Some years ago, I was working with a buyer who wanted an older, brick home...something that was structurally sound but cosmetically challenged. I had no trouble finding 10 or 12 options in his designated area and price range.
Determined to see ALL of the homes in one day, we began our journey with a certain vigor. The first two homes were okay...but my buyer wanted a big backyard...which neither had. The third home was tenant-occupied and appeared to have severe water damage to the foundation sill. Moving on to the fourth home, my client was really excited.
From the MLS pictures and description, home #4 seemed to be the perfect home for my client. It was a 1960's brick Ranch, with three bedrooms and two baths. It had hardwood floors throughout and a large, eat-in kitchen. Best of all, the home was situated on an almost .75 acre wooded lot...just a few miles from downtown Raleigh. My buyer was convinced that...after seeing home #4...his search would be over. I was equally hopeful.
Pulling into home #4's long driveway, I immediately sensed that something was not quite right. I grabbed the MLS sheet...to verify that I was at the right house. YES...it was the correct address...but it was definitely NOT the same home...or was it?
The MLS sheet showed a well-maintained brick home with a nicely manicured lot. With overgrown bushes and tall weeds for a lawn...this home appeared to have been abandoned for years. There was something else missing...or added. In the MLS photo, you could clearly see the whole front of the home...with only one small tree in front of the bedroom window. That ‘small tree' had grown a little since the MLS photo had been taken...about 35 or 40 feet to be more specific. It was so large, in fact, that the whole side of the house was hidden.
Somewhat speechless, we made our way up the front steps and into the front door. Pausing in the doorway, I could hardly believe my eyes. The gorgeous hardwood floors (from the photos) were partially torn up...leaving exposed beams and holes to the basement below. There was garbage and debris scattered from one end of the home to the other...with at least 10 bags of garbage stacked in the kitchen area. Most of the windows in the home were cracked or completely missing, and the ceiling was falling down throughout the home. The dated appliances were nowhere to be found, and the bathrooms had NO TOILETS. There was nothing (ABSOLUTELY NOTHING) about the house that even remotely matched the pictures in the MLS. As you can imagine, home #4 was a huge disappointment and a complete waste of our time.
Driving to the next listing, I gave Mr. Listing Agent a call about home #4...but he must have been too busy falsifying information in the MLS to take my call. I did leave him a ‘sweet' message...asking for a return call at his earliest convenience. Two days later, he had still not found a convenient time to call me back...so I called him again...leaving another ‘sweet' message...
"Hi Mr. Listing Agent, this is Elizabeth Nieves AGAIN. I showed your listing on Liars Lane the other day, and I am calling to report that someone has broken in and vandalized your listing. You need to get over there right away, because the damage is extensive. They have torn up the beautiful, hardwood floors. The appliances are missing. There is garbage everywhere, and they EVEN stole the toilets! OH...they did leave one clue behind. I think the vandals are landscapers, because...after they totally trashed the house...they planted a 40 foot tree in the front yard. Have a wonderful day!"
The Moral of the story:
'FLUFF' is the 'STUFF' in the middle of an oreo cookie.
THIS IS MISREPRESENTATION!
Rule #1 (of Elizabeth's R.E. Rule Book) ***NO NAKED PEOPLE ALLOWED TO 'POP OUT' DURING SHOWING***
Written and Posted by:
Elizabeth Nieves - Broker, REALTOR®
The Elizabeth Nieves Realty Group @ Keller Williams (A Bilingual Real Estate Team serving Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill NC and surrounding areas.)
Search Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and ALL Triangle Homes for Sale
Hi Elizabeth ... LOVE the new picture. Good choice. I'm sorry, but I'm laughing here, at this story. I know it wasn't funny for you at the time, but what else can you do with listing agents like this? You did good girl!
same goes with Real estate agents photos!!! I agree
Oh my...I don't think I've run across anything that bad! I have seen a listing where information was copied from a previous MLS data sheet before it had been remodeled. The MLS sheet had too many bedrooms, too few bathrooms, a window unit for AC and wall unit for heat when a central H/AC had been added to the house, a garage and carport when there was no garage...I could go on. It was obvious that the listing agent had: a) never been in the house, or b) didn't care about getting the information correct. I just don't get it...
