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Picture Worth a Thousand Words .... Not

By Pamela STETSON

Real Estate Agent with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Abbott Realtors

June 12, 2008 02:15 AM

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words....and if that is the case, what are the words trying to say here? This photo is from a listing in which the asking price is over $ 500,000. That is correct. One half a million dollars and the most outstanding feature the agent can find --- is this closet.

I know this has been discussed, over and over again. But, it never ceases to amaze me that photos like this one are used to market the homes best assets and features.

And as if the photo above --- were not enough --- check out this one:

We cannot make this stuff up folks. What frightens me is that the seller actually hired the agent as a professional marketer of their home. As I had mentioned , this home is priced over $ 500,000. No glamour shots here.

Agents --- please call a professional photographer if, you cannot find an outstanding feature in the home perhaps the photo'g can find one or two OR find a neighborhood feature... to feature....

This could be added to Andrew Lenza's nightmare, http://activerain.com/blogsview/521903/When-Salespeople-Sell-to .

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Comments(17)

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Jim & Maria Hart

Brand Name Real Estate - Charleston, SC

Charleston, SC Real Estate

Hey, Pamela. Yeah, I agree with you on this one big time; I mean come on is this the best that they can do. Thanks for sharing, Jim

Jun 12, 2008 02:18 AM

Pamela STETSON

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Abbott Realtors - Mahwah, NJ

I would love to help you buy or sell your home!

Sometimes I hesitate to share these....but... I just could not help myself this am. Thanks for reading and for your comment! At least, I am not alone....

Jun 12, 2008 02:34 AM

Lee Jinks

Jinks Realty - McAllen, TX

Pamela, do you have the permission of the copyright holder to repost this photo? I have to agree that unflattering photos frustrate those of us who try so hard to do a better job of marketing our inventory, but it does us or the listing agent no positive good to criticize their efforts. However, it irritates me even more when a ‘lazy' agent uses my photos without permission because it's easier to use my 'good' photos than go out and take their own mediocre ones. We should respect the copyrights of even those bad photos so that we can be on the high ground when we want to enforce our copyrights.

In an effort to see some positive in this photo, I would say that it has beautiful wood floors and, man, you sure can cram a lot of stuff in that closet!

Jun 12, 2008 04:48 AM

Pamela STETSON

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Abbott Realtors - Mahwah, NJ

I would love to help you buy or sell your home!

Lee and Kara ---

Yes, you are right...about the beautiful floor and the closet size but we are here to offer advice on how to make our listings BETTER for the seller. And, once posted on the NJMLS they are not owned by the agent ( see the njmls reference in the photo ) The members are allowed to post, print and share ( as long as we do not use them as ads as our own listings).

Thanks for your comments and for another way to look at the photos.

Jun 12, 2008 07:09 AM

Lee Jinks

Jinks Realty - McAllen, TX

Pamela, you are right. You may use the photos in this way. You may not display them as your own just as you pointed out.

Jun 12, 2008 08:00 AM

Barbara Cluck-Miksits

BCM Home Staging LLC - Ridgewood, NJ

Home Staging - New Jersey

Pamela ~ Never mind about a professional photographer, what this place needs is a professional home stager. The reason why he took pictures of the closet and the laundry room is because the rest of the house must have looked worse. I take pictures of all my staged properties and I give them to the Agents. They are more then happy to use them.

Jun 14, 2008 01:46 PM

Nancy Larson

I am a licensed referral agent in NJ - Hutchinson Island, FL

Wow, I'm in Mortgages and will be selling my house in a year, I have lots of clean up to do....thanks for showing me what I dont want to show the world....

Jun 14, 2008 01:54 PM

Greg Fox

Realty World Wichita - Wichita, KS

Techy Broker in Wichita Kansas

These photos DO speak a thousand words, about how bad a job the Realtor is doing. Not arranging, not marketing well. A disservice to the seller....

