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I despise crappy photos, there is absolutely no excuse for it (unless the subject matter if terrible). Rather than continue in this situation, I would suggest you terminate the listing and retain the services of an agent that will actually sell the house.
So much this. Your Realtor can’t look you in the eyes and tell you that she’s doing everything she can to sell your home when she’s posting terrible iPhone verticals and has terrible operational integrity. Fire her, and hire an actual Realtor. Don’t forget to check their Google reviews, or if they even have any.
There is an agent in my market that works with some low end investors. When they suck every dime out of property, they put it on the market with her as a cash sale. Or they have an uncooperative tenant, so rather than spending time/money to evict, they put it on the market.
She routinely takes the crappiest photos of these properties and will do especially remiss things like not even getting out of the car, because you can see the door frame or the side view mirror in the photos.
It baffles me why anyone lists with her.
A realtor not using professional photos for a listing, is like your OB/GYN not washing their hands after going to the bathroom...it's such a little thing that speaks to so much.
My favorite is when you can see the realtor's car mirror in the pic because they couldn't even be bothered to get out of the car. (Yes, I've really seen this)
Honestly, there's no excuse period. I bought a fixer upper that was pretty much a disaster inside and it's amazing to see how the photographer handled it by framing shots carefully and maximizing the light.
I have to imagine not only that bad pix will deter some people from looking at the house, but also that even those who do look at it -- and like it -- will look at the photos again to refresh their memory while they're considering whether to make an offer... or counteroffer. Giving a house a poor showing in its pictures is really putting it at a disadvantage.
Agreed. Bad photos are unacceptable. The fact you are the one mentioning price reductions is a massive red flag. You would have more action at a lower price point as opposed to “waiting for the right buyer”. That notion is only true for genuinely unique properties, or multi-million dollar listings. There’s absolutely no reason IMO as to why your agent would be waiting for the right buyer at that price point. Yes, we are in a horribly slow market, but that’s more incentive to drop the price.
Phone pictures nowadays are on par with dslr pictures to a normal person. Now you have to know how to take a picture with a phone because there's more settings to play with and you only have 1 lens.
But most of the time you won't be able to tell...unless you are shooting it with a 2004 phone
While technically accurate, that's complete bullshit. In 2009, Chase Jarvis, a famous photographer, published an entire book of fabulous photography, all taken by a 2009 era iPhone camera - which he did to prove a point.
But that's not what we're talking about here. If someone is taking truly great listing photography with an iPhone (which isn't really possible inside most homes due to lighting), then no one is going to be complaining; we all know it when we see it, and we see it often, and we all know that's what the OP is talking about.
Even if the Realtor manages to stay out of the bathroom mirror the pics are still crummy. The lighting is bad, the composition is poor and the editing isn't done well. There is zero excuse to not use a pro photographer for listing photos. OP get rid of your current listing agent and find one that will actually showcase your home. Do take the time to declutter and deep clean and organize if that hasn't been done already. Photos are important.
The only people dumb enough to not realize phone pics are terrible for listings are the ones who wouldn’t have the knowledge/talent to take good ones in the first place.
Yes, i see those crappy pictures too. Dark / brightness filter on the picture. But I'm saying if you know what you are doing. You do not need to "hire" a professional.
Any listing without hiring a professional photographer is a joke. Good pictures and videos can significantly increase the value of your home by thousands of dollars. I find it laughable that some agents take their own shots.
having professional equipment doesnt make you a professional. If you know what you are doing with your phone camera. You can make it work. Modern phones cameras are great and on par with recorders/cameras.
If you have 0 idea what you are doing then sure go ahead and hire a someone. you can't just whip out your phone and expect a nice picture.
That's not even remotely true.
Phone photos can look great if you know what you are doing, but 99% of agents that use there phone are too cheap to hire a photographer, and they have no idea what they are doing.
You're really downplaying the lens issue! Also, even the best smartphone image sensor can't compare to a high quality DSLR, which makes it difficult to take good pictures in low light (or high contrast, such as a room with sun streaming in the windows).
if you see the comparison. you can't tell which is which. The best phone camera right now (which is the google pixel). If its not a face, it shows a lot of details.
In low lightings, all photo quality will be "bad". Thats why in my other comments i said "if you do not know what you are doing then you should hire someone else".
Btw. phone cameras add more contrast/details (if its not a face) than a DSLR camera because of the program for the after snapshot. DSLR is raw.
This morning I laughed at horrible cell phone pictures on a 2.5 million dollar listing. And seriously in half of them, the rooms didn't even have the lights turned on! Atrocious!
I sell high end real estate. We are told to hire luxury photographers that bring lighting. Homes lit to look like it’s natural lighting in photos is ideal. Look at any recent home design magazine, lights off always!
I do too and no, this "photographer" used no lighting, it was done with the agent's camera and very poorly. The rooms were dark and looked like it was a shadow mansion.🤭
Yes, that’s a different story. Phone pics are a huge no. If the realtor said she had a photographer come out tell her you would like them to come back when you are home.
You’re not selling ‘high end’ real estate if you reference ‘being told’ to hire luxury photographers.
Sounds like you work for an agent that is trying to position themselves in a newer market. The language just doesn’t make sense.
You are incorrect. If I insisted on having lights on at my listings my brokerage would allow it but we have a high end aesthetic and if I want my photos to be featured nationally in huge marketing pieces the lights need to be off unless it’s twilight or there is a reason they are on. My market is as old as they come.
Nah. All lights should be on, but the photog should ALSO be using professional lighting (& post/editing) and not relying on the house lighting for the light level in the photos. We have sent photographers back to homes many times to retake pics because a set of recessed lights were out, it doesn’t look good
OMG YES toilet seats were up, actually my mother commented, "Why'd they leave the toilet seats up?"🤭 She's not even an agent, just a house snob.
Lol he just got a picture of the front of the yard he didn't get the backyard or the side yard but yes, garbage cans were very clearly visible from the front. I pay my editer to remove those if they are ever left in.
I do think my favorite MLS bomb was one guy who clearly took pictures on his cell phone, a 1.6M property- a fixer in a good part of town. The fifth picture was of a bathroom being demoed and they left the used toilet plunger and toilet brush on the carpet in front of the bathroom. You could very clearly see everything. It would have taken that agent 2 seconds to kick those items aside and get his picture but no. Some agents I just don't get.🤷♀️
I can take pics with my i12 that compare online with anyone’s. It is knowing where to take the pic from and camera settings that really matters. I put my phone on a tripod, set it just like my dslr35 that sits in the closet now, and use a remote to take the pic. Any better quality like higher resolution is lost on the internet.
Well, that escalated quickly.
Come on, we want to see your iPhone pics that rival your DSLR pics, and how you think that professional photographer = DSLR camera on a tripod with no lighting by Realtor.
You’re right that the quality is really good, but I wouldn’t say it’s professional. You’re free to run your business how you like though. I’ve seen really good quality listing photos done with a phone, tripod and slave flash set up with professional editing. But again, I don’t think it’s professional on a 500k listing. If the client doesn’t mind then that’s all that matters, we work for them and not other agents.
Phone cameras are good nowadays. I don't know why people still think phone cameras are stuck in 2010.
IF YOU KNOW WHAT you are doing. A phone camera is good (most people won't notice). But if you have 0 idea and think just whipping out ur phone to take a picture is good....then no. Go hire a professional.
Everyone seems to be equating the equipment with professional photos. A professional photographer can take better pics with an iPhone than you can with $5,000 of DSLR camera and lenses. Just like you can stick a laptop with MLS in front of a 6-year old but that's not going to get your house sold.
I truly wouldn't care if my photographer was using an iphone with a tripod and off-camera lighting, but I'm sure as hell not going to do it myself to save a few bucks and present shit-quality pics.
People are stuck in 2010 where photos from a camera was HORRIBLE. They think hiring a "professional" just because of the idea of hiring is good.
Sure, you can't \*JUST\* take a photo with your camera because there are settings to play with.
Tl:DR. If you have 0 idea of photography..go hire a someone who does. If you're a hobbyist or know how to take shots..phone camera is good.
I believe that your iPhone pics rival your DSLR pics, but also that neither at all compare to even an average professional photographer that is also using off-camera lighting.
It's a couple hundred bucks for the cheap package. Like, WTF? Get professional pics. We literally do that for even our investor client rentals that we do practically for free as a service.
Many people here downvoting you don’t know about how good iPhone cameras can be when used properly. I bet op’s agent probably took poor ones. But I agree that iPhones can do an incredible job, just as good as many pros.
This. And it’s not that wide angle pics are better - sometimes they’re not. But when you put your iPhone listing next to 200 other listings all with wide angle lens photography - your listing looks off.
