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The key to selling a home is curb appeal -- making your place stand out from the rest. These days, since most buyers first shop on the web, it's the photographs that are the best way to welcome the buyers in.

"What the photograph is, is an enticement to come see the property. It's marketing and marketing is getting people in to see the apartment or the home. So if the photo isn't enticing enough, you wont get people up off their sofas and into your house," explains Halstead Property Senior Vice President Charles Homet.

Your photos are the first impression, and you only get one chance to make it. Snapping a few shots with your point-and-shoot isn’t going to cut it if your competition has hired a pro.

If you don’t want to hire a professional photographer, NY1 recently asked some experts for advice.

"A little bit of clutter can be very distracting, so you want to pare down as much as possible. What you are doing is sending a message that this place is very spacious and that it’s more than enough space for our needs," says Homet.

Also, try to depersonalize the space and stage whatever you can to help prospective buyers picture their lives in your home.

When you are ready to snap the shots, photographer Nico Arellano says you need the right equipment -- rent it if you have to.

"The most important thing is to have a wide angle lens. It captures most of the room in one photo and that shows the property or the room very spacious. Secondly important is to have a tripod because you want to set your camera to be able to do long exposures," explains Arellano.

Using the long exposure is the best way to get the perfect light. A built-in flash won't cut it. If you don’t know how, Arellano suggests using an external flash and pointing it behind you to evenly illuminate the room. Then pick your shot wisely.

"I always prefer to shoot from an angle. It really makes it look much nicer, more spacious and it's way more interesting," says Arellano.

A common mistake sellers make is they overshoot their homes. You don’t need to show every square foot of the space. Just show the best features and leave a little to the imagination.

The key is to wet a buyer’s appetite and give them just enough to bring them through the door.

Once you get the shots, Arellano says Photoshop is your friend. Feel free to enhance whatever you can on the computer to make sure your listing photos are picture perfect.