Did you ever hear back from the agent?
Elizabeth - I know this wasn't funny for you or your buyer when you showed this home but I had to laugh because this really does happen. Agents who puff up their listings with this kind of fluff by copying old MLS photos are definitely misrepresenting the property and their clients. Too bad the guilty parties probably won't even see this post!
By the way, I just love your new picture! GBU!
Elizabeth, you will ALWAYS be a sweetie of mine, because you leave such "sweet" messages. What a riot. Hey, what's with the 40 foot tree?? You are precious!!
At least your sense of humor survived through the shock! Priceless description of your phone message to the listing agent -- I would have loved to see photos of that one!
Elizabeth, isn't that something! The agent must have found the former owner's scrapbook and scanned the photo's of better days goneby. The FORTY FOOT tree is what gets me!
Elizabeth: Well, what about that?! A 40' tree mysteriously appeared in the front yard! I've had days like that too and just know that tomorrow will be a better day! GBU sweetie!
Did they have a little kid in the pictures as well? Maybe that was the current 45yr old sleeping on the pull out couch in the family room in the middle of the day!
Well... I have come across the latter at least!
HA HAAAAAAAAAA! This is funny! Well at least you got to vent it here!
That was good. Thanks for making my night.
Not pleasant for you. A scream for us! Thanks. I love this business.
Not pleasant for you. A scream for us! Thanks. I love this business.
Funny the way you put it here - LOL - but if nothing else, it wastes our time. I try to paint a clear picture of a home for sale. I have an advantage here in Mesquite - it is so small that if I haven't already seen the house, I preview it before showing it. I love surprises - but not that kind.
Love your new picture - you look so happy - do your new daughters have something to do with that?
That would be funny had you not been with clients. Did the agent think you wouldn't notice the difference?
Eli - You tell 'em! I have encountered this type of thing in the past, and I have been less than cordial when I call the listing agent to ask where in the world they got their information and photos from. One agent had the gall to tell me, "Oh, I just used the ones from the last time it sold."
When I looked back at the history on the house .... the last sale had been 19 years earlier. Now go figure!
Good post, sis! GBU!
Ok.. you are too funny - I should know never to read your posts while sipping soda - one of these times I will short circuit my computer - did he ever call you back?
I think they should be taken within this decade.
Oh wait... I think I misread the title. :-)
Well Elizabeth I would have liked to have been a fly on the wall when Mr. Lister listened to your message! You wouldn't give his a broker a call to update him on the status of his company's listing would you? :-) Perfect chapter for your new book.........can i have an autographed copy ? :-)
It's no wonder many people hate realtors!
Is this an ethics violation, Elizabeth??
Can the ganmet be brought in fron of the Board of Realtors for misrepresenting this home on the MLS?
I love your new photo! You look very approachable and relaxed, and happy =) And if you were in this area, I'd swear we had worked with the same agent recently =)
I think people get this idea from looking at the obituaries. Yep, I said obituaries. You've seen them right? The ones where their college picture is shown even when they passed away at 92?
Ditto on loving your new photo!
Wow I have walked into a house that didn't really look like the photos, but what you just describe is completely ridiculous!
I can relate to your experience. I just last weekend showed a listing to a client on a $3 million+ house. When we got there, the backyard was a mess..translation we could barely enter the property. The house, which showed some nice photos, was almost as bad. Somehow the listing agent forgot the small detail that the house had not been renovated YET! Needless to say my clients and I were stupefied and moved quickly on to the next showing.
Nice photo!...I would have never recognized you...to me it's totally different from the other...as for the MLS photos go....I've seen my photos stolen by other agents on only a few listings that didn't sell..and were taken over by another agent...thankfully I've only had maybe 2-3 that never sold...that's good in this market but those listings are still on the market so I can't complain. I've also seen photos from 4 yrs earlier that when I showed up...it looked nothing like the home now.
Elizabeth, nice way to highlight the difference between marketing and misrepresentation. The misrepresentation wastes everyone's time. I like your photo, too. Who's that other girl on the header?
Elizabeth that sounds like blatant misrepresentation to me. It seems like the owner was in on it to.
