I Love the Central Coast!

Oh you were kidding...shoot, I had a buyer's agent I wanted to annoy. LOL Just kidding! I couldn't agree more! There is no reason to lie, we are going to see through it eventually....for instance when we get there.

This is so true...I see it from another perspective as well.  I sold my mother's house in the housing recession of the 90s....Yes we had a big recession in the mid-ninties in NY.  Anyway - we had a 4 BR home with one BR on the GROUND FLOOR. It was off the kitchen, but it was huge and had a full private bath with two large closets.  Buyers said that that BR didn't "count".  Sorry, but with two closets a large bath and tons of floor space, it DOES count. 

It can go either way. buyers can also be unreasonable in their definition of 4BRs -hoping to get an extra BR for the price of 3BR. 

So, so true! I remember showing one "4" bedroom house where the buyers and I walked through the whole house three times trying to figure out where in the world that elusive ....and nonexistent fourth bedroom was hiding.

Karen - LOL.  Yes, exactly, when we get there.  Somehow people think that if they can just get you through the door the house will sell.  It may eventually, but get ready for a rough ride with some un-impressed buyers and ticked off agents. 

Hi Ruthmarie - What am I missing here?  Why would a bedroom being on the ground floor invalidate its existence?  Was it in the basement or something?  Most homes out here don't have basements so we don't have those arguments.  But, I've read many a blog about basement square footage.  But ground floor?  Oh well, I guess people argue about everything in a recession.

Nancy - Well I'm sure there was some obscure little corner of the home that they had always thought could be a perfect fourth bedroom.  LOL.  It really gets old when you are shopping for a real 4 bedroom.  These folks would actually be happier with a 5 bedroom ...so a 3 bedroom ain't gonna cut it.

Just a waste of time and money when the properties aren't accurately described and priced.

The bedroom count is a big issue.  Yes, the room may have a closet but if it has French doors and is right by the front door, who would want to be there?! But a note in the comments/listing would be helpful and more productive.  

Kathy - I agree completely.

Francine - I think if it is a bedroom it is a bedroom - no matter the location in the home.  If it is an attic crawl space with a couple of sheets of drywall you were going to have Uncle Jimmy put up -- it is not a bedroom.

Tni it's clear cut here in AZ about bedrooms. A bedroom must have a closet. That's it....sometimes it's missued by some itty bitty space with a closet.  For the most part 'truth in advertising' on this issue and many others agents can be fined for not being truthful.  Not to say it's not being strechted....it is but most of us are cracking down on those that aren't giving correct info.

Tni, maybe you didn't look hard enough?    Those little Monopoly houses get easily covered in dirt.  

"I’ve seen vacant lots classified as single family homes"

The duty of honesty always exists, regardless of whom you represent.  Listing agent:  Including the 4th faux bedroom to increase searchable bedrooms in the MLS is an ethical breach. 

The pinnochio listing agent has been doing this for so long, leaves are growing on his nose.  Too funny!   Brian

Wow, if I didn't know your integrity I'd doubt the claims you've made- empty lot?  I couldn't agree more with you. No wonder the public has a hard time giving our profession credibility!

Tni, That's one of my pet peeves.  Four bedrooms?  That's a loft with no closet, or it's in the basement with one door and NO windows?  We always explain up front to our sellers what we can and can't do as their listing agent, and accuracy in representing their home is critical. 

The bedroom is one we see over and over too.  And let's just set it straight, hardwood floors should NOT be mentioned if it is just in the foyer. 

Featured in the group:  BARTENDER, MAKE IT A DOUBLE.

Well said, Tni - especially your comments about WHY a seller would want accurate information out there.  Who wants to put up with a stream of disappointed buyers?  Target the buyers who will appreciate the features your home offers, and price it right - and you have a very good chance of becoming a successful seller.

I really enjoyed reading this - it is excellently written and makes a good point charmingly!! Understatement can actually work in your favor. It is not nice or good business practice to give someone a false expectation. Best wishes always.

Tni,  I started reporting these misleading and inaccurate marketing tactics.  It could be a full time job.  I will not list a home and falsely advertise.  I've had sellers say to me ... "when we bought this house it was listed as a three bedroom."  To which I reply ... and it's not a 3 bedroom. It's a 2 bedroom with an office/den off the kitchen and living room.  Congratulations on the Feature ... glad to see you Active in the Rain again!

