SO WHAT?!?
I've been on ActiveRain for some time. I've read so many posts, and have read 100 times the comments.
Whenever I read this trite little ditty: It's an NAR Code of Ethics violation . . .
I just want to know one thing, Does it really matter?!?
On the topic of what we're "supposed" to present, i.e., a true picture in our marketing / advertising . . .
So what!!
DEFINE: "true picture"
Oh, like we're really going to get called on the carpet because we used a FISH ANGLE LENS to capture the narrow bathroom.
No one is going to get nailed on an NAR COE for their photos -- NO ONE!
And if they do . . . SO WHAT!! They're going to lose their license to practice real estate because they used a photo with snow on the ground, and it's July?!? HA HA HA HA HA HA Or, because the power lines were not visible in the photo the agent took?
Are virtual tours "true pictures" . . . all fish-eyed and distorted. Some are SO BAD I get sea-sick.
I take offense -- and I don't even take listings -- with a recent post: Photos are a little "deceiving" . . .
Define “deceiving”
As Seinfeld would say: It's a blog post about NOTHING! Or, as Shakespeare would say: "Much Ado about Nothing."
Here's the thing about "deceiving" . . . you have to prove INTENT and/or reliance. Was it the intention of the listing agent, for example, to NOT want you to know something that you SHOULD KNOW?!?
Go out and TOUR the freaking home!! You don’t have to RELY on the photos . . . VIEW THE PROPERTY WITH YOUR OWN EYES!!
OMIGOSH, the wide angle lens is deceiving?!?
Maybe we should have a little "focus" on what is TRULY misleading, deceiving and harmful to the general public, customers, clients . . . even real estate agents. There's so many other things to FOCUS on then photos in a listing.
NON-DISCLOSURE and/or FAILURE TO DISCLOSE is a HUGE problemo, in my humble opinion and yet . . .
no one seems to disclose their agency relationship to consumers "at first substantive discourse" as we say in Oregon. [ Another topic, for another post, for another day.]
Yeah, we know -- most listing photos are crap-tac-u-lar!
And so . . . whenever I start to work with clients, or consult with customers I tell them ALL about the photos they'll see . . . perhaps having already experienced themselves:
1. MOST real estate agents ARE NOT Ansel Adams --
2. Photos of the property are like personal ad photos-- they can be look very alluring
3. Photos are ONE-DIMENSIONAL represetations of THREE-DIMENSIONAL structures
4. Some properties are more PHOTOGENIC then others.
S. Some porperties look terrible and are NOT PHOTOGENIC -- but the home is LOVELY when toured.
etc.
Because I'm an Exclusive Buyers Agents . . . seeing countless listing photos, and going to look at countless properties on behalf of, or with, my clients . . . PHOTOS will NEVER, EVER take the place of a personal tour . . .
There can be attached floor-plans, or 3-D images, or virtual tours . . . GEEZ put a listing with smell 'o rama so we can get a whiff of the doggie . . . but unless there's some kind of magic teleporter that will beam me and/or my clients into the freaking LIVING ROOM to get all FIVE SENSES INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS . . .
My happy take . . . I call it Job Security!
The day that I order a hamburger and it ACTUALLY IS PRESENTED TO ME . . . EXACTLY like the photo that's displayed on the menu . . . .that'll be the day I say lisitng agents are violating the NAR COE's . . .
DISC LAIMER -- I LOVE big Macs . . . but COME ON . . . food NEVER comes out as good as the advertisements present. Isn't that "false advertising"?!? HA HA HA HA HA HA HA. I'm NOT picking on Mickey D. 
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