuzzy edges on the leaves and checked the flowers closely.  They're silk!  We're making sure silk flowers have water! 

Sep 15, 2010 01:15 AM
Chris Dugger
Real Estate Marketplace - Louisville KY - Louisville, KY
Louisville REALTOR

Barbara ~ Charles is spot on...not only the shoes, but the time stamp does take away from our photos on MLS. Nothing spells...NOT professional photo like a good time stamp! At least it's not a picture of a dining room...with a person on the couch watching TV in the background that nobody notices...except the buyers viewing the photo!

Sep 15, 2010 02:46 AM
Don Thompson
Donthomp Associates - Sunnyvale, CA

Barbara, I keep telling you that you need to get a good image editor like Photoshop Elements and learn to edit pics. I know you would have a lot of fun given your artistic talents. Here's your sunflower sans ugliness.

Dude's Sunflower

Sep 15, 2010 03:07 AM
Anonymous
Harold Gene Sullivan

I'm told that most pictures are not allowed as evidence in court anymore.  Not being a lawyer, I wonder if that is true. If so, Don has just shown you why.

Sep 15, 2010 05:44 AM
#13
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Chris, I'll bet I've been guilty of the time stamps.  I don't really mind them at all but I absolutely detest a dishrag hanging on the stove door!  LOL

Don, you're just too advanced with this photoshopping.  I agree with Harold Gene about the pictures not being admitted to court anymore.  You just wiped out all the things that needed to be gone.  I'd never be able to learn how to do that.  It's easier for me to retake the picture.  Photography has always been a hard subject and our simple cameras now have saved my life.

Harold Gene, I am in total agreement with you.

Sep 15, 2010 07:24 AM
Anonymous
Sherry Person

So funny that you both watered them.  haha

Sep 15, 2010 07:48 AM
#15
Don Thompson
Donthomp Associates - Sunnyvale, CA

O.k., I guess is't time to make another visit and set you up with a video editor and show you how easy it is to do what I do. I guarantee you will agree that it is easy. Sure it will take some practice but what I did to remove the unwanted stuff is real easy and quick.

Sep 15, 2010 08:22 AM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Sherry, he thought that since they were delivered by a florist that they were real flowers.  Who was I to inspect too closely.  I do feel sorta dumb now.  They're still on the table in water.

Don, I'm just too slow to learn all those fancy tricks.  My talents run in an entirely different direction but thank you for offering to teach an old dog new tricks.  : )

Sep 15, 2010 03:46 PM
Steven L. Smith
King of the House Home Inspection, Inc. - Bellingham, WA
Bellingham WA Home Inspector

Barbara,

Just a note. You are correct. Charlie has gone totally stark-raving nuts.

Sep 15, 2010 04:48 PM
Steven L. Smith
King of the House Home Inspection, Inc. - Bellingham, WA
Bellingham WA Home Inspector

Godmother,

Mr Charles is one wacky guy. He ought to be trussed-up like me in this publicity photo when I was cast as Houdini.

Nutsy

Sep 16, 2010 10:51 AM
Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400
HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400 - Pikesville, MD
Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome

The shoes and the electric outlet. Now I will go back and read the other comments.

Margaret

Sep 17, 2010 03:16 PM
Charles Edwards Bentonville
Coldwell Banker Harris McHaney & Faucette 479-253-3796 - Bentonville, AR
AR REALTOR, Bentonville Real Estate Agent and Broker

Great post Barbara. You're sharp as a tack. I too love the sunflower... but roses more.

Sep 17, 2010 03:26 PM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Nutsy and Steve, I'm afraid to got to C's blog because there is no telling what he's going to do next.  When my courage is built up, I'll go back and see what's happening.  I have to check to make sure you, Nutsy, are not being mistreated.

Margaret, I meant the shoes but folks pointed out the outlet and the date!!

Charles, I love to be called "Sharp as a tack" because that is a true southern description!

Sep 18, 2010 01:03 AM