101 Bad Real Estate Photos That’ll Make You Cringe (& Laugh)
There’s nothing quite like bad real estate photos.
We’ve all been guilty of it. You’re at your last scheduled walkthrough… and you want to be over with the day. So you take a few grainy, dark photos and think, “Good enough.”
Unfortunately, the listing photos are the most critical element of many listings — and a terrible photo won’t warrant callbacks.
At least we can laugh at ourselves.
What makes a real estate photo bad?
Not everyone has an eye for photography, but most people can tell when a photo is hilariously bad. A bad photo:
- Shows off the worst characteristics of a space.
- Appears obviously and laughably Photoshopped.
- Shows the real estate professional themselves in a bad (or awkward light).
Some properties, of course, are just funny. Real estate photographers undergo a lot of training to bring out the best in properties that are small, rundown, or just sketchy.
But never forget professional photography’s ultimate goal- to entice a potential buyer. And maybe a potential buyer will be more likely to look at a listing if the real estate pictures are a little unusual or a little weird.
Let’s look at some of the most phenomenal real estate listing photos taken by real estate agents.
Bad Real Estate Photos That’ll Make You Laugh
Hold up, I think someone’s trying to communicate with us. pic.twitter.com/GPOzus6zBf
— Bad Realty Photos (@BadRealtyPhotos) June 30, 2015
Evidently this one's been on the market for some time. #realestate pic.twitter.com/KjQdVGU9zH
— Bad Realty Photos (@BadRealtyPhotos) April 16, 2015
Bovine scarecrow dressed as middle aged woman looking for bovine scarecrow dressed as middle aged man for fun times and maybe more. pic.twitter.com/Q4ZhYzd9RN
— Bad Realty Photos (@BadRealtyPhotos) May 1, 2017
Local legend tells of a ghostly pedal bin… http://t.co/tJi2dZSiul #realestate pic.twitter.com/n8t2FemrO4
— Bad Realty Photos (@BadRealtyPhotos) March 9, 2015
Cursed to sleep for 100 years, only a kiss from a handsome real estate agent would break the spell.https://t.co/xlUG9cqfib #realestate pic.twitter.com/oe6PJgKmon
— Bad Realty Photos (@BadRealtyPhotos) September 18, 2017
Not yet Bernard. Feeding time isn’t until 6:30. http://t.co/xlUG9cqfib #realestate pic.twitter.com/iJaHCUIc18
— Bad Realty Photos (@BadRealtyPhotos) February 14, 2015
Maybe this year we should get Daisy that Little Miss Exorcist kit she’s been asking for.https://t.co/xlUG9cqfib pic.twitter.com/YA8kYgibmJ
— Bad Realty Photos (@BadRealtyPhotos) July 19, 2017
"Honey, have you seen Ginger since you mowed the lawn?" #realestate #photography http://t.co/539TJuv2Cg pic.twitter.com/vtiPt4LJFP
— Bad Realty Photos (@BadRealtyPhotos) December 13, 2014
OK then. Perhaps you could let us know when the actual room gets here.https://t.co/xlUG9cqfib pic.twitter.com/FhLbGS6n3x
— Bad Realty Photos (@BadRealtyPhotos) January 11, 2016
Left alone for a few hours, Eric dreamt of happier times back at the showroom. #realestate http://t.co/539TJuv2Cg pic.twitter.com/JxrlqRP8YM
— Bad Realty Photos (@BadRealtyPhotos) December 1, 2014
Semi-detached, fully furnished, part inhabited.https://t.co/xlUG9cqfib pic.twitter.com/gTGgVUHy55
— Bad Realty Photos (@BadRealtyPhotos) November 26, 2015
The previous owners moved out during the night to avoid having to take Fraser with them. http://t.co/maFBefYw2Y pic.twitter.com/rDo72Yg64Z
— Bad Realty Photos (@BadRealtyPhotos) October 21, 2014
"Terrible Estate Agent Photos, the book, ships tomorrow. Buy it, or I will haunt your dreams" http://t.co/sSsAxEwqNu pic.twitter.com/XLors9HjXF
— Bad Realty Photos (@BadRealtyPhotos) September 3, 2014
Seriously Graeme, that doesn't even work in cartoons. Get dressed. http://t.co/maFBefYw2Y pic.twitter.com/Ah5hxqDOms
— Bad Realty Photos (@BadRealtyPhotos) September 15, 2014
Runner-up in the Needlessly Complicated category at the 2014 Selfie of the Year awards. http://t.co/3rpXJ17GQZ pic.twitter.com/Osuf2LiMwF
— Bad Realty Photos (@BadRealtyPhotos) August 19, 2014
Perfect for those long summer evenings when the temperature falls well below zero. http://t.co/maFBefYw2Y pic.twitter.com/gvBsQBkT2v
— Bad Realty Photos (@BadRealtyPhotos) September 11, 2014
This property first appeared as Level 4 of a video game in 1986. http://t.co/3rpXJ17GQZ pic.twitter.com/jKEPjDBDDN
— Bad Realty Photos (@BadRealtyPhotos) August 18, 2014
On the plus side, you have something to read while you wash up. http://t.co/maFBefYw2Y pic.twitter.com/8DggMZ6BqF
— Bad Realty Photos (@BadRealtyPhotos) September 10, 2014
