At What Point Would You Consider Real Estate Listing Photos Deceptive?

Definitely a lot of feedback here!  Deceptive photos are so frustrating for both professionals and home buyers and sellers.  I saw a fish bowl set of photos yesterday and cringed! 

Congrats on the Feature!!The hubs and I have been looking for a couple months. I get to do the drive bys and give him feedback. One of our must haves is plenty of parking for 3 vehicles, one being a large F-150 with an 8 foot bed and brushguard (18 inches out). Found one that looked okay till I drove by. The drive a very short (not much longer than the truck) was actually cropped in the photos to make it look longer and wider. I called the agent on it. A tree was also cropped out of the photo. My smaller Jeep would not fit in the garage. I measured. It barely fit in the drive and that can give you an estimate how big the front yard is not. Me being who I am gave the agent our feedback.  She called me to ask when I saw it since it didn't show on the Supra. How I got inside. I didn't go in but could see by the listings there would be no room for my car since the "new' furnace was place right where the front passenger side of the car shouls be. You could tell that by the photos in the listing.

In most markets I think the problem is just as you describe, Sharon. Here on Kauai it's a little different since some agents will publish a listing, especially low-priced or distressed properties, with just a single photo or with photos that aren't updated after improvements are made.  I have seen photos that make a home look far larger than it is and others that make a fairly nice home look terrible. As an agent I've learned to go on the caravans and see as many properties as I can prior to showing them to a client.

Oh Sharon Tara, I wish I had $5 every time somebody comments "it didn't look that way in the picture!" 

For 25 years I have been recommending buyers do a drive by and check out the neighborhood bofore scheduling a walk through, even today with the google map you can get a road side view.

I recently had a showing where the neighboring house was real close just like in your post! Sneaky photographers lol

Yes I have clients that want to drive by houses first which saves myself and them a lot of time...I also try and make it a point to do a Google Street View but can't always remember to do it :-)

You make a great point Sharon. Good agents don't deceive buyers. It only comes back to bite them.

It is not always an intention to deceive. You use wide angle lenses so that you can show smaller spaces, but now they start looking bigger. Photography is also an art form and some distortions are artistic form. I remember my son going and taking photos for a listing, and the Seller looking at the photos and questioning each one of them

Sharon Tara - no matter what you do, some confusion will happen. When you want to show the room, wide angle is indispensable, but at the same time it makes rooms look bigger.

I once had a Canadian client, who fell in love with a small 2 bdr condo on the river. He asked me to take photos, and I did. But I told him that he should understand that this is a small condo, only 1,000 sf, and I kept telling him that, and he kept saying that it is fine.

Put an offer, went through the whole process, he came, looked, said it was too small and did not buy. How could I make him understand that 1,000 sf is just 1,000 sf?

Dear Sharon,

Staging for me is suggesting what sorts of furniture will fit in a particular room. Most people cannot imagine much in an empty room. Using a wide lens or virtual furniture are not my thing, because clients complain about that.

Great blog!