Comments on: NAR…Will they be looking at your digital pictures?

By: Monika McGillicuddy

Monika McGillicuddy — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 00:29:40 +0000

Thanks Createmo…I’ll check out your backgrounds.

By: createmo

createmo — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 15:04:42 +0000

Thank you for your site
I made on photoshop backgrounds for youtube, myspace and even more
my backgrounds:http://tinyurl.com/6r7cav
all the best and thank you again!

By: Monika McGillicuddy

Monika McGillicuddy — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 02:46:46 +0000

LOL…it sure was. I wonder what a creative person could do with that photo…make the sink all shiny and clean…give the kitchen a paint job.
Some of the photos in MLS are just too much…who wants to see someones underwear???

By: Carole Cohen

Carole Cohen — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 02:23:33 +0000

Moni, that sink was grand back in the day lol. I don’t know about you, but the percentage of not so good photos has not decreased along with what should be digital and internet savvy. At least in my area. It makes me nuts!

By: Monika McGillicuddy

Monika McGillicuddy — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 22:53:11 +0000

I have no problem digitally altering or removing items not staying or attached. I’m getting good at removing shoes and stuff and making the sky blue to me is no big deal. But I have to wonder where one draws the line. Why have a real estate blog and be anonymous??? Makes no sense to me.

By: Maureen M.

Maureen M. — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 22:23:38 +0000

I don’t want rules on greenness of grass. Our grass usually goes dormant sometime in the summer. I think the listings that don’t have someone out sprinkling the grass have every right to keep using the picture from May or June when the grass is green and I am not going to worry about if other agents have better photo shop skills and TOOLS than me. How could you enforce that?

I once made the sky blue in a photo.. we often have gray sky in Ohio and I digitally fixed something the seller was going to remove… I admitted it once on RealTalk and Bill ? in NJ made it seem like a federal offense… maybe I’ll blog about it someday… it’s not like wires. It could be removed… the seller was supposed to remove it.

“Distorting the size of a small room with a wide angle shot.” buyers are going to be disappointed when they see it… unless of course it is bought sight unseen. I have never experienced that sort of sale.

I think it is funny how many real estate blogs are so anonymous.

By: moni

moni — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 21:05:40 +0000

Kristal,
There was a grass situation…photo of the house was a summer time shot and the grass/lawn was enhanced. It looked lush and very green. Buyers bought in the winter time…come spring it was clear there was no lush green grass anywhere…nothing but crab grass. pretty unhappy buyer. Of course that was more than the greenness of the grass. It will be interesting to see what if anything happens with this.
Thanks for stopping by KK

By: moni

moni — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 21:00:45 +0000

Ashley,
I lighten or edit my photos all the time but what I don’t do is alter the reality of the house. Like remove peeling paint and power lines, add shutters to windows,add flowers and stuff to the yard…yet I’ve seen agents do this.

By: Kristal Kraft

Kristal Kraft — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 19:16:43 +0000

Photos online are a big deal. It is amazing how much you can improve a photo just be standing in a certain position. I once got chilled by another agent who felt my picture was “misrepresented”. Funny it was a pic of my very own house. All I did was stand in the middle of the street so the house showed in a good angle. NOTHING else was done to the photo, yet he felt I “misrepresented” the property. Go figure!

In my book erasing power lines would be a major misrepresentation. Cosmetic improvements like greener grass aren’t a biggy. Buyer’s shouldn’t be making a decision to buy a home based on the greeness of the grass.

Now if I were selling a property “sight unseen” to a buyer, I would be sure to take my own photos and include every WART I could find.

On a snarky note, I’m glad NAR has finally decided that the internet is not a fad.

Thanks for working on this committee. I can rest at night knowing an experienced voice of reason is present!
kk

By: Ashley Drake Gephart

Ashley Drake Gephart — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 09:06:00 +0000

Monika – I personally feel you need to use a light touch when it comes to digital editing. Lighting up a photo that came out dark is one thing but greening up the grass is not good.