Boutique Property Management has been in the business for more than two decades, and we still get surprised. This October, a prospective tenant requested a private showing of one of our properties in Galway. The home was listed for lease, not for sale. Afterward, the visitor posted photos of the property on Instagram in a way that made it look as though he had purchased it. That was false. The owner spotted the posts, sent us a screenshot, and we had the photos removed by going directly to the agent who had accompanied him.
What Happened at the Galway Showing?
A prospective tenant asked for a private showing of a lease listing we manage in Galway. Private showings are a routine request, and we accommodate them when they are properly scheduled and the visitor is accompanied by a licensed professional. This visitor attended with a real estate agent, and the showing itself went ahead as planned.
The surprise came afterward. The property owner contacted our office and shared a screenshot of the visitor’s Instagram post. The images and presentation suggested that he was buying the home. In reality, the property was never for sale, no purchase was underway, and he was only a prospective tenant who had walked through a rental. He had staged the post to look like a home purchase.
How Did We Respond?
We contacted the agent who had conducted the private showing and shared the screenshot as evidence. We kept the conversation direct and professional. The agent acted on it, and the photos were taken down.
The outcome was simple, but it relied on two things that are easy to overlook. The owner was paying attention and told us promptly, and we knew exactly who had been through the property and which agent had been present. Without a documented showing and a clear point of contact, a request like this becomes much harder to resolve.
Why Does a Fake Purchase Post About a Rental Matter?
A post that presents a lease listing as a purchase can cause real problems even when it looks like harmless bragging. It can mislead neighbors, confuse future applicants, and create a false public impression of who controls the property. It also exposes the interior of the home to anyone who sees the images, which matters for a unit that may be occupied or actively listed.
Owners also have a legitimate interest in how their property appears publicly. Photos of the inside of a home can reveal its layout, security features, and the owner’s possessions. For landlords who care about privacy and protecting their asset, a showing should end when the visitor leaves.
How Should Landlords Handle Private Showings?
The most reliable approach is to treat every showing as a documented event. Know the name of each visitor and of any agent who accompanies them, confirm the appointment in writing, and keep a record of who attended and when. If a problem comes up afterward, you then have someone specific to contact.
It also helps to set expectations before the visit. A short written note stating that photography is for personal reference only, and that posting images of the property publicly is not permitted without the owner’s consent, avoids most misunderstandings. Most visitors take photos for harmless reasons such as comparing homes or showing a spouse. The point is to make the boundary clear before it is tested.
Finally, owners should tell their property manager if they ever see their home appear online in an unexpected way. In this case, the owner’s quick message is the reason we were able to resolve the matter so fast.
What Does This Say About Managing Rentals in Los Angeles and Ventura County?
Property management involves more than collecting rent and arranging repairs. It involves judgment about people, privacy, and risk, and it often means dealing with situations no checklist anticipated. A prospective tenant who tours a lease listing and then pretends online to have bought it falls into that category.
Boutique Property Management is a residential property management company serving Los Angeles and Ventura County, and we manage properties of one to four units. Our clients are mostly referred to us by attorneys, physicians, CPAs, financial advisors, and business managers, and we serve them in both English and Spanish. When we say we have seen it all, we mean it, and this story is one of the reasons the saying holds up.
Talk to Boutique Property Management
If you own a one to four unit rental in Los Angeles or Ventura County and want a manager who handles showings, screening, and unexpected situations with care, contact Boutique Property Management. Call Allen Brodetsky and our team at (818) 696-4498 to discuss your property.