Agent want me to pay for professional cleaning before photos test test

It's normal for agents to want houses professionally cleaned before photos, but $600 seems really high unless it's a huge house. A basic deep clean is usually $150-300. The comment about spices is where this gets tricky. If there's a strong smell that buyers might notice, that's a legitimate concern - some smells can turn people off during showings, even if the house is clean. But the way he said it might've come off wrong. You have options. You could get a second opinion from another agent about whether the smell is actually a problem. You could also just air out the house really well, use some odor neutralizers, and see if that helps before paying for professional cleaning. If you think he's being disrespectful or discriminatory, find a different agent. You shouldn't work with someone who makes you feel bad. But if the smell is genuinely strong, it's worth addressing because it will affect showings, not just photos. Get quotes from a couple cleaning companies and see what they say. If it's way less than $600, your agent might be exaggerating.

Veronica, you do not "need" to do professional cleaning, but the more move in condition and "HGTV" style the home is, the quicker it will sell and this goes for odors as well. Put yourself in the buyers shoes, how would you feel walking into your house in its current state being from outside culture? Keith Jean-Pierre Managing Principal The Dapper Agents Operations In: NY, NJ, FL & CA

Your agent is giving you high-impact advice. In the 2026 market, "Visual Integrity" is your most powerful selling tool. A professional deep clean doesn't just make the house look good; it removes the "Mental Maintenance" burden for buyers. If a home looks dusty or cluttered in high-resolution 2026 listing photos, buyers assume there is also hidden damage (like mold or neglected HVAC), which can lead to lower offers or your home sitting on the market far longer than it should.

Honestly, both things can be true at the same time. It can be standard practice and it can be handled poorly. A lot of agents do request professional cleaning before a photo shoot, and there's a real reason for it: photos are permanent. Once they're out there on the MLS, they're the first impression for every buyer who sees your home. Agents want to put their best foot forward, and most want to make sure nothing in the photos becomes a reason for someone to hesitate. If the house has a smell that might be unappealing to another buyer, that can ruin the buyer's perception of the home. That said, the way it's communicated matters just as much as the request itself. "Your house smells like spices" is a clumsy way to say it, and if that's how it came out, I understand why it stung. A good agent finds a way to have that conversation without making you feel judged. There's no reason it can't be framed simply as part of the prep process, because that's really all it is. So is the request itself unreasonable? No. Is $600 on the high end? Depends on your home's size, but yes, that's worth pushing back on or at least shopping around. Is the delivery your agent used okay? Probably not. If the communication felt off on this one, pay attention to that. How an agent talks to you before listing is how they'll talk to buyers, other agents, and you throughout the whole process. That part matters.