Is your home or apartment more cozy than the pictures convey? You have to think… Why are they buying the house? What are they looking for in the house? And do your pictures show the best possible image of your home to buyers? If you’re having trouble with your digital photos, MSN Real Estate has comprised a list of 6 tips for drawing in buyers through your photos online. This is especially applicable to anyone using Craigslist or the TourVista Craigslist templates.

1. Lighten up your subject – don’t take photos at night or try to use dramatic lighting. The clearer and the more professional looking, the better the photo.
2. More is better – take as many pictures as possible. The more you show, the more your buyer will feel better about wanting to see the house in person.
3. Get a clear shot - clean up your house or have it “staged” for the photos – clean area, no clutter, no trash outside, etc.
4. Go Pro – If you can’t seem to take great pictures on your own, consider using TourVista’s Professional Services.
5. Give it your best shot - borrow a friend’s camera or try to rent one from a local shop.
6. Edit – using Flickr or Photoshop to edit your photos can make a world of difference.

When it comes to homes for rent, vacant apartments, and sublets, CraigsList.com is the #1 classifieds website for the 21st century market. It’s free, easy to use, and everyone has heard of it. In a recent conversation with a friend in NYC, she explained to me how she found her apartment by saying, “everyone here uses Craiglist.” But how do your buyers/renters sort between listings? How do you stand out among a sea of others? The answer is simple. The seven simple rules to posting on Craigslist. Use these simple instructions while creating your TourVista Craigslist add for your real estate listing. The Tourvista Craigslist templates are easy to fill out, simple to view, and more professional looking than posting directly form Craigslist alone.

When you pay attention to the details of your real estate listing, your buyers will too. But when you don’t pay attention to the details, they may end up standing out in a bad way. A few quick care chores to your home such as: touch-up paining, cutting grass, doing the dishes, or hiding the old lawn furniture, can have a lasting impact on your buyers and the way they view your home – or themselves in the home. Don’t cheat yourself when it comes to the value and beauty of your real estate listing. Putting your best home forward will not only bring buyers in the door, but it will ultimately lead to a buyer who will stay (in the door). And this article:  Pay attention to buyer turnoffs in your home. will help you anticipate what your buyers are looking for from the moment they walk in.

TourVista’s suggestion: When it comes to your virtual tours and Craiglist adds, do your touch-ups before your photo shoot! Don’t take pictures of a leaking gutter, hole in the wall, or missing woodwork from a door. Take the time and a little extra money to always make sure you’re putting your best home forward. A little love = a buyer loving your listing.

TourVista provides a free copy and paste Craigslist template to quickly post your property onto the world’s most popular real estate rental site. Your property will stand out with our 6 professionally designed templates, and you will save a ton of time when creating your post on Craigslist.

Here is a video tutorial for posting your TourVista virtual tour onto Craigslist:

Hello Friends,

I just put the final touches on the new Craigslist Post Generator, making it the best that I’ve seen anywhere on the web. ** There are now has 6 colors to choose from. Take your pick from Blue, Gray, Green, Pink, Tan or Peach!

You can also select which aspects of your contact information to include in your Craigslist posts. This is helpful to protect your privacy (phone #, email, etc) from the spammers that scour Craigslist. Of course, your contact information will still show on your tour page on TourVista, like this one: www.tourvista.com/132

** If you can find an easier, better Craigslist post generator out there, let us know! We’ll be sure to give you some tour credits for your help =)