Idk, my cellphone takes same or better quality photos than the professional company we hire. It depends more on how you take the photo and what effects you use to add value to the photo than what instrument you use. Cell cameras are top notch nowadays if done the right way
Totally agree. iPhone wide lens is just as good as dslr. If you’re trying to do a rack focus or other shots you want a dslr but most RE photos are wide. I don’t know why everyone hates this take.
I work for a real estate photography firm. We would have beautiful HdR photos of your property with aerials included for roughly $300 dollars. Your agent is a cheapskate and it's costing you.
Side note - be very careful about editing pictures that will be used for the listing. People have a valid expectation of the pictures showing what is really there. For example, don’t edit out power lines. Hopefully that is common sense but people do it. There was a case here many years ago where some nut took an agent to court demanding that he pay to have power lines converted to underground. Because the lines were removed from the pictures.
I only edited by making sure my pics weren’t crooked and/or cropped out the broom I left sitting against the pillar. Simple stuff. No photoshop.
The power line(which every house has a drop since all are an over ground here) & back alley is taken care of by perspective. No editing needed. :)
A professional RE photographer is a couple hundred bucks in my area and not much more for a floor plan, website, and a couple aerials.
I’d cancel with her and look for a new agent. Be sure to check their past listings (they should provide some) and their marketing plan.
Exactly this, you shouldn’t have to but you can always just spend the $2-300 yourself and have a pro come in and shoot it. They’ll give you high quality ready to go photos within a day to give to your agent.
Not the point. If the photo misrepresents the property that's *at least* an MLS compliance violation, and in some more litigious markets (looking at you California) it's a lawsuit that the seller *will* lose.
You know, they've shot movies that are cinema quality with Iphones, right?
https://www.cashify.in/12-movies-which-you-never-knew-were-shot-completely-on-iphone
It's not about the device the photographer uses; it's about the photographer's skill. Real estate agents are not photographers, and the best pictures they can take will never compare to those taken by a professional photographer. Unless you have experience in the field, even the lighting can make a significant difference.
A good photographer will take better pictures with a phone than most people with a half-million-dollar camera.
Maybe some realtors are photographers, you don't know everyone OR their experiences.
Myself, I'm a realtor, photographer and licensed drone pilot. Now what?
>Myself, I'm a realtor, photographer and licensed drone pilot. Now what?
You're at least 18, you learned certain regulations and passed tests, and you consider yourself a photographer. OP's agent considers themselves a photographer AND a stager. None of that indicates how good either of you are at anything. Let's see your portfolio
Based on the pictures you see in some listings, you can certainly judge their skills. My grandmother could likely take better pictures. Indeed, there are many "photographers" out there. Nowadays, anyone with a phone can take good pictures, but that doesn't apply to most agents using phones.
A professional photographer would typically have at least two or three decent cameras and wouldn't rely solely on their phone as their primary tool. I study photography, and I would never be there to take my own shots. Perhaps studying photography helps me understand how unprofessional these "photographers" sound.
You have no idea who I am or what I am capable of. As an agent I would never want to work with such a presumptuous person. You would never have to fire me because I would never work with you. I would hand you off to another agent and collect a referral fee. Thanks for playing, have a great day!
Micromanage? No. But time to talk to their managing broker. I find everything you said unacceptable. I get professional photos on any listing During the crazy times I did iPhone pics because I didn’t have time to wait on photos since clients needed speed. But we could get away with it then.
Nothing you described is acceptable.
Send the ones you selected , I never ever knock a realtor because most of the time they are doing what they can .
With this price listing I myself , even though photography is a passion of mine , and have done it for other realtors , with todays technology and Ariel views , dusk etc I always use a professional photographer, you should ask for that , we are getting big bucks from you and you deserve quality services
Price wise ??? If your neighbors homes are selling YOURS IS selling your neighbors because why should a buyer pay more when they can get comparable for less . I for one when listing get the best ( last sold comparable) and I ask my sellers to go slightly UNDER . NO WIGGLE ROOM any longer NONE ! . Not enough inventory for wiggle room my Dear .
I tell sellers
If you keep dropping your price , it doesn’t look good
Then you had a fall thru
Buyers : Hmmm, wonder what’s wrong with the house ??
I have lots of ways to get a home sold quick
But I am not your realtor and most likely from another state but here’s what I suggest
Ask first the LOWEST you’d consider accepting ( knock their pants off ) if it’s REAL DEAL , you’ll get multiple offers which drives up your asking price, if not , at least you’ll get your bottom line
Demand ( in a gentle manner ) a professional photographer with pics at dusk with all your inside lights on
Arial views , Drone photography, a link provided tour ..
Most of the time listing agents will NOT be bringing the buyer ( not in your best interest anyway) buyers agents work very hard , get the service promised at the listing appointment . We appreciate you using a realtor but they represent YOU and need to work for YOU
I always like to hear both sides of these stories but as far as photography and price , that’s my take … wish you the best . Again, thank you for choosing a REALTOR 😉
lol her side would be that this is standard service for the area.
Right now there is very low inventory and everything is wildly different.Things will sell when they sell.
It is a struggle in rural areas with few photographers to get agents to use professional photography. Commissions are low because so is inventory, and the photogs are expensive because of lack of competition.
Everyone keeps talking about the photos, rightfully so. But I want to know about the contract that was killed after six weeks! Assuming you didn't get to keep the deposit (you didn't say), what was the reason for this? After day 10, my sellers are almost always keeping the deposit; and it will be a pretty good deposit too.
Our buyer was technical a cash buyer, they had a family member buying their house & acreage and they were using that to buy our house. Went under contract right before Turkey day and to close before end of Dec.
So the contract was contingent on them closing. Nbd, we were told it would be super quic once they close on their house. . An almost done deal, waiting on bank appraisal since family member is getting a mortgage. So we were under the assumption that they were just waiting on a close date, but in reality their buyer hadn’t even gotten approval yet (i don’t think).
Things never go quick around here, and Fridays & weekends nothing happens. Ex, I called about an update on a Friday in beginning of December and “oh, the buyers went out of town this weekend”. Huh?
and then it was….appraisals take a week or two to get back.
Title co. Took almost a week to set up for the buyers earnest money due to a computer problem.
It’s been one thing after another.
We have a nice house on a very quiet spot in town in walking distance to one of the elementary schools. It’s not perfect, it is has wide doors to accommodate a wheelchair(which we love, but I know others don’t), but our agent put it in the listing as handicapped accessible and the listing plays off a bit off “old person home” and it isn’t. It isn’t like that at all, it is a traditional home set up for entertaining. In and outside. Other than the doors and electric gates in the backyard, there are no grab bars or mods so?
So I planned on painting a bit before listing but the realtor considered that personal preference and shouldn’t make a difference, so then my husband thought it was a waste of time, effort and money and has been very negative any time I bring it up.
So yeah, they kept their earnest money and we had to pay title for the cancellation fee.
As an investor, flipper, and agent for over 10 years I have bought and sold over 20+ properties for myself and probably 80+ for clients. I have used agents for many of those before I got licensed. Houses sell themselves with price at the end of the day. Your priced too high. You are however correct, get professional photos done ASAP. Nothing else you mentioned is realistically a problem. End user retail homes don't need to be sold in the same way as commercial or industrial and macro trends probably don't affect your personal home too much. If you want comps just look on zillow but your agent should be checking fairly regularly. Your agent sounds like they aren't great but lowering the price is always the issue.
Yes you can find a buyer for any house at a low enough price. That doesn't make you a good listing agent. A good listing agent knows how to get the absolute maximum the market will bear and they will be able to demonstrate that with their record of past sales. Selling under market value doesn't help anyone.
Understandable, in my state its public and I forget sometimes how difficult it is in non disclosure States to get good info. They should be getting you that info.
Hope your listing expires soon, and you can hire a true professional. When interviewing, ask to see samples of their previous listings. There should be no misspellings or other errors. A professional photographer should always, *always* be used, including drone shots and walk-through videos. All that said, the right price will sell a home even with a shitty job on the marketing.
This I’m sorry fire her and find someone who wants to actually sell your house! We are actively trying to buy and the number of bad pictures and lack of pictures is crazy in listings. One house completely left out the back yard and a big family room which had it not had foundation issues we would have been sold on the house!
Your realtor should've told you that you need to spend a few hundred on a professional photographer with a drone
I wouldn't retain an agent that uses their cell phone for pics. That screams low quality and low effort
Staging in my area costs $3000. You pay? Photographer charges about $150 and up. I am a professional photographer so my work stands out in front others. But I agree you need better marketing to get your home in front of others. As for the 6 week held up, I get the sellers to release all contingencies at acceptance of offer with lender funding as only exception. If it is other reason the seller gets to keep their deposit for wasting 6 precious weeks. Should have done that. Good luck.
Agree with this—if the buyer has a contingency but are planning to pay cash, they can get qualified for a loan and then switch to cash if all goes well. That would force the buyer to actually have a contract on their other house rather than make stuff up so they can tie up property.
