Are those really hardwood floors and granite counters?

I often find descriptions in the MLS of properties that supposedly have hardwood floors and granite counters only to get to the house and discover that it's "Pergo-like" vinyl flooring and "Formica-like" plastic laminate. There's nothing wrong with tastefully done vinyl and plastic laminate, but it can be a real letdown if that's what your buyers are expecting.

I try to look at a photo of the kitchen floor, and if I see the "hardwood" there, I know that it's probably something like Pergo as I haven't seen a hardwood floor in a kitchen or bathroom since Connecticut. And I try to preview whenever possibly to check out those counters more closely. I went to a house once that did have granite tile counters, but I realized quickly that the seller had put them in himself with little or no experience; the grout was uneven, and there was already a bad stain.

Of course, if a buyer wants the real thing, s/he could stay quiet until after close of escrow and then demand that the listing agent replace the fake with the promised material in the advertising. So agents should be careful and not use brand names unless they're absolutely sure, and they should ask the sellers what materials they used. If the sellers didn't put in the flooring and don't know the difference between wood and vinyl, the agent should educate them on the difference.