(WHTM) – With the real estate market so competitive many buyers continue to make offers sight unseen but before you buy a home based on online photos here’s a caution.
With so few homes for sale in 2023 home buyers like Carole Raeheim have to move fast or those new listings get snapped up.
“Immediately like within a couple of days. They are not out there long,” said Raeheim.
So with many buyers making bids that are based on photos some realtors are skipping the real furniture, and instead doing virtual stagings on their website.
Photoshopped pictures show what the home could look like.
It’s legal as long as it’s disclosed upfront.
But the National Association of Realtors warns sellers to steer clear of false advertising such as:
- Airbrushing out powerlines
- Photoshopping kitchen cabinets to make them look new when they are not
- Making it appear that rooms have been freshly painted
But from the doesn’t that stink file, virtual staging that crosses the line.
TheNews.com Australia showed this cute home for sale in Sydney, Australia.
The only problem is that it conveniently left out the faint water tower behind it.
The Realtors Association says virtual staging should be like a model home, giving buyers ideas but not lying about what’s really there.
So try to see that home and neighborhood in person before making an offer, that way you don’t waste your money.
