I've seen an uptick in pointless real estate photos on listings for genuinely nice properties. Close ups of vases, chairs next to windows, native flowers in the backyard (which are representative of the entire city I live in, so not exactly a unique characteristic), tightly framed photos of the owner's dog looking cute on outdoor furniture, maggie strutting around the lawn. 15 of 30 photos will be like this and I think, if you're not giving me the vase or the dog or the furniture, (I assume the local flaura and fauna comes included) then stop wasting my time with photos.
I get that it's meant to convey the lifestyle you can have if you buy the property, but a wider shot of the patio is going to do that better than a close up of a dog I don't have, on furniture I don't own.
I have to assume it's indulgent behaviour from the photographer who just wants more shots for their portfolio.