It's staged "elegance." Notice the dress, heels, hair, posture, etc. Maybe they need to justify the asking price.

She might be in there to show the scale of things.

Stranger still...why the closeup of the place setting? What does that have to do with the condominium for sale?

When it comes to listing photos in general, I'll never understand why sellers insist on showing their generally abhorrent taste in sofas (or "couches," if you will.)

I think it's hysterical.

They're selling a lifestyle as much as a condo & the furnishings are a perfect mood setter for the 1881 vintage of the residence.

You see some of that kind of stuff here. I've seen people in listings before but never on realtor.com.

I have attended several local open houses here where the realtor has hired models/actors to be lounging around reading books on chaises in the library, puttering in the kitchen, watching a movie in the media room, even brushing long tresses at the vanity in the master bedroom. It started here with one builder a couple years ago & now several others have followed suit.

Table settings are popular depictions. They say, "This home has a very formal dining room where you may host elegant dinner parties." Another popular picture here is the front porch...just a close in shot of a white (always white) wicker urn with a huge Boston fern spilling out the top. Picture doesn't show anything but a bit of typical New England blue/gray porch floor paint & then the tall urn. Says, "This home has a beautiful porch where you can sit & feel the ocean breezes & sip a glass of wine."

Marketing is fun stuff. I like the woman in these pictures. Good marketing, IMO.

/tricia

Holy cow are you looking for a place for 1.4 million dollars or is this fantasy house hunting?

IMO, she seems more like a spectral ghost haunting the place....especially since you never get to see her from the front...kind of creepy.

Oh good grief no! Just came back from a trip to Charleston, and while on tour of the beautiful city I saw several properties for sale. I was curious about what they looked like inside, so I did a search when I got home. I wish, though:)

I don't understand. Is the pic of the ugly gray bldg at the end supposed to show the property? If so, it sure as heck doesn't look so elegant as they're trying to make it seem. No way I'd drop $1.5 mil for a place in that thing, w/ no windows to boot.

Maybe the chick is the live-in maid that keeps all the crystal polished, LOL.

I agree that it looks like a ghost. Very creepy!

I think it's creepy too! None of the pics show the rooms, only what's in them. No kitchen shot, no baths either.

I find it lame and pretentious.

sparksals,

Here's a link to a condo for sale in my town. There are 15 pictures but only 4 of them are interior shots including one of the dining room table (but no kitchen shot). The reason is that they are not selling a kitchen. They are selling location, vintage ambiance, & a dock on the Mystic River. They have shown enough of the interior for a buyer to know the place isn't a dump. Marketing is different. They have identified their target market & pinpointed advertising. I'm guessing that the agent for the OP's condo has done exactly the same type of market identification.

Kellyeng, yes, it is pretentious. It's SUPPOSED to be pretentious. lol :)

/tricia

Here is a link that might be useful: Mystic Condo

Now, I love that place in Mystic! But the Charleston listing just doesn't do anything for me.

ummm...I am just not one of the people those ads are marketing to I guess. I dont care about the 'pretencious' shots. I just glaze over those and examine the 'real' shots. I want to see rooms so I can picture if my furniture will look good in it. If I see a listing that is a 'possibility' and then a shot of something unique that I like, such as built-in bookshelves, it automatically puts that listing at the top of the list. I dont see the point of wasting those oppertunities to highlight the house with pictures of tables or women walking.
And when I dont see a certain room online pictured, I automatically assume it is the worst looking room in the house. Kitchens are expensive. I wouldnt think it's a good idea to let buyers assume that the kitchen needs work if it is actually pristine just by not including a picture.

Ha! Reno fan - I thought you were going to say you were looking at homes in that area and they must have photographed you without your knowing! (Kind of like how Victoria Secret captures those very natural poses. What, don't you read a book in your underware, sitting backwards on a chair, heels on, back arched and hair done within an inch of it's life? It's very comfortable!

That seems almost unbelievable:
Listing Price: $1,490,000
Bedrooms: 4
Full Baths: 3
SQ Ft.: 2230
Kind: Condominium
Parking: Off-st Prkng

AND - the windows are really cheap looking. I suspect all the "bones" are cheap. I think a person would have to be nuts to pay this price for this place.

I found this on the condo's location...Harleston Village. As always, real estate prices are profoundly influenced by location, location, location.

"Originally developed in 1770, Harleston village is a convenient , historic address in peninsular Charleston. This pleasant mix of antebellum houses and upscale modern townhouses is situated on the site of the first golf club in America, and a congenial community atmosphere still prevails. Surrounding the shady blocks of Harleston Village are the prestigious College of Charleston, South CarolinaÂs Medical University complex, and historic Cannon park and Colonial Lake.

Many of the old homes were built from the wealth of early 19th century rice mills that lined nearby Ashley River, and some of CharlestonÂs finest Italianate, Regency and Georgian architecture is featured in such noteworthy examples as the Blacklocke and Jenkins-Mikell houses and the College of CharlestonÂs Randolph Hall.

The sidewalk stroll is the preferred means of transportation along these quiet streets, where neighbors gather for morning cappuccino at corner cafes or late -afternoon cocktails on garden piazzas. Only a few blocks from the King Street retail district, the stylish restaurants of the City market, and the yachts and sailboats of the Charleston Marina, Harleston Village offers easy access to all the pleasures and necessities of the good life."

/tricia

Yes, Triciae's post is correct. The area where this condo is located is *prime* Charleston property. The surrounding southern style mansions are stunning, the waterfront is beautiful, and everything's within walking distance. That part of the city has a "vibe" not unlike New Orleans or New York city, with lots of activity, lots of work, and lots of play nearby.

I can easily see (after seeing this area for myself) how properties go for this much money.

I'm surprised she didn't drape herself on the bed, to add more drama to the staging.

Extreme staging/marketing makes me giggle, I like pristine conditions for showings but
over-the-top staging is slightly ridiculous, imo. I tend to be a sceptical person.
Dining rooms with elaborate table settings are for boutiques.