Is your agent giving you a fair shot?

It's a high-tech world we live in. In many regards, technology has made our lives easier. It also has disadvantages when abused to scam or con an unsuspecting consumer. Most consumers resent being mislead and most are not very forgiving upon discovering a home they were interested in is not what they saw on the Internet.

Many agents use photo manipulating programs to sharpen their pictures or to add more light, but some take the process to the extreme. Many of us have heard comments from prospective buyers about how much better the house looked online, than it does in person. Most are now acutely aware of the misleading fish-eye lens approach to photography and after once being burned, they no longer expect to see the lovely curved counter they saw on the agent's website, but they are still obviously annoyed that the massive rooms pictured online are more typical in size than they appeared.

At least one state's real estate watchdogs have taken note. Reality show real estate agent, Luis Ortiz from the Bravo network's, "Million Dollar Listing" was recently interrogated by the state of New York who is investigating his business practices. It seems Ortiz, who plies his trade in the tony, multimillion dollar Manhattan market, took his technology to the extreme, adding marble counters and hardwood floors to photos of a listing that had neither. In an ABC news report, Ortiz explained that, "If I put the real photos out there, nobody would come inside."

We wonder if getting people through the door at any cost is in the seller's best interest. Sure, every seller wants to see showing traffic and if they aren't getting any the agent is where the blame lies. Proper pricing is usually the determining factor whether or not a listing will sell and misleading consumers and wasting their time is probably not the best practice. This is especially true when there are gross misrepresentations in pictures or descriptive text.

The website for the National Association of Realtors features several articles about using software to manipulate photos along with other photography tips, but they also address advertising in the Code of Ethics published here recently.

Under "Duties to a Customer" Article 12 states in part, "Realtors shall be honest and truthful in their real estate communications and shall present a true picture in their advertising, marketing, and other representations."

So, you may ask yourself; If my agent is using photography tricks to present my property to others, are they being honest with me? Some are merely doing their level best to present your property in a favorable light. Others, like Ortiz, are scamming the public. You decide what representation you want. Look at your listing after it's been published and see if you can recognize your own property. Some agents are experts at photography, fewer are excellent at photo manipulation and many excel at neither. Make sure the photos your agent chooses to market your property are the best shots and offer a true representation of what the buyer can expect to see. If they are interested because, or in spite of, the pictures they have seen, you may have a genuine buyer on the line.

Gross exaggerations are obviously a violation of the Realtor Code of Ethics and sanctions within our association can be applied to those guilty of such behavior. Don't let an overly ambitious agent poison the buyer pond through their attempts to mislead. The customers they lose for you may be the least of their worries if, like Ortiz, the state decides to intervene.

Trust an expert...call a Realtor. Call your Realtor or visit www.cdarealtors.com to search properties on the Multiple Listing Service or to find a Realtor member who will represent your best interests.

Kim Cooper is a real estate broker and the spokesman for the Coeur d'Alene Association of Realtors. Kim and the association invite your feedback and input for this column. You may contact them by writing to the Coeur d'Alene Association of Realtors, 409 W. Neider, Coeur d'Alene, ID 83815 or by calling (208) 667-0664.