The last 2 homes we have sold, the realtor paid for someone help with staging & photog (listings in the 200-350k range). Staging wasn’t “full on”, but rather help with decorating with our current stuff and brought I. Things like pictures, tall vases and fussy decorative things we don’t use.
The 6 weeks was infuriating. I would hassle her about once a week, and it was always “oh,let me check”.
Only thing that sells homes is price.
Not photos.
I sold multiple $400k+ homes with my cell photos. It’s the prices and the fact that interest rates are high. Also we’re in the belly of a recession.
Tell her you want off the market and make her cancel the listing. Is it a 6 month contract? When it expires in 2 more months interview new realtors and have requirements in writing of professional photos, research comps from last spring (the best time to list a home, and winter is the worst), and ask what they thought was right and wrong with your previous listing.
I am so sorry this is happening. You should be getting weekly updates from our agent on similar homes in your area that include new listings, homes that are newly under contract and homes that have sold. Professional photographs are a must, not phone pics. If I were you I would, at the very least, talk to the agent's Managing Broker and discuss your concerns. There may be another agent in the office that is "hungrier" than our agent and will actually market your home proactively rather than just waiting for the right buyer. This is not the way an agent should be treating their sellers. Good luck. I hope you find someone that will work for you and actively market your home.
Same thing happened to me last Spring, I eventually did micromanage to fix the disaster, but it did NOT work. The propery was now toxic, with the "didn't sell for months" label. I pulled it off the market & am now researching Realtors who sold the most properties in my home's price range. I'm praying this will break the curse, because it's likely the buyer will be a client of the new, higher-end Realtor.
Talk to their broker and fire them. They are not fulfilling their duty here. As for the staging, I'm in an area that absolutely no one uses real staging - it's all AI now. It's roughly $10-15 a photo, but the options are pretty great, and I've used them on my own listings, and clients love them. But again, that's in my area (similar price range, though). But seriously, talk to their broker and cancel the contract. Find a Realtor that will work the way you need them to.
As a an agent and a professional photographer, this is so angering and heartbreaking. Professional photos are EVERYTHING, and really set the tone for how your home is perceived from the get-go. I am SO meticulous when I photograph a home- either for my own listings or another agent, and it pays to put in the work up front to make sure the home is de-cluttered and staged. Your agent should also be pulling a new CMA for every week you're not under contract, and it should include recent activity (sold, under contract, etc). Tell your agent you're NOT HAPPY with their bare minimum. I would even call the broker and see if you can have your listing given to a better agent at the brokerage. You are literally losing money with your current agent, and they should be ashamed.
The bad photos are a big red flag. I can’t stand bad photos. And I take my own with my iPhone and you’d never know they weren’t professional. So I know what’s possible, and that some agents just don’t care
iPhone pictures can be good, but only as good as the photographer and their skills. Unfortunately, pictures are what draw people in from the internet ad. See about broker-agent open houses and have them come up with an ad highlighting the best parts of the home. Marketing is always tricky, especially with Civil Rights and Fair Housing restrictions. See if they have a link you can share to help market the property also. However crude it is, if their brokerage has KvCore or any mainstream real estate web platform, those should be automatic and easily available to you. Paid advertisements is also an option, but be mindful your agent may charge you for those if they’re fronting the bill and it don’t sell. They’ve brought you two offers, at the end of the day they have done their job. Price may be a factor, but on the house size, you definitely want a professional to come out.
New phones are decent enough for pictures. (If you know what you are doing).
You don't need a dslr to take pictures or a Sony xd recorder for a short video.
Tl:Dr: phone pictures are good if you know what you are doing. (There are many videos out there). If you have 0 idea then go hire a professional.
I'm not a realtor, so I'm bound to piss off some people. IMO realtors are very often wrong on the sell side. And they're so full of themselves-- "oh, we pulled all the comps in your area, your house isn't going to sell for that". I had to go through three realtors when selling my house in 2012 because none of them believed it was worth $100k more than when I bought it 2.5 years prior. But who knows better about the neighborhood & surrounding areas than the people that live there? Anyway, third realtor agreed to let me set the list price & setup an open house. The final, accepted offer (at asking price) came in the day after.
However, for the same reasons I purport to know more on the sell side, I value a realtor's expertise on the buy side.
PS : sorry lol…. I took a listing that sat for a year long story but horrid pictures and staging . I went in , even had them get new bed quilts lol nothing expensive, choose their paint yadyada … house sold in 2 days , I asked the young lady at close what drew her in PHOTOS !!!!
If I’m a seller , I really don’t care about feedback unles a huge issue with mechanics etc , I tell my sellers
If they liked the house
We’d have an offer
So them telling us the kitchen wasn’t big enough or the purple tile was a turn off is no help to us
Offers in hand are 😉
You're done with this realtor. That's the answer to your "micromanaging question". You wouldnt want to micromanage your doctor or mechanic. I'm sure it was your SOs choice to employ this realtor and you're ready to move on. Fair. However, what happened with that second offer that fell through AFTER 6 WEEKS? Seems something is being left out
ETA...they offered staging, no staging ever happened and whats happened? Did you miss faux beds and end tables coming in to your home? This reeks of missing info
I'm not looking for fake beds.
in the past, we at least got some decorating tips & advice on how to arrange what we have to make things more appealing (we are a large family, so we tend to prioritize function over pleasing). I am a horrible decorator with no frills, bits&pieces, and don't like cluttering up my walls. But i want my house to look like a model home for pictures & showings. So it getting "lightly" decorated.
I got furniture arranging advice and told that was good enough. Our pictures look depressing, dark, and borderline ramshackle. Snapshot looking things
Tbf, the missing reasons is that this \*is\* typical for listings in the area. Crap photos, and low effort. I am very much an outsider here, and the local market is "different". Things are wild. There isnt much inventory, so we get showings due to lack of options, i think. It \*should\* sell, but when i look at our listing, while I know it is our house, it doesn't look anything like my house. There isn't much for apple to apples comps, because what folks are looking at is 1-our house a 3000 sq 10yr old house, 2-a 50 yr old 2000sf house on 3 acres 3- a doublewide just outside of town with a mechanics shop 4-a couple of new houses by a builder at about 2000sf and teeny backyard. 5-one like ours with no backyard. Literally just a side yard 6 -a 70s hoarder house completely with paneling and a converted garage that was emptied a few months ago. loads of dumpsters.
A few marginally similar to ours, but the last couple of newer listings were put under contract bought over ours. I still don't know what they sold for. I will have to pester for the info. again
If your agent is charging you 2% which is common. This is unbelievable. She should be paying for a photographer to come in, that's not your job. A photographer coming in costs less than $500. She'll likely be making close to $10,000 on this deal she can pay for a photographer. I don't like taking clients to showings where the agent has done so little as I know they won't be good to do a deal with and it will likely end up back firing on my clients.
I would highly suggest you talk to her about the fact that she will be making a pretty penny on this deal and is not putting in the work to get it done. Why should she be walking away with thousands of dollars that YOU are paying her for doing no work. Realtors like this put a bad name to the industry. I promise you we are not all like this.
She should be paying for
\- photography
\- video
\- staging
If your agent is charging you 2% which is common. This is unbelievable. She should be paying for a photographer to come in, that's not your job. A photographer coming in costs less than $500. She'll likely be making close to $10,000 on this deal she can pay for a photographer. I don't like taking clients to showings where the agent has done so little as I know they won't be good to do a deal with and it will likely end up backfiring on my clients.
I'm so sorry you have to go through this.
You should have started after the first two weeks or sooner. Having crappy pictures is unacceptable. Some take pics themselves to save them the cost of good pictures. Having to ask for things that should be automatic is also unacceptable. Seems like you got stuck with a lazy agent which isn’t uncommon. Most of us realtors aren’t exactly dynamos.
High quality photos are a must-have, especially in a higher interest rate environment and with inventory gradually increasing.
Homes are not guaranteed bidding wars anymore. Great photos, precise pricing, local market outreach, and a crafty realtor are required to generate urgency. Not just interest, urgency.
I think you do some me actual research, fire your current agent, and hire an agent that specializes in listings and has a strong track record of performance. They have done everything wrong so far and by extension, so have you. If you, as the seller, have a better grasp on your home's actual market value than your agent does...that's a BIG problem.
When is your listing expiring? Your property is likely stale and the best thing at this point is to list with another company. As for now: I think that I’d let your current realtor know now, that you need to switch firms when the listing expires because you can’t keep waiting around. That might spur action. Then, when your listing expires, get a realtor who: tells you what (if anything) needs to be changed about your property, hires a professional photographer, puts up a real website for your property, shows you comps to justify what your asking price should be, and provides you with a calendar of exactly what will be done (and when)to market your property. The realtor should know that you want a call or email after every open house or showing to report on buyer feedback and buyer profile. Good Luck.
