# Ever see messy photos in a real estate listing? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 4, 2024, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-see-messy-photos-in-a-real-estate-listing/998448 "2024-03-04T17:18:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2024, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-see-messy-photos-in-a-real-estate-listing/998448/81 "2024-03-07T02:00:28Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > It’s interesting to hear that more younger Americans are also switching to shoe-free houses. My son and his wife go shoeless in their home, but I think it’s because they lived in an old multistory apartment building with hardwood floors. I swear you could be on the ground floor and hear someone in a third-floor apartment walk around with shoes on, so all the tenants gradually stopped wearing shoes inside. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2024, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-see-messy-photos-in-a-real-estate-listing/998448/82 "2024-03-07T02:07:26Z")
I read once that 90% of the stuff you clean up off floors is from debris brought in from shoe soles (why didn’t I ever realize that?) and decided that shoeless fit my lifestyle just right. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2024, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-see-messy-photos-in-a-real-estate-listing/998448/83 "2024-03-07T02:37:56Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > I read once that 90% of the stuff you clean up off floors is from debris brought in from shoe soles (why didn’t I ever realize that?) and decided that shoeless fit my lifestyle just right.   An anecdote from a shoeless household. Bringing home a lot of groceries one day, I just left my shoes on because I was making multiple trips out to the car. So I left them on as I put stuff into the fridge, went out for more, put stuff into the cupboards, and some things down on the landing into the basement. As I was coming up the stairs, just above eye level with the kitchen floor, the dirty footprints that you wouldn’t normally see on the tile floor were as clear as day from that angle. Yes, the dirt and gunge is real! ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2024, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-see-messy-photos-in-a-real-estate-listing/998448/84 "2024-03-07T03:21:12Z")
It happens. And there are some agents who specialize in fast, minimal-hands-on approach, possibly for a reduced commission charge. Not all markets require the care I usually give to a client or a sale. If I am charging a reduced commission, I am providing a reduced service. As long as all parties agree on what will or won’t be done, there’s nothing wrong with this method. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2024, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-see-messy-photos-in-a-real-estate-listing/998448/85 "2024-03-07T03:28:26Z")
Sure. I know brokerages that specialize in quick, no-frills sales. Sometimes the clients are banks who want a white elephant property off their books, no matter what the cost. Lending institutions aren’t allowed by law (I think) to act as investors and hold on to properties because they _might_ appreciate over time. If they are required to sell expeditiously to be legal, that’s what they do. And if you are hired as a no-frills agent, that’s what you will do, too. Straightening the bed is not in your vocabulary; taking an accurate picture is. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2024, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-see-messy-photos-in-a-real-estate-listing/998448/86 "2024-03-07T15:36:22Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > I might be wrong, but if I see an especially sloppy home - even if it is mostly surface clutter, I will wonder if it is indicative of deferred maintenance. I look at house listings like I do car ads. I’ve been amazed at tiny little things that make a car look uncared-for. If a seller didn’t take the small amount of time to remove a McDonald’s wrapper from the passenger seat, why would I assume they took the time to do regular oil changes and preventative maintenance? . > [@Dinsdale](#): > > I often hear the advice that sellers ought to remove most personal items - like photos of the family - so that prospective buyers can better envision themselves and their stuff in the house. Now, wouldn’t it freak a potential buyer out to see a photo of themselves on the sideboard? Maybe I could convince a buyer that it was a sign! This might be just the break my new Realtor/Photoshopper/Private Investigator business needs… ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2024, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-see-messy-photos-in-a-real-estate-listing/998448/87 "2024-03-07T15:45:14Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > Sometimes the clients are banks who want a white elephant property off their books, no matter what the cost. That makes a lot of sense for this situation. The bank only gets to keep what’s owed to them (and cost of selling), so they have no interest in getting top dollar. (assuming there is some equity in the house). They want their money, and anything additional goes to the owner. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2024, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-see-messy-photos-in-a-real-estate-listing/998448/88 "2024-03-07T16:00:45Z")
Even if the property DOESN’T have any equity, the bank wants it gone, even if it is at a loss. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2024, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-see-messy-photos-in-a-real-estate-listing/998448/89 "2024-03-07T19:17:19Z")
Exactly; it’s going to cost the bank money for taxes, minimal maintenance, utilities as long as it’s on their books. Better to take the upfront loss than continue to rack up expenses and perhaps see the underlying value diminish as it sits empty. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2024, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-see-messy-photos-in-a-real-estate-listing/998448/90 "2024-03-08T00:44:30Z")
> [@digs](#): > > Now, wouldn’t it freak a potential buyer out to see a photo of themselves on the sideboard? > > Maybe I could convince a buyer that it was a sign! > This might be just the break my new Realtor/Photoshopper/Private Investigator business needs… I love this idea. There’s a great short story in there somewhere. On shoes in the house, I agree with @pulykamell that it’s cultural. Growing up mostly in New England, we always wore shoes, but as an adult I’ve lived all but a few years in Asia or Hawai’i, and now wearing shoes inside a personal home feels weird. Sadly, our 5 indoor-outdoor cats happily track in all the dirt, leaves, grass-clippings, and burrs we avoid tracking in on our shoes. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2024, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-see-messy-photos-in-a-real-estate-listing/998448/91 "2024-03-08T01:32:20Z")
I grew up in a shoes-on world. As did my wife. In our 30s we tried shoes off for a couple years to zero discernable difference. I’ve worn shoes indoors ever since. Floors are cold. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2024, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-see-messy-photos-in-a-real-estate-listing/998448/92 "2024-03-08T01:40:10Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > In our 30s we tried shoes off for a couple years to zero discernable difference. I must have shoe soles that collect more gunk than you. And messy offspring. Maybe because I live in the city of wet ground? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2024, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-see-messy-photos-in-a-real-estate-listing/998448/93 "2024-03-08T01:40:37Z")
That’s why you put on slippers. Not that I do. Socks are plenty warm. I live in Chicago and I don’t think my wood floors are cold at all. Maybe if my house were all tile or something. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2024, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-see-messy-photos-in-a-real-estate-listing/998448/94 "2024-03-08T12:10:11Z")
I’ve always taken off shoes in the house, and, as mentioned, I’m a slob. I can’t imagine wearing shoes on carpet. And on hard floors…ok, but if I’m spending time indoors comfy slippers are, well, comfy, as well as cleaner. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2024, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-see-messy-photos-in-a-real-estate-listing/998448/95 "2024-03-08T12:34:26Z")
I work at home and have a loft office. The stairs to it are wood and very steep. I want shoes for those. Actually, I wear hiking shoes all day long, always have. I’m much more comfortable when I have shoes on during the day when I may be moviing about. At night when My wife and I settle down to a game of chess, I’ll take them off because I don’t want to accidentally step on her feet under the table. Sure we _may_ track in a little more dirt, but it doesn’t compare to our two dogs that go in and out all day long. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-see-messy-photos-in-a-real-estate-listing/998448.md?page=4)