If you’re not aware, the show on MTV called Catfish is about people being tricked in online relationships. People make fake profiles, use fake pictures, and construct entire fake lives just to mess with people (or because they’re bored, or insecure with how they actually look). People who catfish others often use pictures that are an entirely different person, or are so heavily photoshopped that it doesn’t even look like them anymore.
So, is it possible to be catfished by something other than a person? You see gorgeous photos online, but when it comes to real life, you get….no what you expected. The answer is yes- ask anyone who has bought a $20 wedding dress from the internet.
But can it happen with real estate photos? Are you actually getting what you see? Most Realtors/sellers will hire a photographer to take professional photos of the home so you will see it in its best light….but do they ever lie? Well, it turns out you’ll have better luck with finding a home online than an honest dating profile. Check out this article by Holden Lewis at the Bankrate.com blog for more:
Most of the photos are actual depictions, but others have been digitally manipulated to portray properties in their best light. What you see online might not be the same as what you find when you show up at the house in person.
It’s unethical for realty agents to misrepresent a for-sale property, but there’s no national standard or set of guidelines as to what’s considered misrepresentation in photos.
Instead, what’s altered and what’s not comes down to the individual agent’s professional ethics.
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