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With more buyers shopping for homes on the Web, photos and virtual tours of properties are extremely important and there are things a homeowner can do to make the home "camera ready."

Understand the camera's perspective.  A camera's eye magnifies clutter and poor furniture arrangement and portrays things much differently than the human eye.  A camera can magnify stains or discolored spots on walls and floors so can become a focal point for online viewers that buyers in person may overlook.

Pack up any clutter or collections, but leave three items of varying heights on each surface.  For example, on an end table place a lamp (high), a small plant (medium) and a book (low). 

Take your own photos to give you an idea what the home will look like on camera. Then list changes that might improve each room's appearance: some added color, removing some items, letting in more natural light, adding some new accessories or plants.

Remove some pieces of furniture to make a room look larger or rearrange to change the flow to the room.  Change the focal point of the room and energize it by adding something new or colorful, especially live green plants. 

Most of all, keep the home in good shape, neat and clean.  Buyers who see and like a home online will want to encounter the same "look" when they visit the home in person, and will not want to be disappointed. 

To make a home shine in a virtual tour or video presentation, be sure to cater to the lens.   It will make all the difference!