Real Estate Photography ~ Is It Like False Advertising?

I was showing homes yesterday in the Saugus neighborhood of Santa Clarita Valley. A couple of my buyers had seen the listing on line, it went into escrow rapidly, now it's a BOM....the dreaded Back On Market, remember those?

Now, I gotta tell you, it looked GORGEOUS in the photographs. I mean, really outstanding! In real life, not so outstanding, not gorgeous. All the flaws glaringly apparent.

So, Real Estate Photography. Do we use the wide angle lens? Should we put some sort of filter over the lens to soften the actual shot? Should we stage the house to look that gorgeous way they look on Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles?

When I went to school to become an agent they taught us to only bring the client in the pretty way to see a house. I always bring them in the pretty, take them out the ugly. Or vice versa. If there is both ways. Full disclosure.

When I have my photographer shoot my upcoming listings he does not use a wide angle lens. He does not use any type of lens filter. He does not photo shop in any way. He crops, uses good lighting, he takes pictures of the true presentation of the home.

It's my job as the home owners Realtor to present that home in the absolute best way the seller allows me too. I have to educate seller on the reasons for any 'staging', light changing, flower planting, etc. That's MY job. Not my photographers.

Now my guy will certainly move a trash can out of the way. Even a cord I miss now and again. But, never, ever, has he created such an amazing picture that buyers are disappointed when they see the house in real life.

(this isn't my real guy!)

True story? Home in Canoga Park a few years back. Hot market. Only showed the home at an open house for one day. Multiple offers, hard to know who the buyer was that was the winning bidder. Turned out that the buyer had never seen the house in real life until he came for his final walk through last week of escrow.

Was he surprised by the house? Did it look different than the pictures? As a matter of fact, he distinctly said how pleased he was that the home DID look like the pictures!

So, yes, present the home in it's best light. But, do not waste your time bringing buyers into the home that they are going to be completely turned off by in real life. We want buyers that like what they see online and like what they see if real life too.

IMHO