Yes, the possibility exists, especially if the home changed owners within the last 15 years. Chances are very good that photos of the residence remain on major real estate selling sites. And even though the furnishings and wallpaper may be from years ago, and belonged to someone else, it’s kind of creepy that it’s out there for the world to see. It’s bad enough these sites reveal annual tax bills, and how much the place sold for. I know it’s part of the public record, but does it have to be that easily accessible?
For example, today’s real estate photo collections can run upwards of 60 images for one property that is on the market. Included in many of these albums are floor plans and drone shots. It’s a great selling tool to attract potential buyers. But once the closing is done, those photos need to come down. That is too much information floating around cyberspace about your personal sanctuary.
To find out if you have old real estate photos floating around in cyberspace, here is where to look, and what to do about it.
1. Go to a search engine and type in your address in quotes, for example: “123 Main Street, Bedford Falls” and see what comes up. Google usually has the most information, so don’t overlook their power on this one.
2. Visit the sites of Redfin, Trulia, Zillow, and Realtor. In each one, you should be able to click on a button indicating that you are the owner. If you’re renting, ask your landlord to take them down. Once ownership is claimed, you can remove photos, and choose what to put as the sole image. You can put the Google street view, if they don’t allow “Not Available.”
3. Beyond the Big 4 real estate websites listed above, there is also the possibility that a realtor still has the listing buried within their listings and your home is still in there. It happens more than you think. The Google search should bring it up if that’s the case. Contact the real estate office and request the expired listing be removed.
4. Never include a street address on your resume and cover letter, and this includes LinkedIn under the contact section. It’s nobody’s business if you live in a McMansion, a condo, or a mobile home. Your next salary offer should not be based on your perceived living conditions. What matters is that you can do the job and do it well.
It shouldn’t take more than 30 minutes to research and contact companies to remove photos of the inside of your home. Don’t make it easy for bad actors to case the joint without your knowledge.