There are many Sequim homes for sale, and buyers from outside the area are using the MLS to look at these Sequim homes for sale, but there’s a recurring problem. Buyers have been telling me literally for years that many of the homes they look at in the MLS either have incomplete photos or the photos are in their words, “misrepresentations of the property.” How does this happen, and what can a buyer do?
Sequim Homes for Sale – The Photo Problem
In an earlier article I wrote:
You’re on your computer in California, or maybe you’re in Arizona or Nevada right now looking at homes on the MLS in Sequim or Port Angeles. “Darn it,” you say to your spousal unit. “There are no photos of the back of the house or the rec room or the garage or shop in this MLS listing either. What are the real estate agents thinking?” As your beloved multi-tasks from the kitchen, you hear this soft response, “Well, honey, we’ll just have to wait ’till we get there to see the rest of the house.”
It can be discouraging for clients seriously browsing Sequim homes for sale online when they can’t get a good feel for what the property is all about. This morning I received a call from clients in Walnut Creek. She found a home that they were getting excited about, but the MLS photos online were limited. From the photos she told me it appeared this home was out in the country and was on a large piece of property, perhaps more than an acre. She did a Google satellite view, and she was also wondering about a gravel pit some distance away. They wanted land with room for an RV and they wanted a quiet and private location. As we talked on the phone, I was looking at the listing and because I was intimately familiar with the area and this property, I was able to clarify some things for her.
Sequim Homes for Sale – Reality
I explained the reality. This was actually a very small lot, and the photographer had taken the photos in such a way that none of the homes that were quite close on both sides and across the street were visible. The camera lens appeared to give one the impression that there was much more property. I explained the gravel pit was quite a distance away and was not a noise problem. I knew that because I had lived in a neighborhood about the same distance from the same gravel pit. I also explained that an RV might not have room on this small lot, because the only parking was the driveway, which was small, and there are CC&Rs which prohibit parking RVs on the road in front of the house.
Sequim Homes for Sale – Buyers Not Fooled
The client asked me why some listing agents don’t provide accurate photos and accurate information to help potential buyers filter out homes that clearly are not what they appear. There are two reasons Sequim homes for sale in the MLS may not have good photos. First, not all Realtors are good photographers. Photography is both science and art, and it takes training and experience to capture the true essence of a home. Second, in real estate sales, Realtors want to generate leads. Listings are lead generators, and by providing less information or less photos, some believe that they will get more inquiries. Most consumers, myself included, do not like that approach. I believe clients want the whole story on a property so they can make a fully informed decision whether to look at it or not.
There is something you can do if you are looking at Sequim homes for sale and one of them does not have complete information or complete photos. Email me or call me, and I’ll give you the full story on that home even if I have to go there to take more photos for you. This is a service we provide so our clients can narrow down their list of Sequim homes for sale before they get here.
Last Updated on August 20, 2012 by Chuck Marunde
