Why are so many agents too lazy to post pictures of their listings?
I have seen discussions on this topic more than once. Our Century 21 franchise even goes so far as to send reminders if you don't have enough pictures posted. Our MLS allows for up to 10 pictures. Every training class having anything to do with marketing drums the importance of good pictures into us. Your clients expect it!
Yet while making showing appointments for tomorrow I came across many listings with no pictures. I came across a few that had pictures of the ocean and none of the listing. A few more had a camera phone picture of the exterior. In last Sunday's newspaper several Realtors had pictures of themselves on the ads for properties. It is obvious they are more interested in marketing themselves and not their client's properties.
I know I am preaching to the choir. Most of the agents I am interacted with on AR are top professionals. Those too lazy to take good pictures are probably not here.
I feel real sorry for a seller with a property that is not moving and they have an agent who has not even done basic marketing of their home. After all that is what we are being paid to do isn't it?
For very little you can buy a great digital camera. I recently bought another Sony digital camera for $249. It is 6 mega pixels (more then we need for the internet) and has a great lens. To test it I turned off all the lights in one of my listings one evening. I snapped the camera and it took a great picture even in total darkness.
If you are one of those folks who don't know how to use those digital gadgets, pay your teen age neighbor to take your pictures and help upload them.
I believe the services I supply my clients with are worth top dollar. If you want to be able to say that, you have to provide top service and top marketing.
I still can't get over the agents who post their picture in the newspaper instead of the home they are trying to sell. I thought I would try it here to see if it works.
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Randy L. Prothero, REALTOR®, ABR, AHWD, CRS, e-PRO, GRI, SFR
Century 21 Liberty Homes
Randy Prothero is well established as an expert in working with military / VA clients and first time home buyers. His home seller's (listing) campaign is one of the most aggressive marketing programs in the area.
Based out of Mililani, Hawaii. Randy services the island of Oahu (Honolulu County) and the Leeward Regional Chairman of the Honolulu Board of Realtors. To improve overall professionalism in his area Randy also offers classes for real estate agents.
www.HawaiiRandy.com * Oahu (Honolulu County) Property Search * Hawaii Military Relocations
Eddy - I think that agent you find the time for find another line of work.
Eric - For the right price my wife will sell me. At least my picture looks like me. The agents who put their picture instead of the homes in the paper usually use 20 year old glamour shots.
Randy, it is against MLS rules for agents to put their pictures, signs or a branded virtual tour in the MLS at least here. Is it not the same there?
It drives me insane also and I am almost afraid to take clients to a home or area without many pictures because it may be in stages if disrepair or a dive.
I do actually have a listing and the tenant left it a pit but the owner was hiring a cleaning company so I took pictures of the community (condo) and put the floor plans on there. We can obtain floor plans from a nifty local tool called salestraq. The floorplans archives do go back quite a ways so I don't know why all agents don't utilize this information!
The MLS here requires at least one photo or they impose a $25.00 fine, and I don't think that fine is high enough. Usually when I see a listing with only one photo, I assume it needs work. Some top agents don't even use pictures for high end properties, over a million, and I know that they are most likely beautiful, but refrain from emailing the listings because the buyer wants more. But what I dislike more than that is when they're too lazy to put in the floor information, with the rooms, I can't tell if it is a one floor condo or a townhouse with a bedroom on the first floor. What really escapes me though is why the sellers continue to list with them. And they do.
Renee - The pictures of the agents are in the Sunday newspaper. The MLS is where I complained many don't have any pictures. Sorry for the confusion.
Monika - Lazy agents, don't they drive you crazy.
David - Great points
George - They get weeded out only to be replaced by another out of work hairdresser.
Joanne - You hit the big question. Where do they find their clients? Mine want to see how much marketing I am doing. I always get a great response when they like the photos I use.
"Hi Randy"
I have just boarded the pet peeve train. All aboard that's coming aboard! Whoo! Whoo!
Don't worry I'm not gonna go off the deep end on ya. And there's no one to debate. Damn! :)
How about if I share...Shhhhh...
Here in our part of Florida we have an interesting little twist to this that you might want to hear about. But don't tell anyone. It's a secret! Shhhh...
Broker/Realtors here do not put pictures in the MLS on purpose. Why? Shhhhh. So that they can create a "pocket listing"...
Do ya'll know what a "pocket listing" is? Just in case you've never heard that term. It's a secret listing. Shhhhh...
They are entered into the MLS system with a bare minimum of info. Why? It's a secret. Shhhhh...
Okay, I'll tell you why. The Broker/Realtors want to discourage other Realtors from showing or putting offers on the listing. Why? It's a secret. Shhhhh...
Would ya like me to knock it off? Okay. The Broker/Realtor wants the in house sale. Shhhhh. That's a secret!
It's the good ole secret "pocket listing" trick! :)
I would write a blog about this, but, honestly I don't feel like it. You can my mini Blog...:0)
TLW "The Lovely Wife"...Shhhh...Don't Tell Anyone...ROAR!
TLW - I am familiar with pocket listings. The commercial brokers do it here, but they do not post them in MLS.
I would call that poor representation of the seller. I wouldn't do it ever. If you not only did a dual agency (in Hawaii any transaction within the same office), but created an environment to force one, you could be in a world of trouble.
I am not naive, I know it goes on here too.
I have to give that topic some thought.
TLW - I posted it just for you and our friends on AR: The Unofficial Hip Pocket Listings - Ethics Violation?