It hurts buyer and seller when the listing exagerates or doesn't represent something properly. Call a sunroom a sunroom, but then maybe mention it could be converted to a 4th bedroom.

Gretchen

The thing is, the appraisal isn't going to "count" the sunroom as a bedroom, so there you have it.  I don't know why listing agents don't represent the accuracy a little better.  It will either alienate buyers, as you write . . . OR . . . piss off the appraiser (if the buyer and/or buyers' agent doesn't get it).

Tni....you are singing my song!!!  It is a waste of everyone's time, including the homeowner who has to pack up her kids for every showing.  I had an agent tell me that he was sparse on information specifically to get people in the door!  You are right...you want the people who will actually buy the house to get in the door.

Hi Tni. I see the same type advertising in my market area too, and it is very frustrating to the buyers, agents, and I know sellers will be disappointed too, when their homes didn't live up to the printed features that were advertised. Being Truthful should be the Norm, but apparently it's not.

I saw one house recently that was marketed as 4 bedrooms, but the 4th "bedroom" was a bonus room above the garage, off the master bedroom. You could never use that as a real bedroom! When I gave that feedback she just shrugged and said "whatever." Hmm.

Anna - Yes a closet and a window for a bedroom here too.  There are of course complications especially with older homes that just weren't built with closets but anything built after 1960 -- don't play that game.  There are many gray areas in real estate -- so the main thing I think is to not overstate.  I see sellers who have overstated their home's features get very frustrated -- but they are the cause of their own frustration if they insist that their home be advertised in a way that brings buyers who expect more than what it is.  Even if it is technically right, what does it get you? 

Brian - Accuracy is the key.  If it is overstated I think you are just wasting everyone's time.  There are so many things that can be overstated.  But what does it get you?  Those are just words and the home is what it is.  Find the buyer who wants it as it is.

Mark - I found out with that example that some MLSs allow that when the lot is zoned single family and few other things that I think are not that useful to do.  Agents sometimes do that so their listings won't be missed.  But I think people who are looking for land look for land, they don't just say "oh I was going to buy a home but instead I'll buy this lot."  AND, I have received calls from consumers who thought it was a house and drove down or up here to see it (because of course the price looked really good).  Now what did the sellers get out of that?

BLiz - Good for you.  You know I'd be satisfied if there was a legitimate heads up in the agent remarks.  Don't have me treasure hunting for a bedroom with my client.

Chris Ann - I completely agree about the hardwood floor thing.  I see that all the time too.  Or hardwood flooring in just one (oddly selected) room.  Mention the room then -- then you won't get a bunch of people who want that feature throughout when you don't have it.  Thanks for the feature!

Tni, I'm with you.  It is terribly frustrating to take a buyer out to a property that is full of misinformation in the MLS.  Have a great weekend!

Jeanne - I agree.  We only need one showing to the right buyer to sell the home.

Jaime - I agree completely.  Be accurate -- if a space is a bonus room call it that.  If they think it could double as a bedroom given their needs -- let them discover and be thrilled with that on their own.

Thanks Kathleen! You are really doing them a service.  Do they really want a  bunch of 3 bedroom buyers trotting through the house and rejecting it?  Is that how you sell a house?  I don't think so.  It's good to be back and have a feature.  I can't keep up with the likes of you -- you are a blogging machine!

Gretchen - I wouldn't even make the suggestion.  In that case there really was something that could be called a 4th bedroom - but the fact that my client expected the information to be misleading really took me aback.

Carla - Very true.  Appraisals do tend to bring people back to reality whether they like it or not!

Christine - LOL.  Glad someone else is singing it.  I just wonder what people think they are going to get with that tactic.  The sparse descriptions too.  Why?   You came on market to hide?  People are so afraid of being eliminated -- but sometimes they should be afraid of being included too.

Jerry - It is disappointing and I think not useful either.  Lots of time wasted on inaccuracy. 

Erica - I can't believe she even wanted feedback.  Who exactly would you put in that "Bedroom?"   Sounds like a sitting room or office off the master to me -- which actually could be a nice feature -- but it ain't a bedroom.  Why Why Why?  LOL.

Hi Mike - It certainly is.

