ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Q: I’m putting my house on the market and there were some repairs and things that needed to be done before we could take pictures. They aren’t quite done yet, and my Realtor doesn’t want to take the photos or put the house on the market until the house is “totally finished.”

Can’t we just list the house without the photos and put them in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) when they’re ready? I don’t understand why we have to wait. We’re missing precious time on the market.

A: I understand your frustration. You want the house listed as soon as possible. And you’re right, the first weeks on the market are precious indeed. I would even say the first days on the market are the most important because that’s when you get the most exposure on the Internet.

Talia Freedman.

The reason being, people who have been looking for houses for months (if they’re registered on a real estate website) get a notification about new listings that meet their criteria as soon as they come on the market. The big question you have to answer is: What do you want them to see when they view the property for the first time?

What you don’t want? A listing with no photos. You don’t want them to see your listing and think “What’s wrong with the house that they don’t want to show it.” This is exactly what people will think if you list your house in the MLS before the house is ready and the photos taken.

So, your Realtor is right. Finish up the work you were going to do as quickly as possible. Have the photos taken. Only then put the house in the MLS so the information is as complete as possible. Remember, you and your Realtor have the identical objective: to sell your house.

The best way to achieve your goal is to maximize exposure. The best way to maximize exposure is to make sure the house is marketing as effectively as possible, it’s priced right, and the house looks great when people come to see it.

I know you want to list the house as soon as possible, but in this case it would be counter-productive and you’d be ruining the one time you’ll enter the market as a fresh new listing. Take a breath, make sure you’re doing everything you should to prepare and then hit the market with a splash.

Talia Freedman is a Realtor with Signature Southwest Properties.