How many different ways can you say ouch. This agent needs to be shot...by the realtor board and by their client. Just not right....
I wondered where I left my 40 foot oak tree!?!?!
Love the new photo!! You look 5 years younger!! (so, about 19 now!)
SHARON: Thank you, ma'am! I have only made a call like that one other time...but it just felt like the right thing to do. GBU!
JAMES: I agree. There is one top agent in my market whose photo is over 30 years old...seriously. There is another one who had her college graduation picture as her main photo until a year ago. She is at least 60 years old. Go figure!
DEIDRE: NOPERS...he never found time to return my call. I suppose that...after receiving my message...he thought it better NOT to speak to me in person. I'm sure he got MY MESSAGE though. :-) GBU!
DONNA: I don't remember his name, but I'm pretty sure that he is no longer in the business...around here at least. Lazy, dishonest real estate agents need to find another profession. This current market has probably weeded out quite a few of them. THANKS & GBU!!
GARY: Thank you, my friend! My husband says that I'm the sweetest, little ball of fire in the world!! GBU!
MARGARET: You can never give up your sense of humor. These type of situations have given me more good material for my book than you can imagine. This is just the tip of the iceberg! GBU!
DEBBIE: It was a really, big TREE! LOL I don't know where he got the photos...but I'm pretty sure he did not take them himself. GBU!
DEBE: YUPPERS...those vandalizing landscapers left it behind. That was nice of them, huh? GBU!
LOL @ MATT! I did not see the 'sleeping beauty' but it would have been difficult to find him in all the MESS! GBU!
MARLENE: What is blogging for, my friend? Besides, our clients and colleagues are kind enough to give us this great material...we've gotta use it! GBU!
TERRI: At your service! THANKS for stopping by and GBU!
BRIAN: Actually...I felt rather good after I left him that message. My husband took me out for a nice lunch, and we laughed like crazy just thinking about the agent's face when he listened to my message. GBU!
VIRGINIA: Thank you so much! YES...my girls are definitely a joy to me. I am soooooooo blessed! GBU!
RICHARD: Good point! I mean...did he think that we would walk in and say "Oh well...it's a little messy...but nice!?!" GBU!
CAROL: 19 years earlier? WOW! And the agent admitted it? Tells you something, huh? GBU, sis!!
THESA: NEVER called me back...NEVER! I think he got my message, though. Whatcha think? I REALLY did tell him exactly what I wrote. I even started the message out as if I actually believed it had been vandalized, but sarcasm got the best of me. GBU!
CHUCK: It was late at night when you read. Your eyes were playing tricks on ya! GBU!
LIZ: Reserving you a copy right now!! GBU!
Hey Elizabeth,
Up here, our MLS calls that 'Copyright Infringement.' We are only allowed to use photos we have taken, or photos we have been given permission to use.
Check your MLS rules - up here agents get a hefty fine for 'adapting someone else's photos.'
Here is another one - Code of Ethics states agents are required to present an accurate representation of offerings in their marketing. This one is way out of bounds.
BTW, Great New Photo! Hope everything is going well with your Girls!
Take care, Laurie
I really love your new profile pic!
And yup....please make sure there are pictures....let alone good recent ones. So many here don't even take ONE picture. How are they going to even market without pictures?
How funny. This happens more than we realize. I really loved your message you left. The agent probably never even got the message.
Hi Elizabeth, I am giggling at the phone message you left the guy!! I know it's not funny but you never know about those photos.. Speaking of photos, beautiful new pic of you! Gee, I was about not to recognize my friend! God bless you.
Elizabeth,
I love your ending line "fluff is the stuff in the middle of an oreo cookie". Some agents are too lazy to figure out how to take new pictures. This is truly misrepresentation or bait & switch. I don't understand what the agent thinks he/she is doing for the client? Oh well.....on to the next house.
Have a great day
Leander
Elizabeth - some agents are just (I rather not say it). I love your sense of humor and the message you left.
That's funny. We have been seeing a lot of REO's being listed with photos reused from the previous listing. In some of these pics the homes look great. Clean and manicured landscaping and great curbs appeal. Then you arrive to the property with garbage piled up, gutters hanging off, 3 foot tall grass and weeds, etc...