I love that this post was featured in the group "Bartender, make it a double." Many online mansions are real life shacks.

Have missed you!  So glad you are back and hitting them out of the park once again!  ;-) 

Just ran into to situation where the house was listed as 4 bedrooms.. but when I checked with the town it has a 2 bedroom septic design.. so it is 2 bedrooms.... not 4...

I so relate as this happens a lot here.  Agents getting over zealous to get something shown only to mis-represent what it really is.

We have an interesting feature in our MLS that I use all the time. There are two slots for bedrooms. One for the actual number of bedrooms and another for the "possible" numbers of bedrooms. So we can list a 4 bedroom with a separate den or a loft as a 4 to 5 bedroom. Everybody knows it has 4 bedrooms, but for that 5-bedroom family who can't find a home with a 5th bedroom and is willing to settle for a 4-PLUS, it works great. There is no deception. Unless you don't know what a 4 to 5 bedroom is. If it has 5 bedrooms, then it's a 5-bedroom home. If not, it's not.

I had to laugh about a short sale bank the other day. They called me to complain about my advertising. Wanted to know why I said there were squished rotting pumpkins in the living room. Because there was. I'm with you -- be honest, somebody will buy it that way.

Tni,

Truth in advertising really matters. In the examples you mentioned this is likely an hour or so wasted when you could have seen something else.

Brian

And how about "Water View", only to find out "well, there was a water view, until they built the condo building across the street which now blocks out the sun"

Truth in advertising keeps everyone happy.

Tri, 

Truth in advertising is key.  I've had a four bedroom home listed that the owner turned into a three, by him taking one whole bedroom as a closet!  Yes, he did - she got the original master closet.  However, we did share that in the comment section AND tell agents that called.  I still advertised it as a four, as the taxes and square footage showed it as that!  It's a tough challenge, but telling it up front helps.

All the best, Michelle

Loved your post!  My favorite was actually when my husband and i were looking back in 2005 and the property was listed as a 4 bedroom, 4 bath, but when we viewed the proeprty, there were only two bedrooms and two baths.  The listing agent had the nerve to say that the plans for the additional rooms were included with the (very expensive) purchase price.  I filed a complaint with our local MLS and they were forced to change the listing.   

Tni,

I like your post. What this type of seller doesn't seem to understand is that the blatant lie not only aggravates the people who are attracted to the property based on their listing, it's not attracting the people who would have been interested in what they have to offer. For an agent to assist in this kind of activity is inexcusable, in my opinion.

Tni:  Using the appraisal definition of bedroom would help ... as it's pretty clear-cut.  Same thing for square footage.  But the listing of a pool that doesn't exist??  Wow ... that's just a plain-ol' lie in my eyes.  Until there's some sort of accountability meted-out ... I doubt these issues will disappear.  Everyone's time is precious ... doing this to a fellow-agent is disrespectful and inexcusable ...

Featured in BananaTude ...

 

 

Gene

Tni - LOL at your post because since becoming a Realtor I've been seeing somewhat the opposite.  So far, I've shown at least a dozen or so 2 & 3 bedrooms (according to the MLS) and when we show up, there have been anywhere from one to two more rooms than what was listed.  Just today, I showed a property and the it was a never ending tour from room to room.  My client and I walked out laughing wonder if each room (it was supposed to be 3bd) had their own walk-thru closets.  It was just ridiculous!  You've inspired me though!

A big issue we have here is the mischaracterization of location- "Scarsdale" is really New Rochelle, Bronxville is really Yonkers, etc. 

Tni, I had this conversation at a listing appointment recently.  "Could we say 4 bedroom, since we have that study off the master?"  No, you can say you have "a study off the master" since it is closed off with French doors, but there is no closet...and it is connected to the master...so NOT a bedroom.  I looked at the MLS listing from when they bought it, and sure enough--it was listed as a 4 bedroom.  Pretty common...but why disappoint people (and waste their time?)

When I list a house I always write it up the way it shows on the town records, regardless of what the owners say, because that;s what the appraiser for the bank is going to call it as well.

Tni, can't agree with you more! Not to mention that by wrong description the right buyer is turned off. Imagine there are peolle looking for just that - a 3 br with a spare smallish space they could use to hold junk or whatever, they don't need a true 4 br, they know that, and they eliminate the hosue from their search because it's "too big", while in reality it might be just right.

