FAQ How important are room measurements in MLS?

Miss Anna Banana,  Imagine an MLS that does not provide the option to include room measurements.  We do not have it in my MLS.  I can see why it would be frustrating given that the option is there for you.

Too funny! Not in a mean way but I get that fact some buyers truly need certain sizes on rooms for furniture, art, etc. To have to jump through hoops  when you could easily see right out of the gate makes a lot more sense for all... guestimate ok I might geustimate making an offer but it could be 200 or 300 or somewhere close to that, how does that sound lol

Not as good when on the receiving end is it!

Anna, I would think that any liability issues would be covered under E & O Insurance. I would like to think that no one would purposely misrepresent room sizes. It is so simple to measure. If you have an occassional irregularly shaped room, deal with it and mention it in the comments.

I am beyond shocked that there are MLSs that do not have size fields and that the ones that do have it don't fill it in. If I were a seller, I would want the room sizes filled in. On good sized rooms, it will help sell the house. If the rooms are too small then it prevents having unnecessary buyers and agents coming through which is a waste of everyone's time. Sometimes smaller is better and there may be people who prefer a smaller home to manage.

As Roger states, many people are poor at judging overall square footage, however broken down into smaller segments, it is much easier to get an accurate depiction of the home.

Anna, Information should be as complete as possible in my opinion.  If the MLS has fields for it, complete them to best represent your client's interests.

Anna, I have one of those laser measuring devices and it makes it so easy to shoot the measurements. I then round to the nearest foot for imput into MLS.

BTW,thanks for the alert about my email being hacked. It was hacked by someone in Malaysia. Bummer.

I should read your blogs more often. Every time I do, I notice that we share so many of the same opinions on things. You can look for me to become a more regular reader, Anna. You just make plain good sense in my book.  :)

Thank you, Anna. I also comment on Margaret's blog only occassionally. I will have to start reading more of her. I love how she helps the animal rescue groups so much.

Back to your post - I feel it is a disservice to the seller not to include the room sizes.

Anna, use room measurements as an indicator. If not included, easily eliimated. Enjoy your day!

Many buyers will look at the size of bedrooms or the living room when narrowing down the search. Have a great day.

Excellent post Anna. With the photos we have in MLS, I think what the buyers see in person is better LOL! Thanks for sharing!

Post room measurements at your peril.

Home buyers have successfully sued listing agents and sellers for incorrect room measurements.

Carry a tape measure and let the buyer do the measurements themselves.

It saves a lot time for buyers, renters and agents when accurate numbers are listed.

Did I hear my name mentioned above?

I think it is important to have the room measurements in mls. Buyers can see the photos but want an idea of the room sizes. The measurements are approximate, and it is stated as such so there should not be any liability. Most agents in my area include them, but it is very frustrating for buyers when they are not included. In those cases I often have to call the list agent to ask them to measure a room. 

Our MLS has fields to add room measurements for our listings.  I want to see the room sizes. Most agents here do this. we also include hallways. I'd say that agents that don't add rooms sizes are lazy.  Our contract states......

16. Purchaser Obligation to Verify Information: If square footage, zoning, lot size, flood insurance, school districts, or taxes are material consideration in making the purchase, Purchaser is advised that such information, should be personally verified by the Purchaser, or Purchaser should seek advice from experts on the matter under consideration. Broker(s) and Salesperson(s) are NOT experts on any such matters and have not been relied on for any such information.
_________ / __________ (Purchaser’s initials required)

Anna

Room measurements are a tough issue, and a complaint by buyers as well as listing agents. And they only tell part of the story since the configuration of the rooms, say an open plan (and where to you draw the line for the dining area vs. living?) can make a big difference. Our MLS requires them but you can get away with it by inserting 0 x 0. And agents are not always accurate in measuring, even though it really shouldn't be that hard. I would not rely on room sizes from the listing agent myself. And it could be a liability - I've heard of lawsuits

All that said, I measure, and it seems more agents around here do. I haven't had any issues come up - yet. The more frequent complaints are around photos that make a house look most expansive than in real life. Maybe accurate measurements would help to negate that?

Jeff

Good morning Anna Banana Kruchten,

I caught your post when Debbie Reynolds re-blogged. I'm with Lenn Harley on this one. We are not allowed to include room measurements..past lawsuits over agent measuring and not accurate. That's our litigious society for you! Let the buyers do the measuring!!

Good Saturday morning Anna Banana Kruchten -

Room measurements are mandatory in our MLS and I really like it that way.  I do my own measuring to make sure things are accurate.