The same rule goes for your business card photo. Some folks we know are still using the same photo from the 80's. A real shocker when you meet them in real life.
Elizabetyh - thanks for making me laugh today!!! Some of the photos amaze me!!
Elizabeth - We should all submit stories like this for a great book. Like the ones Irma Bombeck used to write. I know you were miserable at the time and your search continued , but you have to give Mr Lister a little credit. he got you and your "Buyer" thru the door and that is half the battle.
I am not defending the tactics , but we all have fellow agents in our midst that play these "Puffing" games. I have created an "A" list of agents that don't quite stick to the rules and prepare my buyers in advance. This way I don't have that look of shock on my face when I pull up to the misrepresented property.
But , it was worth the laugh to stop by
That is a totally different look for you. I thought I was at the wrong blog. Nice though.
I have been there, done that. I think these agents lie so they can get their listing showed.
Elizabeth that is about the best thing I could have read today to keep me motivated on my second try at building my AR blog. I exhausted myself the first time around trying to come up with BIG ELABORATE posts but by goodness, this is the essence of our business. The tiny adventures that fire us up now and crack us up later. Glad I found your blog. :-)
Thanks Elizabeth ... I had a good laugh with this one!
This is more common than not -- particularly it seems with homes that are now foreclosed. It seems that the foreclosure agent goes to the older , non active listing with photos before the home foreclosed and reuses them -- and when you go to the home, the home is not in the shape the photos show.
Hilarious! I had something similar happen last year -- the curb appeal on a brick ranch was adorable (in the photos!) and when we arrived at the house, it was a complete jungle with 8 ft high trees that were not in the online photo. I looked in MLS at the history of the home and the new agent stole the photos from when the home was listed 3+ years ago. All I can say is L-A-Z-Y!
Elizabeth - a day in the life of a real estate agent. That's too funny. It's a shame it reflects poorly on others though.
Too Funny-I like the way you informed the LA, very clever!
Elizabeth, that is so true of some of these listings, they really do not make any effort and stretch the truth. I went into a bank property the other day and all the sheet rock is coming down from the ceilings due to a leaky roof. Do they honestly think that someone is going to overlook all of these things? I hate wasting my time plus it makes us look bad.
Elizabeth - Another star young lady, are you working for AR? I am going to have to fly you to Vegas so you can show me all you secrets to great blogs. By the way, I really like the new you, your more natural.
I still see photo's of home in the MLs with snow on the ground. Gee have we been on the market a long time.
Obviously that was enough "manure" left over from the listing to make that tree grow. What I don't understand is why anyone would list a house for something that it wasn't. I am just new to the business and am constantly surprised by what I am learning.
Soooo love the new pix, and your rules are a true source of mirth and reality - you are hilarious. I think you must know that by now~!
Sis - This sounds like something I would say/do under the circumstances. I love it!
This goes along well with my "your puffery could kill my clients" post from a while back. I'm amazed at the number of agents who leave out critical data. You have to assume they think the law of averages will mean that someone who wouldn't have bothered to see it with the right picture will fall in love with it now in its terrible state.
The message you left for the agent is a classic. Planted a 40 foot tree. LMAO!!!!
This post really caught my eye! I have been house hunting for a second personal home and ran accross this beautiful home, large ranch style home up on a hill etc. I was so excited and HAD to see it.
Turns out the photo of the home was totally altered and stretched. the actual home is much smaller and doesnt give such a "grand" appearance. It actually about 15 feet shorter.
Another good rule to follow. When money is invested in staging a property, use the staged photos on the MLS, not the old, lived in or vacant photos. We get that all the time. What is the point of staging it if you can't get anyone to view it?
What a let down! Perhaps he had a different home in mind while writing the listing in MLS? ; ).
Liars Lane - I loved that one. KM
I forgot to mention I loved the new picture! How cute are you! KM
I think we must be in the same MLS even though we are miles apart! Wonder who stores the pictures to be used again 10 years later...
Great post!
OH, Elizabeth!!! I have worked with an agent before who would work with the same clients and properties over and over again...and she would use the photos from 5 years earlier so that she could just get something up in the MLS and then have the new pics taken a month later if the property wasn't already in escrow. Drove me nuts!!! Great post - and I hope you really did leave that message on the listing agent's machine!
