I recently read in a national publication about how digital photos and internet videos have been a “godsend” for agents and the real estate industry. While I agree wholeheartedly I was disturbed by the rest of the article. The writer asserted that some unscrupulous agents were using Photoshop to enhance pictures of a property.

For example, the national writer claimed that guilty agents used Photoshop to make the grass greener, or they added landscaping with digital wizardry. Some even included kitchen appliances that weren’t really there or made the outside of the home look freshly painted when the real house was a mess of peeling paint.

Here at CBSHOME Real Estate we have a professional service that takes photos of properties both inside and out. Most agents here do not take their own photos. We do not manipulate videos or photos to make houses look better. If you suspect photos you find on local websites are doctored then you should report it to the Omaha Board of Realtors or the State of Nebraska Real Estate Board.

Such practices should not be tolerated. At CBSHOME Real Estate we pay for pictures of houses that list in the winter with snow on the ground. Then in the spring we have the pictures taken again so they can show off their greenery. But we don’t use software to change the reality.

I love that I can post pictures on many websites for my Buyers and Sellers. It’s wonderful to post videos of the home’s interior on the web.  It really helps sell the houses. I won’t give it up. But I’m asking you to beware of pictures and videos on the web.

If you’re thinking of buying of selling any time soon please give me a call at 402-697-4251 or email me at Marie.Otis@cbshome.com.