Are realtors allowed to post heavily photoshopped images of houses they're trying to sell?
So I found a house I really loved and decided to visit it in person because I had a really good feeling about it. The location, price, etc, were all perfect. But in person, it was a completely different house. I swear it must have beenn photoshopped in the pictures diplayed on the website because it was far smaller looking in person, the paint was just a horrible color, and some of the roof needed a bit of repair as far as aesthetics go. I was incredibly dissappointed and felt like I had been led on. Are realtors allowed to post photoshopped pictures of houses they're trying to sell? Am I just naive or is this wrong?
Answers ( 2 )
Are realtors allowed to post photos which have been... enhanced? Sure! After all, caveat emptor (buyer beware) and all that. Who buys a house without seeing it- or, at least, having a trusted agent seeing it?
The other point you may wish to make sure of, however, is whether the realtor took the photos, at all. Photographing real estate, especially all-important 360-degree photography, is an up-and-coming side job business; drones for the exterior, fish-eye lenses for some of the interior, and 360-degree captures for larger spaces. That's some good coin wrapped up in equipment, and realtors are soft touches for farming out tedious jobs.
But, it is possible, the realtor has not actually seen the property, only the photos. In which case, if it were me, I'd be on the phone with the realtor- or the broker- asking what the heck happened?
And, of course, let them know the house is definitely off your short list because of it.
I am a Real Estate Broker in South Carolina, recently joined The Sage Board. I would like to answer your question:
“Are realtors allowed to post photoshopped pictures of houses they are trying to sell? “
“Whether we are photographing and editing listing images ourselves or we have hired a professional photographer to do the job, we must ensure that photos are a true representation of a property. We cannot retouch pictures to cover up significant property imperfections or repair issues; doing so could violate the REALTORS® Code of Ethics. Article 12 of the Code says, “REALTORS® shall be honest and truthful in their real estate communications and shall present a true picture in their advertising, marketing, and other representations.”