Yes, the pic is more relaxed. I need to update mine too. Someday...when I can get some assistance. Wow...that is completely falsifying the data. Sounds like that agent needs to not be in the business anymore. I have seen listings where houses have been painted or landscaped after photos taken, but that takes the cake. GBU!!!
Great Job handling this one. Funny, but oh so true.
I'm surprised that the agent felt it was OK to use those photos, and that the broker apparently did nothing about it. Defintely not a good situation for you and your buyer, but at least you found the humor in it!
Elizabeth, now we all know that "PUFFING" is quite legal in our industry. (giggle) So, how many days on market were there? LOL,LOL.
Don't you love SURPRISES? Okay, maybe not like this one. You're a hoot. I would hire you.
Later in the rain~Deb
PEEPEE points awarded for this one girlie. I LOVE your new picture. Seems so much more personal. Thanks for praying for us. And I just loved this post. It was a LONG day. Now i'll go to sleep with happy thoughts cause, girl you make me laugh...and laugh.
That was definitely a knee slapper their Elizabeth. Thanks for the laugh. ~ Newbie
Someone from my first office did that to me! I was green as grass. I asked about going out to take pictures of the house...and was told the "photographer" would do this for me. Nopers - he pasted a 10 year old picture from the MLS because he was too busy. DISASTER!!! Lesson learned - TAKE YOUR OWN PICS and do a good job.
Ok Eliz, Comment #70 -- and to add to the phone message "wow, check the address on your listing number 2816xxxx, seems like the wrong house is there without toilets, floors, have a blessed day now!". Good Lord you are hilarious. You always have one very memorable experience to talk about with this client for the rest of your lives
List and Sell (and do the photos right) Gary @ RentonHomeFinder
My goodness, this is hard to believe. What would motivate an agent to do that?
Oh my dear I am laughing too hard to speak. You definitely beat the snow pic I had the other day. Have a great Thursday. BTW love your new picture.
HAHAHA.. Now that is hilarious !! And you are so right pictures are so important in MLS. A bad picture can stop a showing at the drop of a dime. Also another thing is NO picture at all !! There are agents that are to lazy to step out and take a picture, I usually dont even show the house if it has no picture. For the same reason you made this hilarious post.
Tim
This screams ethical violation to me and must really leave a bad taste in your mouth for ever doing business with this agent again. Ditto what a previous poster noted, "No wonder people hate/distrust us".
I absolutely love this post! As serious as this is, I cannot help laughing at the same time! This is laziness at it's zenith!
PS I like your new picture, it's important to stay up to date, aeveral people have told me recently that they were surprised that I actually "looked like my picture"...
Elizabeth, Cute post on AR. You made me smile, right in the middle of the debate. Bill
It's amazing what some listing agents will do to get you to the listing. I have never had it that bad, but many times there are no pictures on our listings, so you never know what your are going to see.
By the way, I noticed you updated your picture.
LOL @ James (second commentor), I have to agree. I walked into an open house the other day and when I walked in, the agent didn't appear to be the listing agent who's picture was on the sign. I said, "Is Mrs. Agent here?" She said, "Who are you looking for?" I said, "The one on the picture out front...she said, "That's me?" GULP!!! I could have died...Maybe 20 years ago honey...Amazing.
I love the way you write, Elizabeth. Thanks for the chuckle. Also, I love your new pic, too. Had to do a double-take to make sure I was on the right page. FYI, I updated my pic a few weeks ago. Time marches on. Oh, well. Great post. I also enjoyed the one on Southern Slang, from one southern gal to another.:)
Not only do ancient photos upset me...but the crooked ones. I think we need to train Realtors in the basics of photo editing. It takes thiry seconds to straighten a picture.
Oh my goodness...I can't keep up with ALL the great comments. Thank you all so very much for reading and commenting! I truly appreciate all the wonderful feedback. Isn't it great when we can laugh together?? GBU, YOU ALL!!!
Now THAT was funny. Your message sounds like something I would say -- in the driest of tones.
"Liars Lane"....LOVE it!
What is wrong with Realtors? Is a camera such a hard device to use?? I think that should be a requirement to get your license. lol