Stupid MLS Listings

I don’t understand. If you are a real estate agent with a $1,000,000 plus listing in Scottsdale, why would you put it in the Multiple Listing Service with ZERO pictures of the property, and nothing about the home in the description? Are the room dimensions in the listing? Of course not. Showing instructions? Nope.

Thinking maybe the listing agent just (for whatever reason) wanted to get it into the MLS and planned to come back later and put in some information, I scroll to the bottom of the page, only to find the homes been on the market for 43 days.

So much for that theory.

Then there is the $9,000,000 listing in Paradise Valley. It has a description, including this gem: “Wtr/Fea w/F/P”. I think that means “water feature with fire place”? In the description it says, “Never seen before Pool/Spa design”. Well, I guess anyone searching for the home won’t be able to see the never seen before design because THERE’S NOT A SINGLE PHOTO IN THE LISTING!

I should probably cut the listing agent some slack about the photos. This is a new construction home after all. It was listed 569 days ago but was just completed in July. So the listing agent has only had 19 months to download a photo of the lot, the view, the home under construction or some sort of visual. Maybe a floor plan? And since it’s only been complete for 2 months, why should there be a photo of the never seen before pool design?

These are Stupid MLS Listings. Are they done by stupid real estate agents? I don’t think so. I think they are done by lazy real estate agents. Any agent capable enough to secure a multi-million dollar listing is bright enough to know they really ought to have a photo in the MLS. I hate to diss my agent brethren, but the fact is, there are some lazy agents out there. Jason Ungos has a web site tool just for them. In her ActiveRain blog, Sherri Welborn reports there are lazy agents in Middle Tennessee. Danger! They may be lurking everywhere!

Photos in listings are what people look for. This is not news folks. RealtyTimes wrote about this in 2004. Taking photos and uploading them to the MLS isn’t all that difficult. Using a tape measure and getting room dimensions was mastered by my son at age eight.

If you can’t use a digital camera, try reading Digital Photography for Dummies. If you can’t use a tape measure, either ask an eight year old or buy yourself a laser tape measure.

Sellers out there, ASK your agent to see your entire MLS entry. If there are no photos, poor descriptions, missing information, whatever, then it’s time to have a serious talk with your agent. If that doesn’t work, talk to their broker. YOU know what people want to see when they go on-line looking for homes. Make sure your agent does your home right!

Just make sure the photos they take look a little more professional than this one.
Sellers, you can help your agent by moving your truck off the front lawn…

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Todd Tarson

Oh dear, not unlike anything I've seen either. We have plenty of land listings in Mohave County and on numerous occasions I've had potential buyers come into my office and tell me about a land listing they saw. The sign said 5 acres for $40,000 and wanted to know more about the property from me and the MLS.

So like a good agent trying to impress the potential client I pull up the listing and... the potential client still knows more about the property than I do. No real usable data listed.

To make matters worse, the listing agent doesn't answer the phone.

To make matters even worse... I look like the incomepent one because there is nothing I can do for the client AT THAT MOMENT. An important moment for any potential business opportunity.

Garbage in, garbage out.

The whole MLS thing right now... I'm at my wits end anyway. Don't mean to be so negative but it's always that one listing that seems to raise it's ugly head at the wrong time.

John Schneider

I see it every day, at every price range, listings with the worst
possible pictures - totally black rooms, you can't see a damn thing,
pictures loaded sideways or upside down, totally out of focus pictures,
pictures of the kitchen with dirty dishes and crap all over the place.

And these pictures stay in the listing for the life of the listing, and
given the level of 'marketing' by the agent, that's usually a very long
time. Or as you say NO pictures at all.
Cryptic indecipherable and misleading marketing remarks. huh
There oughta be a law.
Well, maybe not, but maybe the brokerage needs to step in and establish
some minimum level of competence in this area to try and protect the
reputation of the company, if not the agent.
When you see stuff like this it's no wonder that consumers are beginning
to sniff around the new low-no service real estate alternatives.

The Phoenix Real Estate Guy

Todd wrote: "I look like the incomepent one because there is nothing I can do for the client AT THAT MOMENT."

Ditto.

John wrote: "When you see stuff like this it’s no wonder that consumers are beginning to sniff around the new low-no service real estate alternatives."

Double Ditto!

Jonathan Dalton

Even better than the photo-less listings are those where the information isn't anywhere close to correct.
Someone in my office recently sat in front of a couple whose listing had expired. In her hand was a copy of the ARMLS area map, complete with areas, grids, etc.

"Your home is here," she said, pointing at the map. "The listing says it's here," she continued, pointing to another area on the other side of the Valley!

Stupid is as stupid does. While not universally applicable, a lot of sellers in their excitement to corral the agent who promises them an above-market sales price or below-market commission aren't taking the time to check into the particulars of the agents' service offering. And if your agent on a $1 million listing can't afford his own digital camera ... well, it must have been a very long, dry year.

Maureen Francis

Here we go. $4,000,000 listing in Birmingham, Michigan. One photo on the MLS. I call the listing agent and ask for more pics for my buyer in Europe. He doesn't have any! But he tells me I can go take some myself. Of course, I do. I actually make a virtual tour for her. Can you believe him though?!

John Schneider

I did a follow-up on this topic, this time picking on virtual tours,find it at>
http://thetucsonfoothills.blogspot.com/2006/09/...

Deb Anderson

I appreciate you. I have been a realtor since 1992. Like your style! I have and eill forward this!
Blessings
Deb

Austin Real Estate Team

In Austin the MLS recently required all listings to have a photo. Which I thought was great I was sick of finding so many listings without photos. But now I see photos where its raining and the agent is apparently taking the picture from inside his car. You can barely see the house. I feel bad for the sellers of these houses who are wondering why their house is not selling.

Karl Hoelscher

While it is a good idea to have pictures available of a listing, why does anybody think that having bad pictures of a listing is any better than none?

I just can't see why any agent, who is getting paid thousands to 'market' a property feels like walking around snapping off a few bad pictures of the home completes their end of the deal to the seller in 'marketing' their home. I mean, if the agent isn't an accomplished photographer, they should admit it to themselves and spend the 100 bucks or so to have the job done right.

I'm trying to think of another profession where one hires another for their professional services, only to have that person provide very amateur services, at best. And, because this is so persuasive in the RE industry, the sellers are now convinced that this the standard expected level of service. Sad!

I'm not bashing RE Agents - I know they have a tough job, but seriously, if they paid a photographer to, for instance, photograph their wedding, and the pictures came out like the standard agent photo, would they smile, thank them, and hand over the check?

Jay - The Phoenix Real Estate

Great comment Karl, thanks! (And I agree, a bad photo is worse than no photo. And trust me, I've seem some BAD photos).

I once had a friend who was taking a photography class at a community college. I related the woes of poor photos in the MLS to her. She then mentioned it to her instructor. For the next three months, I had an entire class full of wanna be photographers swarming over my listings, taking photos. Many of them were *outstanding*, and the sellers actually loved it. And it cost me nothing.

Unfortunately the instructor transferred and I couldn't convince his replacement to use my listings as a "lab" for his students. But this reminds me that I need to spool up that effort again...