I always look at square footage as well, not just number of rooms, but that's even scarier at times. I get claustrofobic by the ratio...

Hi Tni - It was a "recession argument for sure. People do crazy things in recessions like claiming a patio is a bedroom!

You tell 'em , Tni!  Happens all the time and it is infuriating. I am looking for direct waterfront.  Yesterday's searhes turned up quite a few, but I am sorry, a foot wide trickling brook does fill the bill.  I hear what you're saying about that 4th bedroom. Creativity in trying to generate a 4th bedroom from some other space is wrong and a waste of the buyer's and agent's time.

I don't know about other areas, but here in Westchester, local municipalities have a 'building card', and you cannot post on MLS anything that cannot be backed up by the building card. If the card says 3 bedrooms, then you have to list it as 3 bedrooms -- not four!

Congrats on the feature! Excellent, excellent points. Truth and honesty go much father with potential buyers than creative advertising. Thanks for sharing and have a great weekend.

Hi Tn,i It sounds like these people were never taught the dangers or the liability of making false claims.       

Tni, no pool, no house!!!! I heard an agent describe a property recently as having a "Winter Water View", what the......?

Tni, as a predominate listing agent, I couldn't agree more.  When you stretch the truth on a home, yes it may show up in more searches, but it's bound to disappoint when shown.  Alternately, if I call that possible bedroom, just that, when the buyers come, they will just be pleasantly surprised at the potential.

I agree. Unless "potential" is indicated with the amenity, leave it out. Better yet, let the buyer be surprised at the possibilities of a home instead of being dissapointed when they get there.

Embellishing:  You would think that some real estate agents believe that embellishing is a part of their job description.

True but I think an even bigger issue is when you are told it has a certain kind of lockbox and it has another.  Or the code is worng.  Or it doesn't work.  Or the keyis not there.  And on and on.  Doesn't make for good home viewings to even get to see if the listing is accurate.  :-D

Hi Tni - GoogleMaps and local municipal online maps are often great ways to determine if a particular property has a pool, at least when the photo was taken.

Yesterday I showed a home my valued buyers just had to see.  The listing agent had the home staged for photos, then removed all the furniture.  What the buyers saw in person was a totally different home.  It was a sad experience for them.  Shame on that listing agent.

I had a home listed where the sellers were upset that I didn't put in the MLS that it had 3 bedrooms....it had two bedrooms and another room that could be used as an office or bonus room.  I explained that since it did not have a closet, I could not list it as a bedroom.  They said that since they had left an armoire in the room, I could say it was a bedroom.  After the listing expired, they re-listed with another agent who did put that the home had 3 bedrooms in the MLS. 

Yep, that is a great way to annoy any buyers agent!  Humiliate them in front of their clients taking them to homes that fit their search criteria based on the input from the listing agent!  I don't want to waste anyones time, including mine, so I don't embellish on the truly important items.    Now, that peaceful shade of aquamarine may not be what they are looking for, so it won't be worded that way either - lol

Yes, Tni...i hate the fishbowl pictures and wide angle lens for a 900 square foot home that attempts to make it look like 1800 sq.ft....it doesn't do anything for the buyers & they get furious...when a shack is a shack just play it up...thanks...hope you are incredibly busy!!

You said it Tni. When I run into this sort of situation, I don't let the listing agent get away with it, I do call the agents and give them the time of the day and thank them profusely for wasting my time and my client's time, AND I do report them to our MLS system and request an immediate change to the listing. Couple of times, I wanted to send a bill for my wasted time and expenses to the listing agent and the seller.

Thus the value of previewing.

In AZ, a bedroom needs a closet, a window and a door.

How about marketing the same room twice--3 bedrooms and a den because the 3rd bedroom could be used as a den is so deisred.  It is what it is and our marketing materials should reflect that fact.

This post really hits home this week. I had a couple looking for a 2 bedroom 2 bath condo in a specific complex. One listing showed up which matched that criteria in the MLS, so we set an appointment and I drove 20 minutes to show this $99K listing which was priced $15K below the last 2 bedroom that sold in that complex.

