I always thought it was required to have original MLS photos, but discovered an interesting thing today while researching a BPO...the same photo used in both the MLS and the tax records.

So who stole the photo from whom? I think the listing agent lifted the photo from the tax records.

I've seen a lot of laziness in MLS listing information, but I think this is the first time I've seen this. GRRR

Tax record photo:


MLS photo:

I see this OFTEN in my MLS!

Can't you just check that finger-tip on the left to see who it matches ? . . . . Must be an Assessor's (clean nail).

We sometimes have Porches or Garages show that have been removed for years.

That is a guy's finger, I'm sure of this...LOL

I'm not so sure that's a finger. I went back to the assessor's photo on the tax website where I could see the photo larger than it appears here. Not quite sure what that thing is, but it doesn't really look like a human digit.

However, that issue wasn't really the point of my original post. Swiping other people's photos was the point of the post.

Agents here use the tax photo all the time. They also use the previous listing agents photos. All unethical and illegal.

The rules are only enforced if someone turns them in and it would take a full time employee to keep our MLS clean.

ie. new listing with the MLS price $300,000 lower than the actual price and it took the re company 8 days to fix it. This was on a $425,000 listing. sad

I had a listing and had some really nice professional pics taken of the house. The next agent that listed the house used all my pictures.

I was not happy! I sent the agent an email and educated her about copyright laws. Told her that if she wanted to keep the pics to send me a $250 check. Her broker was involved too.

They took care of it, not as fast as I would have liked it but they did nonetheless! The overpriced listing never sold.

One of my ML services has instituted a fine for copying 'photos (or other descriptive content) from prior listings; not sure how they feel about using the assessor's 'photo though!

the tax record photo happened first - the mls photo is cropped from that image.

ManFromTheBand, you are correct. The MLS photo also has our board logo watermarked on the photo. Anyone too lazy to take their own photo is certainly way too lazy to try to remove a watermark!