By Travis Close, ABR, GREEN, GRI, e-PRO
President, Greater Chattanooga Association of REALTORS®
When it comes to listing photos, the adage a “picture is worth thousand words” is spot on. According to the National Association of REALTORS® most recent Profile of Home Buyers & Sellers, more than 43 percent of home buyers’ first step in the home buying process is looking online. It’s reported that ninety-two percent of buyers use the internet in some way in their home search process, and 50 percent of buyers search using a mobile website or application.
While perusing listed properties, 60 percent of a buyer’s time is spent on photos, with the remaining 40 percent divided between reading the description, features list and agent comments. With such a significant amount of time spent browsing photos, a “true picture” is extremely important.
Listing photos can determine whether a potential buyer requests to see the home in person or move on to another property. While enticing buyers to book a showing is the goal, it’s equally essential to avoid misleading buyers as to the true condition and features of a property.
In Greater Chattanooga, we feel so strongly about listing photos that our local MLS rules require agents to upload at least one photo within 48 hours of entering the listing in the MLS. If we fail to comply with this rule, our listing is not viewable to other agents or the public until we upload a photo.
And the importance placed on photos doesn’t stop there – our MLS has the authority to remove photos that are not pertinent to the property for sale. It might be tempting to include images of the nearby park or local tourist attraction in an effort to show off the neighborhood. However, such photos promote something that is not for sale.
In addition to the local MLS Rules, the requirements in our Code of Ethics also apply to photos and how Realtors market property. Article 2 requires REALTORS® to “avoid exaggeration, misrepresentation, or concealment of pertinent facts relating to the property or the transaction.” Article 12 requires REALTORS® to “be honest and truthful in their real estate communications” and to “present a true picture in their advertising, marketing and other representations.”
Whether a REALTORS® engages the services of a professional photographer or takes photos themselves, one should always consider whether the listing photos present a true picture. As a seller, it’s important to review your home’s listing photos with your Realtor and ask yourself questions such as these:
Does the carpet need cleaning? If so, better to leave that job to the professionals rather than ask a photographer to digitally clean away the wine stain or the worn area where Rover likes to camp out after a romp in the yard.
Won’t buyers love the thought of cozying up by the fire this Winter? Sure they would. But if the gas line has never been plumbed, think twice before adding flames to the photo or other non-working fireplace photo.
How much more curb appeal would the home have once those newly planted shrubs fill out a bit more? Rather than give those bushes a digital growth spurt, it’s best to give them a few years to mature.
Will buyers avoid viewing my home in person if they see the power lines? Maybe. Yet, those lines are not going anywhere. While it’s not necessary to feature them prominently, it’s a good idea not to crop out these type of permanent fixtures. When buyers are faced with such surprises on a showing appointment, they lose confidence and begin to speculate what else might have been presented in a less than truthful manner.
Wouldn’t it be cool to shoot the family room with a wide angle lens so it appears larger? It’s a neat camera trick, yet it doesn’t sit well with buyers who show up looking for extra space that doesn’t exist.
All of these questions are good ones to consider. Sellers are urged to work with their REALTORS® and/or photographer to portray listed property in a positive, yet truthful light. It bodes well for sellers and buyers alike.