I got to the showing early to familiarize myself with the unit. It was a 1 bedroom 1.5 bath condo. I called the listing agent to ask if they could enlighten me as to where the 2nd bedroom was hidden. He told me to "F*** Off" and "Just bring me an offer or "Shut the "F*** up". 

Needless to say, I reported the listing violation to the MLS and called up the board of realtors to emphasize the gravity of the violation and the rude behavior. 

 

I am right there with you, Tni!! GREAT POST!

My other pet peeve is misquoting square footage. Don't round it up, don't include the basement or the attic, just list what the field card (or tax assessor data)  says. When I see a listing's square footage noted as an even number, it makes me question the validity of the rest of the information in that listing.

I have listed hundreds of properties in my career, researched hundreds others, and only ONCE did I ever come across a home with square footage that ended exactly in "00". The field card on one particular home that I was about to list stated that the house had 2100 square feet exactly. I asked my client if it would be okay if I added ONE square foot to that amount to make it appear on the listing as 2101, so no agent thought it was a rounded off figure, and she agreed ... and yes, of course,  I noted it in the agent remark section.

Judy Szablak

http://www.theCTrealtyBlog.com

 

 

You are exactly right......these issues can be very frustrating!  I'm sure, not all MLS's have it, but we have a button tagged, "Report a Violation".  I report things all the time, such as one I saw last month......it was pended last May....yes 9 months ago.  In the violation email I typed "Pended May 15, 2011??????"  It's possible it could be a short sale, I guess, but the MLS will pick up the phone and call the broker and ask.

That button alone has corrected many mistakes in our MLS.  The lady in charge of it says that they get many reports of violations from the "older, more experienced" agents and brokers.  I, for you, want it all cleaned up!!!

Very well written and so true as well. The all important first impression is so often based on expectations...so if you've over-built someone's expectations by misrepresenting a listing, then your setting your listing up for a disappointing first impression. I often find the most misleading advertising when looking at renderings...not sure who these folks get to draw the landscape, but in most instances the home is not in a location that looks anything like what the rendering depicted.

The last thing that I want to do as a listing agent is try to fend off criticism from a buyer and their agent about a false representation that I created in marketing the property. All I would accomplish is to offend and upset the buyer and agent, who will then want nothing to do with this property.

We've all seen it, the stretching of the truth, and even the blatant breaking of the local MLS listing rules to make a property seem to be more than it is. I see it as an act of desperation on the listing agent's part, who thinks the property won't sell on its own merit, or who thinks by beefing up the description that it will garner a larger offer. Neither the buyer, nor the buyer's appraiser, are going to fall for that stuff. I wish all listing agents would understand that better, and drop the games.

 

We see the bedroom issue a lot in the city.  Typically it happens with a windowless room that someone calls a bedroom though it's really just a home office or auxillary use area.

Love the animated graphics. It really helps accelerate your message. Where on Earth did you come up with those?

Tni, Well said. Reminded me of this funny home description. 

http://funnypagenet.com/your-home-through-the-eyes-of/

You know I also see the flip side of this.  Homes that are listed as 3 bedrooms, but have 4.  Homes that are listed with 2 car garage but have 3.   This is because some Brokers just pull stuff straight from the tax records and do not even look or think.  I shop for homes like this for my client - it is like finding gold.  

Tni:

Saying a home has 4 bedrooms when it only has 3 is a lie, pure and simple.  Last time I looked at the code of ethics lying about a listing is a no-no.

This is why I review the tax records and google maps before I show a home. If there is supposed to be a pool, there had better be a blue blob in the back yard when I pull up google.

I see the extra bedroom pop up more often than I would ever have thought it would. That dishonesty/misleading is just not worth upsetting a potential buyer. Simply a waste of time.

I'm over here by Gene's reblog.  Great post.  Well written and concise, and so so true.  Agents are doing it in hopes of getting more people through and having someone fall in love with it - but if it doesn't have their criteria it is just going to be another home on their list of "no".  I love your point about the sellers getting frustrated about their home continually being shown with nobody wanting it.  How discouraging!  -Kasey

If an agent is deceptive in their listing I have no problem "violating" them to our local board and MLS. If we don't police our profession we remain unprofessional!

