The internet has become an integral tool in the home buyer arsenal. When asked to identify the first step taken during the home buying process, 32 percent of all home buyers looked online for properties for sale. Furthermore, 84 percent of all buyers identified the internet as a source in their home search including 87 percent of first-time buyers, 82 percent of repeat buyers, 79 percent of new home buyers and 85 percent of buyers of previously owned homes.

Reported use of the internet in the home search process varies with slightly with age. 86 percent of those 18-24 and 91 percent of those 25-44 reported using the internet while only 77 percent of those 45-64 and 51 percent of those 65 or older did so. Still, a majority of homebuyers of all ages are relying on the internet as a resource. Additionally, 99 percent of homebuyers using the internet found it very or somewhat useful. That rate is higher than the usefulness rating of any other measured information sources including real estate agents who were a close second.

So buyers are using the internet and finding it useful. Does that mean that Realtors will lose the tech-savvy as clients as they turn to do-it-yourself web sites? The answer is no. NAR's surveys suggest that internet users are information gatherers who use most sources more frequently, real estate agents included. While only 75 percent of non-internet users relied on a real estate agent, 86 percent of internet users reported doing so. Furthermore, 82 percent of internet users ultimately purchase their home through a real estate agent or broker compared to only 65 percent of non-internet users.

We know that internet users are a big chunk of all homebuyers. What is it that they find most valuable about the internet as a resource? 84 percent of internet using buyers find photos very useful and an additional 14 percent find them somewhat useful. But are all photos created equal? Not according to several blogs maintained by Realtors.

Athol Kay of Bristol, Connecticut and Jack LeVine of Las Vegas, Nevada keep blogs dedicated to, among other things, highlighting photos in Multiple Listing Services that are just plain awful. Shaun C. McLane of Orlando, Florida also keeps an MLS Trash Can on his site, but new pictures have not been added since late 2007. With their awkward angles and amusing captions, some of these photos are laugh out loud funny, but the sites serve a purpose beyond humor, too. Jack LeVine writes in his September 26th post I'm helping to spread the word that it's practically an ethical violation to publish the kind of photos we document in this series. Yes, we have fun doing it, and our audience is amused by them, but these kinds of pictures do serious damage to a seller's ability to sell their home.

Has a photo from your posting landed on one of these sites? Take heart, these blogs offer commentary on how to improve your photography and provide many links to other sites full of advice on home selling. Even excellent agent-photographers can probably pick up a tip or two. One piece of advice that is pretty universal but also seems to be worth repeating: clean up before the photo shoot! Furthermore, if you are having trouble getting sellers to cooperate with you, perhaps a visit to one of these sites will inspire them.

Buyers and sellers want more photographs because they are useful, and the market has responded. In fact, Realtor.com has increased the number of photos it will pull for free listings from one to four. Additionally, it has increased the number of photos for premium listings from six to twenty-five and increased the size of the photos . In this era of hundreds of images conveying hundreds of thousands words, it is worthwhile to ensure that your photos are telling a well thought-out story.