I recently blogged - an article from the Wall Street Journal - Ask to see the Realtors photo portfolio before you hire them. Good article!!

Jun 15, 2008 01:17 AM

Leesa Finley

RED Properties - Wake Forest, NC

RED Properties - Raleigh NC Real Estate

Pamela - I am a little surprised with some of the comments. If it were mine and the seller insisted that we take a pic of the closet to use then I would have insisted that they weed out the closet and do a better job of organizing. To me te pic screams that there isn't ENOUGH room in the closet because it is all crammed in there and NOT organized. To your original point? I am surprised with the photos that were used. They do not represent what the house actually is I am sure.

Jun 15, 2008 01:25 AM

Pamela STETSON

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Abbott Realtors - Mahwah, NJ

I would love to help you buy or sell your home!

Hello Barbara --- Thanks for reading and your comments. Yes, they do! But more than that...we need to offer strick guidance to our listings/sellers about what works and what doesn't. These photos are a not doing the seller a bit of good. Thanks for reading.

Jun 16, 2008 01:33 AM

Pamela STETSON

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Abbott Realtors - Mahwah, NJ

I would love to help you buy or sell your home!

Hi NANCY - Yes, clean up is key. I know when I walk around my own house.... I have a lot of clutter particularly in closets or in the garage. It is so important to get it cleaned up and at least organized. Think about getting a rental "pod" to store unnecessary items so you home shows better. Thanks again for reading and your comments.

Jun 16, 2008 01:35 AM

Pamela STETSON

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Abbott Realtors - Mahwah, NJ

I would love to help you buy or sell your home!

Greg --- That is a terrific suggestion!!! Agents should be happy that the seller asked. It will only help the agent showcase what works and what does not in a ... none confrontational way and helps drive the point home. Thanks for suggesting it!

Jun 16, 2008 01:37 AM

Terrie Leighton

Ferrari-Lund Real Estate - Reno, NV

Reno Real Estate Agent ~ Selling Homes in Reno

Those are the best!!!LOL!!! It is truly amazing, half a million dollar home.......or is that the average price of a homes in that area...no wait....you really should never post photos like that if you are serious about selling the home.

Thanks for sharing and have a great day.

Jun 16, 2008 01:38 AM

Pamela STETSON

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Abbott Realtors - Mahwah, NJ

I would love to help you buy or sell your home!

Hello Leesa --- I was alittle taken back by the first comments. I even re-read my blog to make sure that I was picking on the agent --- BUT RATHER --- pointing out a better way to help sell the home. AFter all that is our job AND that is why we are here on Active Rain. To offer the best...of what we can be to help us buy and sell homes. And, I think that Greg offered a terrific suggestion to ask for agent's portfolios or book to see what type of photo AND marketing helps sell...often the news print alone does not cut it...these days. Thanks for reading and your comments.

Jun 16, 2008 01:39 AM

Pamela STETSON

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Abbott Realtors - Mahwah, NJ

I would love to help you buy or sell your home!

Hello Terri --- Thanks for reading....yes, one half million dollars and those pics were the main photos used to market the home. There was another one that showed the back of the house ( with garbage cans and all ) but if I used a third photo...it really would have come off as picking on the listing...but...the truth is...these photos do not help...particularly in this competitive market.

Jun 16, 2008 01:43 AM

James Lockard

RE/MAX Properties - Saddle River - Allendale, NJ

Realtor, Allendale, NJ

Pam,

Wow, big closet for a $500K house in Bergen County! Seriously, why do real estate "professionals" sometimes do such a bad job of marketing?

Jun 16, 2008 05:01 AM

Pamela STETSON

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Abbott Realtors - Mahwah, NJ

I would love to help you buy or sell your home!

Hey Jim --- Can you imagine if my seller's saw these photos on their listing(s). I should print a couple of these and use them in my listing presentations....how are you? And, sales? My Deerhaven listing is looking for offers..you know the one ;).

Jun 16, 2008 09:33 AM