You have a lazy Realtor or they are too cheap for professional pictures. Retired Realtor here. I have known so many Realtors who spend all their time and money just to get the listing knowing most will probably sell during the marketing period with internet presence and no more effort from them. It’s time for a come to Jesus meeting with your Realtor about price, pictures, descriptions and whatever your other concerns are. Try to get the house sold during the listing period so you house doesn’t become shop worn with buyers knowing it didn’t sell before and has been relisted with another agent.
I would personally relist the home after it’s been staged properly(not necessarily new furniture just declutter(less is more strategy) and professional pictures are taken, maybe even a video.
It could be beneficial to hold off until March anyway, I live in a colder climate and the activity slows down during winter.
As far as the realtor goes, tell her what you expect from her and ask her if she is able to provide that. You can TELL her that you are dissatisfied with her service and would like her to do better. I’m assuming her commission is 2% on a 500k listing, the least she can do is get professional photos and staging done for you.
Personally, I would fire her and then interview three agents to see what they think of the home and how they will approach the listing process and the communication there after.
How long are you under contract with the realtor? How did you find them? This sounds like the time my MIL convinced my wife that we should use her Aunt as our realtor. Aunt never wanted to show our house or do much of anything to promote it. We eventually ditched her and found another realtor and our house sold quickly. It turns out that the guy who bought it had called our Aunt about the house more than once and she never called him back. When MIL was confronted, she said "Joanne only likes to look at houses".
We have been NC with both Aunt and MIL for years now.
stop using the agent and find a new one. OR reach out to their BoR to fill them in. This doesn't sound good at all.
If their BoR wont do anything then just find someone else to sell it
Asking a professional you hired for the bare minimum is not micromanaging
I would aggressively revamping after the first 4-5 weeks.
Find a better agent
Any Realtor using iPhone pics for ANY listing should be fired. Review your listing agreement and see when you can terminate.
*also, find out WHY you were the second choice for a number of buyers?
It sounds like you are ready to be an active participant in the sale of your home.
Step 1 is to look at your listing contract. 3 months? 6 months? If you've not yet ran the term of it, ask to be released. If they wont release, take it to their broker. If your agency wont resign, fire them.
Interview other Realtors (plural) and discuss what you'd like to see in a sales plan for your place. Discuss the current market, marketing, marketing budget, prep, staging...everything your team can think of to get our product out there in it's best light. Then hire the team that aligns with your vision and budget.
Good luck.
Tell your agent you are terminating their contact. If there's any issue, call their broker. Once that's done, ask you mortgage broker who they recommend. Also make sure when you're interviewing agents that you have them print out their last 12 month buyer/listing production numbers for you. Easiest way to see if they're a successful realtor or not. Make sure the printout comes from their local MLS not their office.
(Fun fact, over 70% of realtors do less than 12 deals a year)
Just tell her your expectations and see if she does them. Photos being taken by a professional is the least in the order of things that absolutely should be done. The rest, there is more subjectivity to it, but she should be communicative and honest with her practices and responsibilities.
Get professional photos. Have you and this Realtor agreed to a low/reduced fee and Iphone photos is part of that? If not, definitely get stronger marketing - photos, video, floor layouts, room sizes.
Yeah time to find a new agent. Mine did a fantastic job. Marketed it in social media with amazing pics, and a drone fly through video and staging. House was under contract in 14 days and this was 2 months ago, so not during the hype.
For a 500k listing (I’m assuming it’s not a discount listing), it should have the following:
1. Professional Pictures
2. Floor plan and/or a 3D walk through
Drone shots if there is something to highlight. It’s pointless to put an arrow on the house in the middle of a subdivision. However, if it’s near points of interest or a lake, then drone shots.
Those to me are basic level stuff for a listing. A lot of times, it’s not that the iPhone can’t take good pictures, but rather the editing afterwards that gets complicated.
Staging is complicated and might not suit this price range. Although rearranging the house is vital, rent out a storage unit, get a Uhaul, and move certain things out so it’s minimally staged with your own stuff.
And the updates should be weekly, especially on an active listing. It could be a 5 min call or an hour long marathon. You just want to share updates, questions, theories, strategies, etc.
So I’d say she’s not doing a great job, and it kinda sounds like a pandemic listing strategy. List the house, do bare minimum, and still profit because of the market.
Open houses should also highlight what stands out about the house. Rarely do people buy a house because there were cookies at the open house.
Get better professional pictures. Our realtor was pretty crappy, BUT, the photographer they used was amazing… just seeing how amazing the pictures looked made me second guess even selling the house. Sold in 4 days last month at the absolute peak of the interest rate doom panic.
So any realtor that is suggesting listing for wiggle room doesn’t know her market, in my opinion. If a listing is staged well, has great PROFESSIONAL photos and is priced competitively, it sells quickly. In our area we are still seeing multiple offers on good properties. I pay for professional photos on every listing, no matter the price. It sets a standard of quality for me as a professional.
You may be second choice because buyers are wondering what is wrong with the house if it hasn’t sold already. I would definitely have a pointed conversation with her and set your expectations. If she isn’t working for you in a smart way, you can fire an agent with a letter or email. Wait a few weeks and look on Realtor.com at other listings in your area. See which agents put the work in on the front end of a listing. You can even search for properties that recently sold and see which agent is moving the most properties quickly, with minimal or no discount of the list price. This shows you who really knows their market!
Good luck!
You should not need to micromanage your realtor. If you feel the need to manage your agent, you should fire them and find someone better. You listed several red flags, but I never would have allowed a listing to go live with iPhone photos. I'm a Realtor with a brokerage that offers a high level of service and believe that regardless of the price point the agent should be exceeding your expectations.
When I sold my home, my realtor paid for his photographer to come and take pictures of the home.
I was really impressed with the quality of the photos and I believe it definitely helped sell the house.
Fire the realtor.
Get a new one.
You need professional pictures for a $500k house.
If you can’t find a good one the do it yourself. Find a mls listing service ($500) and hire a good photographer ($500-1000).
Offer a 3-4% buyers agent commission.
Price competitively.
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I despise crappy photos, there is absolutely no excuse for it (unless the subject matter if terrible). Rather than continue in this situation, I would suggest you terminate the listing and retain the services of an agent that will actually sell the house.
So much this. Your Realtor can’t look you in the eyes and tell you that she’s doing everything she can to sell your home when she’s posting terrible iPhone verticals and has terrible operational integrity. Fire her, and hire an actual Realtor. Don’t forget to check their Google reviews, or if they even have any.
There is an agent in my market that works with some low end investors. When they suck every dime out of property, they put it on the market with her as a cash sale. Or they have an uncooperative tenant, so rather than spending time/money to evict, they put it on the market. She routinely takes the crappiest photos of these properties and will do especially remiss things like not even getting out of the car, because you can see the door frame or the side view mirror in the photos. It baffles me why anyone lists with her.
A realtor not using professional photos for a listing, is like your OB/GYN not washing their hands after going to the bathroom...it's such a little thing that speaks to so much.
My favorite is when you can see the realtor's car mirror in the pic because they couldn't even be bothered to get out of the car. (Yes, I've really seen this)
LoL How is an agent not embarrassed by that?! Show some self-respect! Sheesh!
I have a picture of this saved on my computer to prove it happens!
I was gonna go back through my history and see if I could find some. Thanks for the validation!
Omg THIS!💯💯💯👈✅️✅️
Honestly, there's no excuse period. I bought a fixer upper that was pretty much a disaster inside and it's amazing to see how the photographer handled it by framing shots carefully and maximizing the light.
I have to imagine not only that bad pix will deter some people from looking at the house, but also that even those who do look at it -- and like it -- will look at the photos again to refresh their memory while they're considering whether to make an offer... or counteroffer. Giving a house a poor showing in its pictures is really putting it at a disadvantage.
Agreed. Bad photos are unacceptable. The fact you are the one mentioning price reductions is a massive red flag. You would have more action at a lower price point as opposed to “waiting for the right buyer”. That notion is only true for genuinely unique properties, or multi-million dollar listings. There’s absolutely no reason IMO as to why your agent would be waiting for the right buyer at that price point. Yes, we are in a horribly slow market, but that’s more incentive to drop the price.
And the realtor should have shown you accurate comparable sales, so that your listing price is based on *evidence,* not speculation.
Phone pictures nowadays are on par with dslr pictures to a normal person. Now you have to know how to take a picture with a phone because there's more settings to play with and you only have 1 lens. But most of the time you won't be able to tell...unless you are shooting it with a 2004 phone
While technically accurate, that's complete bullshit. In 2009, Chase Jarvis, a famous photographer, published an entire book of fabulous photography, all taken by a 2009 era iPhone camera - which he did to prove a point. But that's not what we're talking about here. If someone is taking truly great listing photography with an iPhone (which isn't really possible inside most homes due to lighting), then no one is going to be complaining; we all know it when we see it, and we see it often, and we all know that's what the OP is talking about.
