MLS Photo Mistakes to Avoid

I was about to post to my Trulia blog when I noticed that 63 homes in my area reduced their list price.  This caught my attention so I had to see what these homes looked like.  Without knowing whether the homes were overpriced to begin with or any other background information, based on photos and photos alone, here's what I found.  Trust me, my judgment call is the also how the general public is judging you...by your photos, which are likely their first impression of your listing. If you're going to take the time to photograph your listings, take a few minutes to prep the space before you start snapping.  I'm not even asking you go above and beyond, although this is part of your marketing and real estate "professionals" do work on commission so why wouldn't you?Here are the Top MLS Photo Mistakes to Avoid according to Alice:1. Toilet seats up - I can't even tell you how many MLS photos include bathrooms with toilet seats up.  Take a minute to shut the lid...it makes a HUGE difference.2. Open cabinet and closet doors - just like a toilet seat...close doors!3. Date and time stamps - turn it off! Not only does it look unprofessional (see above), but it also turns off potential buyers, especially if the house has been on the market for an extended period of time.  The date stamp makes it painfully obvious!4. Low resolution or fuzzy photos - um...really?!  why would a seller want to pay you a commission for such low quality work?5. Little or no photos at all - Did you realize that most searches allow you to look for listings with photos only? This automatically excludes yours if you don't have any.  And let's make sure there's a nice selection of interior and exterior photos.  Don't tell me how beautiful the house is, SHOW ME!!!I'm not even going to address the obvious no staging, low budget staging or DIY staging here.  I'll save that for another blog post.These are all common sense, but clearly, common sense has fallen by the wayside in the real estate industry.  Please...help yourself, help your clients, help the industry...step up your game!!!As always, I would love to hear what your thoughts are on this subject. Am I wrong here?  Talk to me...