Excuse me, Sherman, while I clean coffee off my screen 
There appears to be an issue with THS’s developers/programmers at the moment… Great suggestion, though.
@Myhnabird I think some of your coffee came through the screen and got on my shirt 
Didn’t know that, good to know… just some blue sky, wave magic wand type of imagination this morning 
It really is a good idea, but as you spend more time on the forum you’ll understand what I mean 
I like seeing the home first, then I quickly scroll through the other photos because I want to see the pet. If they don’t show a photo or two of their pet(s) or if they don’t even mention their pet in the listing, I move on. Fortunately I’ve only see a couple of HO profiles like that. To me that’s telling about how they think of and possibly treat their pets.
When there are no pictures of their pet and the only description is “dog,” I imagine that they must have an aggressive or problem animal and prefer to say nothing. I scroll right past these as I am afraid it could be a very bad situation.
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So, long thread & much discussion of all the pics that sitters need to see within a listing but as per the original question I definitely vote for a picture of the main pet(s) as the first/click-bait image in a listing.
This is because:
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The animal is the reason that I want to pet sit, in the sense that if I see certain “must have” dogs I will move heaven & earth to get to them.
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If I’m planning a trip to a specific (usually distant) location, then I still don’t want to take any available sit just in order to be at that location. And lastly;
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What does it say about me if I’m just attracted to a beautiful mansion, set in Capability Brown landscaping?
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This is such an interesting discussion.
What does it say about me if I’m just attracted to a beautiful mansion, set in Capability Brown landscaping?
Nothing negative! I’m a sucker for a enticing photo of a well designed home in a good location. My days of compromising on comfort have been left behind, along with my youth! 
What attracts me now is cleanliness, location and a double bed that doesn’t fold out from a sofa. The 20 year old me would have had very different criteria!
I alway know that I’m going to love the pets no matter what else happens, so seeing their beautiful faces last works perfectly. The comfort thing I need to check first. 
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I agree, sometimes a great first pet pic will draw me in. I’ve looked at listings in places I’ve never thought of going, because they had cute alpacas. Those, for some reason, are high on my list of animals I’d like to sit for at least once.
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Ooo yes @Harris2, I’m longing to look after an alpaca or five. I’ve also read that they don’t need poopy-scooping as they have natural, instinctive toilet areas of their enclosure. How fabulous are they?
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@Saltrams…someday! I saw a great sit with a bunch of gorgeous Arabian horses today too, and was sorely tempted. I wonder what the most exotic animal anyone has ever sat for on THS has been?
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New topic post opportunity there I think @Harris2!
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I second this @Harris2 …
New topic post opportunity there I think @Harris2!
Would be a great question for either for Sitter Questions or All About Pets categories 
I am eager to sit for a human-friendly snake that can be handled but have not found one yet!
But isn’t the sit really about the pets?
@Harris2 We had 2 EMUS on one English country mansion sit! Amazing creatures!
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I was just thinking about this question. I love rural sits — it’s showing beautiful countryside that I can easily get to that reels me in every time.
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@Edith , that looks so lovely! Now that I have a car to drive here in the UK, I’m seeing how wonderful a rural sit can be.
Enjoy!
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@Lokstar Oh wow! How fabulous 
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@mars I just love the pastoral sits — and I get to walk dogs around these landscapes. I’m always smiling. Enjoy your time in the UK.
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I care about a clean house and lots of natural lighting. I also look for a place that looks comfortable to work since I work remotely.