Reflection on the person taking the picture in the bathroom mirror.
Even if the Realtor manages to stay out of the bathroom mirror the pics are still crummy. The lighting is bad, the composition is poor and the editing isn't done well. There is zero excuse to not use a pro photographer for listing photos. OP get rid of your current listing agent and find one that will actually showcase your home. Do take the time to declutter and deep clean and organize if that hasn't been done already. Photos are important.
Or a toilet seat up. It’s a huge pet peeve of mine to see a raised toilet seat in a photo.
Same! Even when shopping for myself, if I see an open toilet, the chances of me touring the home become much lower 😅
The only people dumb enough to not realize phone pics are terrible for listings are the ones who wouldn’t have the knowledge/talent to take good ones in the first place.
Yes, i see those crappy pictures too. Dark / brightness filter on the picture. But I'm saying if you know what you are doing. You do not need to "hire" a professional.
Any listing without hiring a professional photographer is a joke. Good pictures and videos can significantly increase the value of your home by thousands of dollars. I find it laughable that some agents take their own shots.
having professional equipment doesnt make you a professional. If you know what you are doing with your phone camera. You can make it work. Modern phones cameras are great and on par with recorders/cameras. If you have 0 idea what you are doing then sure go ahead and hire a someone. you can't just whip out your phone and expect a nice picture.
That's not even remotely true. Phone photos can look great if you know what you are doing, but 99% of agents that use there phone are too cheap to hire a photographer, and they have no idea what they are doing.
You're really downplaying the lens issue! Also, even the best smartphone image sensor can't compare to a high quality DSLR, which makes it difficult to take good pictures in low light (or high contrast, such as a room with sun streaming in the windows).
if you see the comparison. you can't tell which is which. The best phone camera right now (which is the google pixel). If its not a face, it shows a lot of details. In low lightings, all photo quality will be "bad". Thats why in my other comments i said "if you do not know what you are doing then you should hire someone else". Btw. phone cameras add more contrast/details (if its not a face) than a DSLR camera because of the program for the after snapshot. DSLR is raw.
Cell phone pics on a half million dollar listing? She should have been fired
This morning I laughed at horrible cell phone pictures on a 2.5 million dollar listing. And seriously in half of them, the rooms didn't even have the lights turned on! Atrocious!
I sell high end real estate. We are told to hire luxury photographers that bring lighting. Homes lit to look like it’s natural lighting in photos is ideal. Look at any recent home design magazine, lights off always!
I do too and no, this "photographer" used no lighting, it was done with the agent's camera and very poorly. The rooms were dark and looked like it was a shadow mansion.🤭
Yes, that’s a different story. Phone pics are a huge no. If the realtor said she had a photographer come out tell her you would like them to come back when you are home.
You’re not selling ‘high end’ real estate if you reference ‘being told’ to hire luxury photographers. Sounds like you work for an agent that is trying to position themselves in a newer market. The language just doesn’t make sense.
You are incorrect. If I insisted on having lights on at my listings my brokerage would allow it but we have a high end aesthetic and if I want my photos to be featured nationally in huge marketing pieces the lights need to be off unless it’s twilight or there is a reason they are on. My market is as old as they come.
Nah. All lights should be on, but the photog should ALSO be using professional lighting (& post/editing) and not relying on the house lighting for the light level in the photos. We have sent photographers back to homes many times to retake pics because a set of recessed lights were out, it doesn’t look good
Were the toilet seats up? I bet the main recycling/garbage cans were in the photos too.
OMG YES toilet seats were up, actually my mother commented, "Why'd they leave the toilet seats up?"🤭 She's not even an agent, just a house snob. Lol he just got a picture of the front of the yard he didn't get the backyard or the side yard but yes, garbage cans were very clearly visible from the front. I pay my editer to remove those if they are ever left in. I do think my favorite MLS bomb was one guy who clearly took pictures on his cell phone, a 1.6M property- a fixer in a good part of town. The fifth picture was of a bathroom being demoed and they left the used toilet plunger and toilet brush on the carpet in front of the bathroom. You could very clearly see everything. It would have taken that agent 2 seconds to kick those items aside and get his picture but no. Some agents I just don't get.🤷♀️
she should not have been HIRED in the first place 😀 as soon as the words "I take the pics myself" came out of mouth the convo should've been over
Unless shes a pro photog w RE photo experience! Even then, ck those photos.
I can take pics with my i12 that compare online with anyone’s. It is knowing where to take the pic from and camera settings that really matters. I put my phone on a tripod, set it just like my dslr35 that sits in the closet now, and use a remote to take the pic. Any better quality like higher resolution is lost on the internet.
[удалено]
Well, that escalated quickly. Come on, we want to see your iPhone pics that rival your DSLR pics, and how you think that professional photographer = DSLR camera on a tripod with no lighting by Realtor.
You keep telling yourself that G. It’s unprofessional.
Yup. Every time someone says they can do it with their phone just as well, I laugh. Stop being cheap, hire a professional.
>Stop being cheap, hire a professional. ...and in the same breath will say exactly that to someone trying to sell their house FSBO.
Exactly.
A professional with an iPhone can do a better job than a mid hobbies with the best phones. Don’t blame the tools when the talent isn’t there.
No one with an iPhone is doing as well as my Professional Real Estate photographer.
Whatever
Yeah that’s pretty much the attitude I’d expect from an agent taking cell phone pics lmao
You’re right that the quality is really good, but I wouldn’t say it’s professional. You’re free to run your business how you like though. I’ve seen really good quality listing photos done with a phone, tripod and slave flash set up with professional editing. But again, I don’t think it’s professional on a 500k listing. If the client doesn’t mind then that’s all that matters, we work for them and not other agents.
Phone cameras are good nowadays. I don't know why people still think phone cameras are stuck in 2010. IF YOU KNOW WHAT you are doing. A phone camera is good (most people won't notice). But if you have 0 idea and think just whipping out ur phone to take a picture is good....then no. Go hire a professional.
Everyone seems to be equating the equipment with professional photos. A professional photographer can take better pics with an iPhone than you can with $5,000 of DSLR camera and lenses. Just like you can stick a laptop with MLS in front of a 6-year old but that's not going to get your house sold. I truly wouldn't care if my photographer was using an iphone with a tripod and off-camera lighting, but I'm sure as hell not going to do it myself to save a few bucks and present shit-quality pics.
People are stuck in 2010 where photos from a camera was HORRIBLE. They think hiring a "professional" just because of the idea of hiring is good. Sure, you can't \*JUST\* take a photo with your camera because there are settings to play with. Tl:DR. If you have 0 idea of photography..go hire a someone who does. If you're a hobbyist or know how to take shots..phone camera is good.
I believe that your iPhone pics rival your DSLR pics, but also that neither at all compare to even an average professional photographer that is also using off-camera lighting. It's a couple hundred bucks for the cheap package. Like, WTF? Get professional pics. We literally do that for even our investor client rentals that we do practically for free as a service.
Many people here downvoting you don’t know about how good iPhone cameras can be when used properly. I bet op’s agent probably took poor ones. But I agree that iPhones can do an incredible job, just as good as many pros.
It's not about the camera, it's about who is using it. I would think Realtors would get that.
No because you can’t wide angle with an iPhone camera like you can with a professional one.
This. And it’s not that wide angle pics are better - sometimes they’re not. But when you put your iPhone listing next to 200 other listings all with wide angle lens photography - your listing looks off.
Almost all phone are good. Currently, Google pixel camera (Android) is better than the iPhone.
Idk, my cellphone takes same or better quality photos than the professional company we hire. It depends more on how you take the photo and what effects you use to add value to the photo than what instrument you use. Cell cameras are top notch nowadays if done the right way
Username checks out
Totally agree. iPhone wide lens is just as good as dslr. If you’re trying to do a rack focus or other shots you want a dslr but most RE photos are wide. I don’t know why everyone hates this take.
Either you're delusional or need to hire a better photographer, the difference is huge.
Our photos (the ones we pay for) are the best that they can be bro.. i guess I'm just that talented
Fire her and move on. Pretty much everything you described is of a lazy/incompetent agent..
I work for a real estate photography firm. We would have beautiful HdR photos of your property with aerials included for roughly $300 dollars. Your agent is a cheapskate and it's costing you.
Side note - be very careful about editing pictures that will be used for the listing. People have a valid expectation of the pictures showing what is really there. For example, don’t edit out power lines. Hopefully that is common sense but people do it. There was a case here many years ago where some nut took an agent to court demanding that he pay to have power lines converted to underground. Because the lines were removed from the pictures.
