Some Question Reality Of Online Tulsa Realty Photos

Online real estate listings could be giving buyers a less than accurate view of homes on the market.

Just like models can be Photoshopped in magazines, homes are getting digital makeovers, which can be deceiving for home buyers.

“A picture speaks for itself, and to alter what it portrays, I just think that's not right," said real estate photographer, Allison Anderson. "I use a wide-angle lens and I just try to shoot the whole room, so, you know, potential buyers that are looking at the photos will really see what the home really looks like," she said.

What a home really looks like can be distorted with a little Photoshop.

A wide angle lens can expand the living room, a little artwork can create an ocean view and virtual staging can make an empty space, cozy.

Realtors know the photos might not sell homes, but they get buyers in the door.

"Without the photos, you don't have anything," said Stephen Canada with McGraw Realty.

Canada recently used a drone to snap aerial photos of a 70-acre property in Fort Gibson.

"Really, the only way to show the property and how it was situated on the land was an aerial view of it, and it really worked well," he said.

While the use of drones for real estate photography is new, and controversial, the photos give the listing a wow factor.

"We don't do anything like hide fire hydrants that are in the middle of the yard, or power lines that run over the top of the house,” Canada said. “The high resolution pictures that we're doing now, they make just about every property look fabulous."

The same tools that make the property look fabulous, make another listing look unrealistic.

Andersen said she doesn't allow herself to make too many edits.

"It's usually like straightening it, editing the lighting, because maybe my flash wasn't strong enough," Andersen said.

Canada hopes a good angle will pay off with the property.

“You can actually see how the house sits on the property. And it just made a world of difference," he said.

One realtor suggested looking at a property on Google Earth before touring a home.

Some listings only show interior pictures, so insist on seeing some exterior pictures before viewing a home.