Open House Etiquette
Is it acceptable to pull out your digital camera and start snapping pictures at an open house? What has been the community’s experience?
Is it acceptable to pull out your digital camera and start snapping pictures at an open house?
What has been the community’s experience?
besides the camera I had laser length measuring thingy and fired it all over the place. It made realtor to quiet down, but, hey she needs commission.
You should ask. It is rude not to
I think it is entirely a matter of preference, up to the owner. I didn’t even think to discuss this with my broker, but that was a few years ago and picture taking has gotten much more common. I personally would discourage it next time as a seller; others might not.
Though I did take pictures when I bought, after my offer had been accepted, with the broker’s permission, so I could remember what it was I was buying over the 3-4 months it took to close (this was before broker websites had pictures, if they even had websites, otherwise I might not have bothered). But I wouldn’t mind pictures being taken by someone with an accepted offer.
I always felt it would be rude to use the bathroom at all when looking at places, even when I needed to – you can always go to the avenue and use a coffeshop or restaurant, or grocery store – that’s what I did.
i’m waiting to see who ‘fesses up to doing a #2 at an OH.
legally, it is not allowed to take photos on private property without permission of the owner. At the same time, it is true there are good reasons to use a camera as a kind of digital notepad.
If I was the broker, after speaking with the owner, I would have a note on or near the sign-in sheet saying that photos are to be kept private and not posted on line or in any public forum.
Exactly – if someone asks to take certain photos for a particular reason (as in my wife couldn’t make it, and I just wanted to show her a bit more so we could decide if we want to come back or not), that’s one thing, but someone who wants to photgraph/video everything, without asking, is just being rude. And actually, in my experience, people are so addicted to their smartphones/iPhones/etc. they no longer know how to appreciate things except by taking pictures of them – this refers to more than just houses, of course. The other day in the botanic garden I overheard a mother saying to her son, “Would you stop taking pictures and just actually look at the flowers for a minute?” Perhaps technology is doing away with our visual memory and descriptive ability. Imagine – you no longer need to describe that house to your friend, just whip out your iPhone and show the photos. Who needs words or imagination any more?
Setting up a separate appointment just to take photos that could have been taken while at the open house is just a discourteous waste of the buyers’ time. Although it is the realtor’s responsibility to communicate their client’s preferences re pictures, that does not mean that wanting to take photos is rude per se. This isn’t a social gathering–you’re trying to sell a house for a lot of money. As we have seen time and again, most brokers post only a small number of photos, often with an extreme wide angle lens, and often not showing detail of any areas that need updating or repairs, or blurry photos. Most reasonable people will not be snapping photos if they have no serious interest in a property and by taking photos they are likely saving the seller time as well. For example if there’s a spouse that couldn’t attend the open house, that person will only schedule a follow-up visit if they haven’t ruled out the property based on the photos. Although I know there are unreasonable people out there on both the buying/viewing and selling end.
Most sellers I deal with expressly ask that I not allow random photo-taking at open houses, specifically to avoid people posting the shots to their Facebook pages, etc. Think about it – this is still someone else’s home, and they do have a right to some privacy. There are photos and floor plans on the website. If you’re that interested in a place, ask to come back for a private appointment, at which point the seller will most likely be more open to that kind of thing, as you’ve expressed more than simple voyeurism. I’ve even had people start to take photos and videos without asking; when I asked one woman to stop she turned to me and said, “Oh, you don’t understand, we’ve been doing this for years – every Sunday we go to open houses and then we make a montage of overything we’ve seen and look at it.” Years? Clearly this is not a serious buyer and a someone who needs to get a life.
Ask permission, don’t be rude! I’ve just had an open house, it seemed that everyone would open doors and SLAM them shut (cabinets, refrigerator, linen closets) WTF! Newbies must be taught manners!