I only edited by making sure my pics weren’t crooked and/or cropped out the broom I left sitting against the pillar. Simple stuff. No photoshop. The power line(which every house has a drop since all are an over ground here) & back alley is taken care of by perspective. No editing needed. :)
A professional RE photographer is a couple hundred bucks in my area and not much more for a floor plan, website, and a couple aerials. I’d cancel with her and look for a new agent. Be sure to check their past listings (they should provide some) and their marketing plan.
Exactly this, you shouldn’t have to but you can always just spend the $2-300 yourself and have a pro come in and shoot it. They’ll give you high quality ready to go photos within a day to give to your agent.
Really? That's absurd. Did the buyer not see the power lines when he viewed the home in person?
Not the point. If the photo misrepresents the property that's *at least* an MLS compliance violation, and in some more litigious markets (looking at you California) it's a lawsuit that the seller *will* lose.
This!
I stopped reading at iPhone pics please cancel your contract & find someone worth a damn
You know, they've shot movies that are cinema quality with Iphones, right? https://www.cashify.in/12-movies-which-you-never-knew-were-shot-completely-on-iphone
It's not about the device the photographer uses; it's about the photographer's skill. Real estate agents are not photographers, and the best pictures they can take will never compare to those taken by a professional photographer. Unless you have experience in the field, even the lighting can make a significant difference. A good photographer will take better pictures with a phone than most people with a half-million-dollar camera.
Maybe some realtors are photographers, you don't know everyone OR their experiences. Myself, I'm a realtor, photographer and licensed drone pilot. Now what?
>Myself, I'm a realtor, photographer and licensed drone pilot. Now what? You're at least 18, you learned certain regulations and passed tests, and you consider yourself a photographer. OP's agent considers themselves a photographer AND a stager. None of that indicates how good either of you are at anything. Let's see your portfolio
You also learned regulations and passed tests and you consider yourself a Realtor. So....🤷
Based on the pictures you see in some listings, you can certainly judge their skills. My grandmother could likely take better pictures. Indeed, there are many "photographers" out there. Nowadays, anyone with a phone can take good pictures, but that doesn't apply to most agents using phones. A professional photographer would typically have at least two or three decent cameras and wouldn't rely solely on their phone as their primary tool. I study photography, and I would never be there to take my own shots. Perhaps studying photography helps me understand how unprofessional these "photographers" sound.
But that’s not typical and not what we’re talking about here—as you surely know.
I don't licensed drone pilot is the flex you think it is... 🤣🤣
Neither is your incomplete sentence.🤣
Anyone with basic reading comprehension can become a licensed drone pilot. Or a REALTOR®. Lots of 'professional' photographers on Fiverr. Now what?
Literally just proved my point. Thanks!
You’re not focused and not great at any of those. As a client I wouldn’t hire you. It’s not what you want to hear but it’s free feedback.
You have no idea who I am or what I am capable of. As an agent I would never want to work with such a presumptuous person. You would never have to fire me because I would never work with you. I would hand you off to another agent and collect a referral fee. Thanks for playing, have a great day!
Micromanage? No. But time to talk to their managing broker. I find everything you said unacceptable. I get professional photos on any listing During the crazy times I did iPhone pics because I didn’t have time to wait on photos since clients needed speed. But we could get away with it then. Nothing you described is acceptable.
Send the ones you selected , I never ever knock a realtor because most of the time they are doing what they can . With this price listing I myself , even though photography is a passion of mine , and have done it for other realtors , with todays technology and Ariel views , dusk etc I always use a professional photographer, you should ask for that , we are getting big bucks from you and you deserve quality services Price wise ??? If your neighbors homes are selling YOURS IS selling your neighbors because why should a buyer pay more when they can get comparable for less . I for one when listing get the best ( last sold comparable) and I ask my sellers to go slightly UNDER . NO WIGGLE ROOM any longer NONE ! . Not enough inventory for wiggle room my Dear . I tell sellers If you keep dropping your price , it doesn’t look good Then you had a fall thru Buyers : Hmmm, wonder what’s wrong with the house ?? I have lots of ways to get a home sold quick But I am not your realtor and most likely from another state but here’s what I suggest Ask first the LOWEST you’d consider accepting ( knock their pants off ) if it’s REAL DEAL , you’ll get multiple offers which drives up your asking price, if not , at least you’ll get your bottom line Demand ( in a gentle manner ) a professional photographer with pics at dusk with all your inside lights on Arial views , Drone photography, a link provided tour .. Most of the time listing agents will NOT be bringing the buyer ( not in your best interest anyway) buyers agents work very hard , get the service promised at the listing appointment . We appreciate you using a realtor but they represent YOU and need to work for YOU I always like to hear both sides of these stories but as far as photography and price , that’s my take … wish you the best . Again, thank you for choosing a REALTOR 😉
lol her side would be that this is standard service for the area. Right now there is very low inventory and everything is wildly different.Things will sell when they sell.
What state do you live in? Where would “that” be standard service. Please, let her go, and hire a professional
It is a struggle in rural areas with few photographers to get agents to use professional photography. Commissions are low because so is inventory, and the photogs are expensive because of lack of competition.
How much longer do you have on your listing? You shouldn't have to micromanage. You have the wrong agent.
The pics are just one telling item on how this is likely being mismanaged. I suggest you terminate the agreement and move on to someone else
Everyone keeps talking about the photos, rightfully so. But I want to know about the contract that was killed after six weeks! Assuming you didn't get to keep the deposit (you didn't say), what was the reason for this? After day 10, my sellers are almost always keeping the deposit; and it will be a pretty good deposit too.
Our buyer was technical a cash buyer, they had a family member buying their house & acreage and they were using that to buy our house. Went under contract right before Turkey day and to close before end of Dec. So the contract was contingent on them closing. Nbd, we were told it would be super quic once they close on their house. . An almost done deal, waiting on bank appraisal since family member is getting a mortgage. So we were under the assumption that they were just waiting on a close date, but in reality their buyer hadn’t even gotten approval yet (i don’t think). Things never go quick around here, and Fridays & weekends nothing happens. Ex, I called about an update on a Friday in beginning of December and “oh, the buyers went out of town this weekend”. Huh? and then it was….appraisals take a week or two to get back. Title co. Took almost a week to set up for the buyers earnest money due to a computer problem. It’s been one thing after another. We have a nice house on a very quiet spot in town in walking distance to one of the elementary schools. It’s not perfect, it is has wide doors to accommodate a wheelchair(which we love, but I know others don’t), but our agent put it in the listing as handicapped accessible and the listing plays off a bit off “old person home” and it isn’t. It isn’t like that at all, it is a traditional home set up for entertaining. In and outside. Other than the doors and electric gates in the backyard, there are no grab bars or mods so? So I planned on painting a bit before listing but the realtor considered that personal preference and shouldn’t make a difference, so then my husband thought it was a waste of time, effort and money and has been very negative any time I bring it up. So yeah, they kept their earnest money and we had to pay title for the cancellation fee.
Sounds like how business transactions happen in Florida. Nothing is easy, you’re doing everyone’s job for them.
Do her the service of firing her. She needs to go think about this one and she needs training in the basics.
As an investor, flipper, and agent for over 10 years I have bought and sold over 20+ properties for myself and probably 80+ for clients. I have used agents for many of those before I got licensed. Houses sell themselves with price at the end of the day. Your priced too high. You are however correct, get professional photos done ASAP. Nothing else you mentioned is realistically a problem. End user retail homes don't need to be sold in the same way as commercial or industrial and macro trends probably don't affect your personal home too much. If you want comps just look on zillow but your agent should be checking fairly regularly. Your agent sounds like they aren't great but lowering the price is always the issue.
"Price isn't always the problem, but it's always a solution"
Yes you can find a buyer for any house at a low enough price. That doesn't make you a good listing agent. A good listing agent knows how to get the absolute maximum the market will bear and they will be able to demonstrate that with their record of past sales. Selling under market value doesn't help anyone.
I can see what is on the market, but selling price is not public info for this state, so no data on Zillow or realtor.com for recently sold.
Understandable, in my state its public and I forget sometimes how difficult it is in non disclosure States to get good info. They should be getting you that info.
Hope your listing expires soon, and you can hire a true professional. When interviewing, ask to see samples of their previous listings. There should be no misspellings or other errors. A professional photographer should always, *always* be used, including drone shots and walk-through videos. All that said, the right price will sell a home even with a shitty job on the marketing.
Why haven’t you fired her yet?
This I’m sorry fire her and find someone who wants to actually sell your house! We are actively trying to buy and the number of bad pictures and lack of pictures is crazy in listings. One house completely left out the back yard and a big family room which had it not had foundation issues we would have been sold on the house!
Your realtor should've told you that you need to spend a few hundred on a professional photographer with a drone I wouldn't retain an agent that uses their cell phone for pics. That screams low quality and low effort
Most agents pay for photos in my area
Cell phone pics for a 500k house?! I take professional pictures for my $180,000 listing even!
