Nothing can be more irritating than to have a beautiful home for sale and when you look at the images on the web they are blurry, distant and/or nonsensical. Like the images that I have found on this website.

I mean, why? Why would you do this on purpose? I am always surprised to see what some agents will post on the MLS.

Here's a few quick tips on creating beautiful MLS images.

Get Rid of your Cell Phone Camera

I know that some of the cameras on cell phones can produce some great pics, but why chance it? You don't need to spend thousands on a new fancy camera, but a nice digital camera with at least 5 megapixels would do the trick. You want to ensure that you have good clean, sharp, large images for your MLS pictures with a nice high resolution. You can achieve this with a digital camera and you can take a ton of pictures tomake sure that you have at least one good photograph of each area you want to represent.

"Stage" the Home

You want to be able to show off the space in the home, so make sure that the rooms are clean and free of clutter. Toys on the floor, magazines stacked on the table, dishes in the sink can create a distraction for people looking at the pictures. People tend to focus in on the details rather than the "big picture", they may tend to miss the size of the room while trying to see what the owners of the house like to read for entertainment. If you want to create a "Lived in" look, add a vase with some seasonal flowers.

Don't Use Your Flash

Pick a nice sunny day to take your MLS pictures. Open up the curtains (don't tie them in a knot)and turn all the lights on, this makes the room appear open and big. Basically, you are looking to create enough light that you will not need to use the flash on your camera. Using the flash can create reflections that result in pictures that can be considered full of shadows. You would want to take the outside pictures of the home on a slightly overcast day to avoid any shadows on the home.

Find the Best Angle

Typically the best angle for shooting a room in a house is from the corner or from the doorway. This allows you to see as much of the room as possible. You don't want to take the picture with the window behind you or from inside the closet.

Touch up your Photos

Review your photos before you put them on the MLS. You may need to touch them up a little by adding a bit more light to a bedroom that looks too dark or cropping out unnecessary things, like the garbage can. There are some great free onlinephoto editing tools out there that will allow you to brighten photos, adjust the contrast, use cropping tools etc.

Most importantly, have fun with it, pretend you are working for National Geographic and make a good dayof it!