MLS Pictures

Just because the market is tight, doesn't mean that agents should skimp on their duties to their clients. One of their duties is to market the homes they are selling in the best possible light. And I should also add that real estate photographers charge less than $200. I get it, phone pictures are easy and buyers are frantic, so anything goes, right? 

Every picture tells some story. Some of those stories are simply the agent doesn't have the good judgement not to post some of the pictures they took. 

 A cheap sink with water splashed inside it. Why not wipe up the water before taking the picture? Are you letting the buyer know the house has running water? 

I can't unsee this. MOVE THE TOILET BOWL CLEANER before the picture is taken!

It is so simple to just move a couple of things around or crop a photo. 
Do the boxes need to be in this picture? 

Could the agent manage to have gotten this shot without the dead potted plants? 

Put the potty seat down. This is one of my biggest pet peeves. And not mine alone. Many agents I know complain about these types of pictures. Incidentally, if I am taking a picture of a white bathroom, I sometimes will put up colorful towels or a shower curtain to offset the white. In this case, the seller didn't provide a shower rod or a towel bar, anyway. 

Look, some agent figured it out! 

While we are on the subject of bathrooms, Hey agent! Move the paper towels. 

Ok, I'm done. 

It is very difficult--VERY--to take a photo of an empty room. Often it looks like the agent/photographer just took a picture of two walls, because essentially that's what they did. To be fair, most of my empty room pictures look exactly like this. 

And sometimes the outcome with furniture isn't much better. This picture might have been better taken at an angle with the chair moved out of the way. But, nobody asked me. Plus, I don't have a listing right now, so I have no room to talk. 

Incidentally, this is a decent photo of an empty room. It conveys spaciousness and shows all the world it is indeed a room. So, it can happen. 

Speaking of empty...

And I am not sure full is much better in this case. 

Here's a nice kitchen--and a lovely one at that! The photo tells us the counters are granite, the cabinets have been painted cocoa, the appliances are stainless, the ceiling is vaulted and the floor is tile. There's a little bit of greenery and wall ornament to add a cozy vibe. As a buyer, I could see myself in this kitchen cooking pork chops and sipping on iced tea. 

I give this picture an A-. 

Why A-? Because they didn't move the trash can (right bottom corner). Argh!!! 

And here's the trash can again. But gorgeous floors! 

And finally, I go back to this: every picture tells the buyer something. And sometimes it tells the agent more than they need to know. For example, this photo tells me there is a sizable snake cage so I will never, ever, set foot in this house.