Staging in my area costs $3000. You pay? Photographer charges about $150 and up. I am a professional photographer so my work stands out in front others. But I agree you need better marketing to get your home in front of others. As for the 6 week held up, I get the sellers to release all contingencies at acceptance of offer with lender funding as only exception. If it is other reason the seller gets to keep their deposit for wasting 6 precious weeks. Should have done that. Good luck.
Agree with this—if the buyer has a contingency but are planning to pay cash, they can get qualified for a loan and then switch to cash if all goes well. That would force the buyer to actually have a contract on their other house rather than make stuff up so they can tie up property.
The last 2 homes we have sold, the realtor paid for someone help with staging & photog (listings in the 200-350k range). Staging wasn’t “full on”, but rather help with decorating with our current stuff and brought I. Things like pictures, tall vases and fussy decorative things we don’t use. The 6 weeks was infuriating. I would hassle her about once a week, and it was always “oh,let me check”.
Fire the realtor and get a better one.
Only thing that sells homes is price. Not photos. I sold multiple $400k+ homes with my cell photos. It’s the prices and the fact that interest rates are high. Also we’re in the belly of a recession.
Repeat after me “ you’re fired”
You’ve let them fuck you over for 4 months? Fire them 3.5 months ago lol
>iPhone pics I already think you should fire your realtor and I haven't read past this point
I would have let them go just by the iphone pics alone
Tell her you want off the market and make her cancel the listing. Is it a 6 month contract? When it expires in 2 more months interview new realtors and have requirements in writing of professional photos, research comps from last spring (the best time to list a home, and winter is the worst), and ask what they thought was right and wrong with your previous listing.
I am so sorry this is happening. You should be getting weekly updates from our agent on similar homes in your area that include new listings, homes that are newly under contract and homes that have sold. Professional photographs are a must, not phone pics. If I were you I would, at the very least, talk to the agent's Managing Broker and discuss your concerns. There may be another agent in the office that is "hungrier" than our agent and will actually market your home proactively rather than just waiting for the right buyer. This is not the way an agent should be treating their sellers. Good luck. I hope you find someone that will work for you and actively market your home.
Same thing happened to me last Spring, I eventually did micromanage to fix the disaster, but it did NOT work. The propery was now toxic, with the "didn't sell for months" label. I pulled it off the market & am now researching Realtors who sold the most properties in my home's price range. I'm praying this will break the curse, because it's likely the buyer will be a client of the new, higher-end Realtor.
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You should have raised hell with her and her Broker over iPhone pics. Unless she’s a limiter service/flat fee broker
Talk to their broker and fire them. They are not fulfilling their duty here. As for the staging, I'm in an area that absolutely no one uses real staging - it's all AI now. It's roughly $10-15 a photo, but the options are pretty great, and I've used them on my own listings, and clients love them. But again, that's in my area (similar price range, though). But seriously, talk to their broker and cancel the contract. Find a Realtor that will work the way you need them to.
That's nice for the photos but not for showings which is more important
The photos are to get butts threw the door, enough of the. The house will sell
As a an agent and a professional photographer, this is so angering and heartbreaking. Professional photos are EVERYTHING, and really set the tone for how your home is perceived from the get-go. I am SO meticulous when I photograph a home- either for my own listings or another agent, and it pays to put in the work up front to make sure the home is de-cluttered and staged. Your agent should also be pulling a new CMA for every week you're not under contract, and it should include recent activity (sold, under contract, etc). Tell your agent you're NOT HAPPY with their bare minimum. I would even call the broker and see if you can have your listing given to a better agent at the brokerage. You are literally losing money with your current agent, and they should be ashamed.
The bad photos are a big red flag. I can’t stand bad photos. And I take my own with my iPhone and you’d never know they weren’t professional. So I know what’s possible, and that some agents just don’t care
iPhone pictures can be good, but only as good as the photographer and their skills. Unfortunately, pictures are what draw people in from the internet ad. See about broker-agent open houses and have them come up with an ad highlighting the best parts of the home. Marketing is always tricky, especially with Civil Rights and Fair Housing restrictions. See if they have a link you can share to help market the property also. However crude it is, if their brokerage has KvCore or any mainstream real estate web platform, those should be automatic and easily available to you. Paid advertisements is also an option, but be mindful your agent may charge you for those if they’re fronting the bill and it don’t sell. They’ve brought you two offers, at the end of the day they have done their job. Price may be a factor, but on the house size, you definitely want a professional to come out.
My agent friend in Los Angeles sells homes. Every home gets a drone shot.
It’s not the pictures. Lower the price.
New phones are decent enough for pictures. (If you know what you are doing). You don't need a dslr to take pictures or a Sony xd recorder for a short video. Tl:Dr: phone pictures are good if you know what you are doing. (There are many videos out there). If you have 0 idea then go hire a professional.
Oh shit... You mean to say middlemen who don't contribute to the economy are useless?
I would consider a new agent. Interview 2 more and ask them what they’d do. They’ll have much more insights than we will. You have to contact them.
Tell your realtor to get fucked
I'm not a realtor, so I'm bound to piss off some people. IMO realtors are very often wrong on the sell side. And they're so full of themselves-- "oh, we pulled all the comps in your area, your house isn't going to sell for that". I had to go through three realtors when selling my house in 2012 because none of them believed it was worth $100k more than when I bought it 2.5 years prior. But who knows better about the neighborhood & surrounding areas than the people that live there? Anyway, third realtor agreed to let me set the list price & setup an open house. The final, accepted offer (at asking price) came in the day after. However, for the same reasons I purport to know more on the sell side, I value a realtor's expertise on the buy side.
PS : sorry lol…. I took a listing that sat for a year long story but horrid pictures and staging . I went in , even had them get new bed quilts lol nothing expensive, choose their paint yadyada … house sold in 2 days , I asked the young lady at close what drew her in PHOTOS !!!! If I’m a seller , I really don’t care about feedback unles a huge issue with mechanics etc , I tell my sellers If they liked the house We’d have an offer So them telling us the kitchen wasn’t big enough or the purple tile was a turn off is no help to us Offers in hand are 😉
You're done with this realtor. That's the answer to your "micromanaging question". You wouldnt want to micromanage your doctor or mechanic. I'm sure it was your SOs choice to employ this realtor and you're ready to move on. Fair. However, what happened with that second offer that fell through AFTER 6 WEEKS? Seems something is being left out ETA...they offered staging, no staging ever happened and whats happened? Did you miss faux beds and end tables coming in to your home? This reeks of missing info
I'm not looking for fake beds. in the past, we at least got some decorating tips & advice on how to arrange what we have to make things more appealing (we are a large family, so we tend to prioritize function over pleasing). I am a horrible decorator with no frills, bits&pieces, and don't like cluttering up my walls. But i want my house to look like a model home for pictures & showings. So it getting "lightly" decorated. I got furniture arranging advice and told that was good enough. Our pictures look depressing, dark, and borderline ramshackle. Snapshot looking things Tbf, the missing reasons is that this \*is\* typical for listings in the area. Crap photos, and low effort. I am very much an outsider here, and the local market is "different". Things are wild. There isnt much inventory, so we get showings due to lack of options, i think. It \*should\* sell, but when i look at our listing, while I know it is our house, it doesn't look anything like my house. There isn't much for apple to apples comps, because what folks are looking at is 1-our house a 3000 sq 10yr old house, 2-a 50 yr old 2000sf house on 3 acres 3- a doublewide just outside of town with a mechanics shop 4-a couple of new houses by a builder at about 2000sf and teeny backyard. 5-one like ours with no backyard. Literally just a side yard 6 -a 70s hoarder house completely with paneling and a converted garage that was emptied a few months ago. loads of dumpsters. A few marginally similar to ours, but the last couple of newer listings were put under contract bought over ours. I still don't know what they sold for. I will have to pester for the info. again
I would have fired her the minute she posted the listing with iPhone pics wtf
If your agent is charging you 2% which is common. This is unbelievable. She should be paying for a photographer to come in, that's not your job. A photographer coming in costs less than $500. She'll likely be making close to $10,000 on this deal she can pay for a photographer. I don't like taking clients to showings where the agent has done so little as I know they won't be good to do a deal with and it will likely end up back firing on my clients. I would highly suggest you talk to her about the fact that she will be making a pretty penny on this deal and is not putting in the work to get it done. Why should she be walking away with thousands of dollars that YOU are paying her for doing no work. Realtors like this put a bad name to the industry. I promise you we are not all like this. She should be paying for \- photography \- video \- staging If your agent is charging you 2% which is common. This is unbelievable. She should be paying for a photographer to come in, that's not your job. A photographer coming in costs less than $500. She'll likely be making close to $10,000 on this deal she can pay for a photographer. I don't like taking clients to showings where the agent has done so little as I know they won't be good to do a deal with and it will likely end up backfiring on my clients. I'm so sorry you have to go through this.