Tni, last Monday night I drove 15 miles to show a buyer a condo that advertised a garage. We get there and it's a flipping carport! I did tell the seller we wanted a garage and that the listing showed it had one. Maybe he'll get on his agent's case. I think the agents are more at fault than the sellers. It's the agent who enters the MLS data and description, not the seller.

Oh, how frustrating it is to pull up to a 3 bedroom that's really a two bedroom. And of course, it's priced like a 3 bedroom. I found that most agents are just lazy and don't actually look at the info pulled in from the Realist Tax. Or they have an assistant enter the info and they don't check behind them to verify it for accuracy.

It is amazing to see what some listing details seem to stretch as the truth. It does no one a favor, it makes the buyers upset and wastes the Seller's time. I try to preview as much as I can, but as you said, it's been a very busy market, so sometimes it's not possible.

Showed a so-called 3 bedroom home where the 3rd bedroom was in the basement in the furnace room - yep, furnace right next to a bed - no closet, big ole furnace/utility room.  Fortunately, our MLS has an anonymous complaint button and you best believe I used it!

Great post, we all have seen these misplaced descriptions on mls.  It is frustrating to say the least.

Gene R. has found the silver lining in this for his buyers, but Wrong is Wrong! I'm in the camp with Janine L. - but isn't it a shame we have to police our fellow agents to keep up the standards of our profession? We also have a complaint button on our MLS and I use it.

This happens far too much. Is there a way to report this to the local MLS so the listing is removed until corrected?

Hi Tni, my pet peeve is with the agents who do not properly classify mobile homes in the MLS so your autmated searches end up sending these out to buyers who clearly do not want them.

There have been lots of replies mentioning the waste of the buyers' time, but only a couple have mentioned the waste of the agent's time and gas, and his diminished competence in the eyes of his buyers. I have recently showed a 2-bdrm listed as 3, and previewed another listed as 1.75 baths that had a toilet in the basement furnace room and a utility sink in a nook off the hallway. I went round and round looking but not finding a tub or shower in the labyrinthine basement, and later called the agent and was told, "my husband has an explanation for that," but I didn't bother to get it. Another agent lists his fixers and teardowns with such hyperbole ("just needs paint") that I'm probably not going to waste any time on sorting his wheat from his chaff.

Unfortunately only we agents can get this cleaned up.  I hope that Agents are listening.  I effects us all and really makes potential buyers mad and they will immediately dis-qualify a home that is over hyped.  "What else will they try to hide" is the general comment.

There have been some issues around here with build-outs in basements that were not permitted and not in tax records, and they have come back to bite the buyers because either the appraiser when it was purchased or they themselves (along with their agent) did not properly evaluate the property.  How distressing - doubly so for someone who a few years later MUST resell and can't get the appraisal to come in (and therefore be mortgagable for the new buyers).  And, not to be outdone, the agents who list a double-wide or single-wide as a ranch so more folks will be included to look, and list the construction as frame/mod or mod, not manufactured.  Yet, the MLS has not enforced any listing rules, MFRs are still listed as SFR, sometimes as both and sometimes even as commercial, company-identifying information which is not supposed to be in photos is creeping in more and more, and public/tax record information is ignored in favor of creative writing.  Policing all this can be a full-time job, it seems.

That's why I typically review the aerial and birdseye maps (including flood plains and wetlands), public and tax records, and any prior listings that are still in the system before we go traipsing out to a property.  If there are extra bedrooms or a porch appears to be in the square footage or there are other issues, I am able to point them out to my buyers and describe the problems that could ensue in getting mortgages, getting building department approval after the fact or, if they are so inclined, purchasing as is and then years down the line trying to re-sell without correcting problems.

And while we're on a roll, what about the listing, taken well before a seller moved out and left it in disgusting - DISGUSTING - condition, that puts it in excellent condition?  Hasn't been lived in for several years now, clearly is no longer "excellent".  But the bank thinks it is, and it is a short sale now.  Has the listing agent ever gone in since it was vacated?

Ok, rant over on that part.  But one more thing:  What about the appraisers who miss a whole bedroom and tank a mortgage application - that was one of my absolute favorite fights.

Taking a deep breath now.

Hi Tni ,I couldn't agree with you more.I don't think lieing is the best thing to do.Eventually we will see through it .Thanks for this wondeful blog.Keep being the best Santa Maria Short Sale Agent.