A new Real Estate Agent edtn of Photoshop has security features preventing this sort of thing http://t.co/3rpXJ17GQZ pic.twitter.com/aeXS0mh3E1
— Bad Realty Photos (@BadRealtyPhotos) August 12, 2014
Toilet paper is more traditional, and considerably less dangerous. http://t.co/xlUG9cHQ9J pic.twitter.com/Ee5NwnM6o5
— Bad Realty Photos (@BadRealtyPhotos) September 4, 2014
Police are still investigating how Mr Stevens came to be replaced by a pile of sawdust. http://t.co/3rpXJ17GQZ pic.twitter.com/Mw2U8QK7Qs
— Bad Realty Photos (@BadRealtyPhotos) July 22, 2014
“Honey, I found the ladder! It was in the fitness studio that we also use as a utility room and study where we keep the musical instruments” pic.twitter.com/uL709NIYAu
— Bad Realty Photos (@BadRealtyPhotos) July 12, 2017
That reminds me: I need to get out of here right now and never come back.http://t.co/xlUG9cqfib #realestate pic.twitter.com/BRwvg6z1k2
— Bad Realty Photos (@BadRealtyPhotos) September 30, 2015
“Okaaay, thanks for coming everyone. First item on the agenda: The Kid’s birthday party – What went well / areas for improvement” pic.twitter.com/YQEjS37RtJ
— Bad Realty Photos (@BadRealtyPhotos) May 10, 2017
“I don’t know who was more surprised, me or the statue of the horse”http://t.co/xlUG9cqfib pic.twitter.com/HJODNx2Od9
— Bad Realty Photos (@BadRealtyPhotos) September 24, 2015
Granny’s Thanksgiving dinners have been quite poorly attended since she installed the shrine to Grandpa.https://t.co/xlUG9cqfib pic.twitter.com/lfgJfQUhCg
— Bad Realty Photos (@BadRealtyPhotos) May 9, 2017
A rare chance to own the actual bathroom from Apocalypse Now.http://t.co/xlUG9cHQ9J pic.twitter.com/Y5tCGg6Uaz
— Bad Realty Photos (@BadRealtyPhotos) September 16, 2015
How can you take better real estate listing photos?
“Oh no, it’s me — I’m in this picture.”
You’re not alone if you’ve just realized you’ve been taking bad photos. It’s not easy to take a professional photo.
Here are some tips for getting better results.
- Invest in the right equipment. Maybe your smartphone has enough resolution to take a great picture. But it probably doesn’t. Ultimately, the right light will matter more anyway — remember the golden hour.
- Stage the property first. A living room isn’t going to photograph well if it’s full of clutter, no matter how talented you are. At a minimum, make sure it gets cleaned up.
- Consider a virtual tour or video tour. Virtual tours can help bring some personality to a property in a way that a photo can’t.
- Hire a professional real estate photographer for your most important listings. You may not be able to afford them for every listing photo, but you can do a photo shoot for your luxury or high-end properties.
- Don’t overdo it. Sure, use a wide-angle lens to make a property look less claustrophobic. But don’t filter your listing picture until it looks unrealistic. The more unrealistic your photo looks, the less likely people are to “buy” that it’s real.
- Take a class in real estate photography. You can avoid truly terrible real estate photos by taking a class — you’ll get tips on how to stage properties, use natural light, and use the same software and tools a professional photographer might.
You can even use services that clean up your photos after taking them. These services are “virtual staging” companies — they can take things out of your photos, add things to your photos, and even change day to night.
Conclusion: Some people could stand to take a photography class
Some of these properties are just bad. But others could have been redeemed through some great photos.
Knowing how to stage and take photos is an important part of being a great real estate agent. If your photos are coming out more like the ones above, you might want to join a real estate team or hire a professional.
When was the last time you took a cringe-worthy photo?
FAQs
Yes. Often, they matter more than text. People look at photos first — and photos can say a thousand words. The best listings have well-crafted real estate photos or videos and 3D walkthroughs. Today’s buyers want to see everything on the page.
Most real estate photos are distorted because the realtor uses a “fish eye lens.” Sometimes it’s necessary; a place can feel claustrophobic or cramped if you photograph it. But other times, it’s used to make a property look much bigger than it is.
A real estate photographer should always avoid depicting a property, unlike its real-life appearance. If someone comes to see the property expecting to see something else, they’ll be disappointed, and you’ll waste your time. You want people in the door, but you don’t want people misled.
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