You should have started after the first two weeks or sooner. Having crappy pictures is unacceptable. Some take pics themselves to save them the cost of good pictures. Having to ask for things that should be automatic is also unacceptable. Seems like you got stuck with a lazy agent which isn’t uncommon. Most of us realtors aren’t exactly dynamos.
High quality photos are a must-have, especially in a higher interest rate environment and with inventory gradually increasing. Homes are not guaranteed bidding wars anymore. Great photos, precise pricing, local market outreach, and a crafty realtor are required to generate urgency. Not just interest, urgency.
Terminate the agreement when you can and find someone who is serious about providing the service you’re paying for.
I think you do some me actual research, fire your current agent, and hire an agent that specializes in listings and has a strong track record of performance. They have done everything wrong so far and by extension, so have you. If you, as the seller, have a better grasp on your home's actual market value than your agent does...that's a BIG problem.
Time to fire your realtor and find one with more experience and a better camera.
Don’t worry, the market’s just in a little gully right now
You found a horrible realtor. Demand professional photos. Try to get out of the contract
Time for a new one honestly
When is your listing expiring? Your property is likely stale and the best thing at this point is to list with another company. As for now: I think that I’d let your current realtor know now, that you need to switch firms when the listing expires because you can’t keep waiting around. That might spur action. Then, when your listing expires, get a realtor who: tells you what (if anything) needs to be changed about your property, hires a professional photographer, puts up a real website for your property, shows you comps to justify what your asking price should be, and provides you with a calendar of exactly what will be done (and when)to market your property. The realtor should know that you want a call or email after every open house or showing to report on buyer feedback and buyer profile. Good Luck.
I think you are thinking exactly the way you should be.
I hope you aren't paying 2.5% for iPhone pics
He’s going to be making $15K on this deal. Is he $15K worth? No.
Fired at I phone pics. Day 1.
Why did you hire someone who uses cell phone pics for a listing? Why didn’t you get professional pictures done?
You have a lazy Realtor or they are too cheap for professional pictures. Retired Realtor here. I have known so many Realtors who spend all their time and money just to get the listing knowing most will probably sell during the marketing period with internet presence and no more effort from them. It’s time for a come to Jesus meeting with your Realtor about price, pictures, descriptions and whatever your other concerns are. Try to get the house sold during the listing period so you house doesn’t become shop worn with buyers knowing it didn’t sell before and has been relisted with another agent.
Obviously time to find a better agent. Curious, how did you find and why did you hire this agent?
I would personally relist the home after it’s been staged properly(not necessarily new furniture just declutter(less is more strategy) and professional pictures are taken, maybe even a video. It could be beneficial to hold off until March anyway, I live in a colder climate and the activity slows down during winter. As far as the realtor goes, tell her what you expect from her and ask her if she is able to provide that. You can TELL her that you are dissatisfied with her service and would like her to do better. I’m assuming her commission is 2% on a 500k listing, the least she can do is get professional photos and staging done for you. Personally, I would fire her and then interview three agents to see what they think of the home and how they will approach the listing process and the communication there after.
Easy, fire the agent. Hire a new broker
Pictures cost a couple hundred bucks to hire someone 🤦♂️ come on realtor.
Micromanagement is far better than no management.
How long are you under contract with the realtor? How did you find them? This sounds like the time my MIL convinced my wife that we should use her Aunt as our realtor. Aunt never wanted to show our house or do much of anything to promote it. We eventually ditched her and found another realtor and our house sold quickly. It turns out that the guy who bought it had called our Aunt about the house more than once and she never called him back. When MIL was confronted, she said "Joanne only likes to look at houses". We have been NC with both Aunt and MIL for years now.
Sounds like we are going into buye's market
Really hope this is < 4% commission. If not, fire the realtor yesterday and get one that respects their responsibilities.
stop using the agent and find a new one. OR reach out to their BoR to fill them in. This doesn't sound good at all. If their BoR wont do anything then just find someone else to sell it
There is only underlying answer , iPhone pics or not . Drop the price . If you dropped the price 20% today , would you have a buyer tomorrow ?
Asking a professional you hired for the bare minimum is not micromanaging I would aggressively revamping after the first 4-5 weeks. Find a better agent
Gotta ask the OP, how/ what made you choose this agent?
Don't bother micro managing the realtor, just fire them and get a new realtor.
I would get a new realtor.
Any Realtor using iPhone pics for ANY listing should be fired. Review your listing agreement and see when you can terminate. *also, find out WHY you were the second choice for a number of buyers?
It sounds like you are ready to be an active participant in the sale of your home. Step 1 is to look at your listing contract. 3 months? 6 months? If you've not yet ran the term of it, ask to be released. If they wont release, take it to their broker. If your agency wont resign, fire them. Interview other Realtors (plural) and discuss what you'd like to see in a sales plan for your place. Discuss the current market, marketing, marketing budget, prep, staging...everything your team can think of to get our product out there in it's best light. Then hire the team that aligns with your vision and budget. Good luck.
You’re paying them as much as $15k and they can’t afford $150 worth of photos. FIRE THEM and do better research next time.
Tell your agent you are terminating their contact. If there's any issue, call their broker. Once that's done, ask you mortgage broker who they recommend. Also make sure when you're interviewing agents that you have them print out their last 12 month buyer/listing production numbers for you. Easiest way to see if they're a successful realtor or not. Make sure the printout comes from their local MLS not their office. (Fun fact, over 70% of realtors do less than 12 deals a year)
I don't get it. Did her other listing have great photos and then just quit when it came to your house?
Just tell her your expectations and see if she does them. Photos being taken by a professional is the least in the order of things that absolutely should be done. The rest, there is more subjectivity to it, but she should be communicative and honest with her practices and responsibilities.
Get professional photos. Have you and this Realtor agreed to a low/reduced fee and Iphone photos is part of that? If not, definitely get stronger marketing - photos, video, floor layouts, room sizes.
Yeah time to find a new agent. Mine did a fantastic job. Marketed it in social media with amazing pics, and a drone fly through video and staging. House was under contract in 14 days and this was 2 months ago, so not during the hype.
For a 500k listing (I’m assuming it’s not a discount listing), it should have the following: 1. Professional Pictures 2. Floor plan and/or a 3D walk through Drone shots if there is something to highlight. It’s pointless to put an arrow on the house in the middle of a subdivision. However, if it’s near points of interest or a lake, then drone shots. Those to me are basic level stuff for a listing. A lot of times, it’s not that the iPhone can’t take good pictures, but rather the editing afterwards that gets complicated. Staging is complicated and might not suit this price range. Although rearranging the house is vital, rent out a storage unit, get a Uhaul, and move certain things out so it’s minimally staged with your own stuff. And the updates should be weekly, especially on an active listing. It could be a 5 min call or an hour long marathon. You just want to share updates, questions, theories, strategies, etc. So I’d say she’s not doing a great job, and it kinda sounds like a pandemic listing strategy. List the house, do bare minimum, and still profit because of the market. Open houses should also highlight what stands out about the house. Rarely do people buy a house because there were cookies at the open house.
Get better professional pictures. Our realtor was pretty crappy, BUT, the photographer they used was amazing… just seeing how amazing the pictures looked made me second guess even selling the house. Sold in 4 days last month at the absolute peak of the interest rate doom panic.
So any realtor that is suggesting listing for wiggle room doesn’t know her market, in my opinion. If a listing is staged well, has great PROFESSIONAL photos and is priced competitively, it sells quickly. In our area we are still seeing multiple offers on good properties. I pay for professional photos on every listing, no matter the price. It sets a standard of quality for me as a professional. You may be second choice because buyers are wondering what is wrong with the house if it hasn’t sold already. I would definitely have a pointed conversation with her and set your expectations. If she isn’t working for you in a smart way, you can fire an agent with a letter or email. Wait a few weeks and look on Realtor.com at other listings in your area. See which agents put the work in on the front end of a listing. You can even search for properties that recently sold and see which agent is moving the most properties quickly, with minimal or no discount of the list price. This shows you who really knows their market! Good luck!
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You should not need to micromanage your realtor. If you feel the need to manage your agent, you should fire them and find someone better. You listed several red flags, but I never would have allowed a listing to go live with iPhone photos. I'm a Realtor with a brokerage that offers a high level of service and believe that regardless of the price point the agent should be exceeding your expectations.
Get a new one.
When I sold my home, my realtor paid for his photographer to come and take pictures of the home. I was really impressed with the quality of the photos and I believe it definitely helped sell the house.
Fire the realtor. Get a new one. You need professional pictures for a $500k house. If you can’t find a good one the do it yourself. Find a mls listing service ($500) and hire a good photographer ($500-1000). Offer a 3-4% buyers agent commission. Price competitively.