PENNSYLVANIA — A September 2025 poll of 2,000 single-family homeowners found that most Pennsylvania residents want stronger protections over old real estate listing photos, with 72 percent saying state lawmakers should require their removal once a sale is complete.
The survey, commissioned by real estate marketing firm Hypewired, revealed broad concerns about privacy and safety. Sixty-nine percent of respondents cited family privacy as their top issue, another 69 percent pointed to security risks, 53 percent said private spaces should not remain online indefinitely, and 48 percent raised concerns about scams and fraud.
“These aren’t just pretty pictures for Zillow anymore — they are detailed blueprints of where families sleep, store valuables, and raise children,” said Tony Gilbert, founder and CEO of Hypewired. “It’s shocking how little control homeowners actually have once those images go live.”
Law enforcement agencies in states including California, Michigan, and Arizona have warned that burglars use listing sites to target homes, while the FBI’s Boston field office recently tied old photos to an increase in online rental scams.
Expectant parents were the most concerned demographic, with 87 percent saying states should mandate photo removal. Gilbert said new parents think about household safety differently, which helps explain the overwhelming support.
The survey also highlighted a dispute over control. Sixty-one percent of homeowners said the buyer should decide whether photos remain online. Only 23 percent said the seller should make the decision, 8 percent favored the listing agent, and 3 percent trusted MLS associations.
Old photos typically remain available because of business incentives. Real estate portals such as Zillow, Realtor.com, and Redfin, as well as MLS associations, benefit from increased traffic and advertising revenue. Sellers often grant brokerages a “forever license” in listing agreements, which allows the images to remain indefinitely.
“The seller doesn’t have to live with the risk once they’ve moved on,” Gilbert said. “It’s the new homeowner — the person who never signed anything — who’s left exposed.”
Industry practices are now drawing attention from lawmakers. Advocates say photo privacy could be the next area of consumer protection, similar to foreclosure disclosure and escrow requirements. “Consumers are telling us in no uncertain terms: balance marketing with safety, or we’ll demand legislation,” Gilbert said.
Until then, experts recommend homeowners request photo removals through MLS associations and directly with listing sites, and file removal requests with search engines to eliminate cached images.
The survey was conducted online September 10, 2025, via Pollfish, with a margin of error of plus or minus two percent at the 95 percent confidence level.
For the latest news on everything happening in Chester County and the surrounding area, be sure to follow MyChesCo on Google News and MSN.