Why does the MLS thumbnail show white space on the top and bottom of the photo?
The MLS thumbnail system was originally designed many years ago for photos in a 4:3 ratio. Since then, most real estate photos are taken in 16:9 wide-angle, but MLS has not updated its thumbnail format to accommodate this change.
As a result, when a wide-angle 16:9 photo is displayed in the MLS thumbnail, you’ll notice white space at the top and bottom. This can make the thumbnail look smaller. However, once you click on the photo, you’ll see the full wide-angle version, which actually shows more on the left and right sides compared to the older 4:3 format.
By default, our photos are delivered in 16:9 wide-angle for maximum coverage. If preferred, we can also provide photos in the 4:3 ratio. Please note, this requires trimming about 20–30% from the left and right sides of the image to fit the 4:3 format used by the MLS thumbnail.
As a result, when a wide-angle 16:9 photo is displayed in the MLS thumbnail, you’ll notice white space at the top and bottom. This can make the thumbnail look smaller. However, once you click on the photo, you’ll see the full wide-angle version, which actually shows more on the left and right sides compared to the older 4:3 format.
By default, our photos are delivered in 16:9 wide-angle for maximum coverage. If preferred, we can also provide photos in the 4:3 ratio. Please note, this requires trimming about 20–30% from the left and right sides of the image to fit the 4:3 format used by the MLS thumbnail.