Maximum photos, minimum photos, pixel size, file size, accepted formats and virtual-staging rules for CRMLS, Bright, Stellar, HAR, NTREIS, MRED, ARMLS, NWMLS and more — each cell tied to the MLS's own published source. Reviewed October 10, 2026.
Last reviewed against the published sources listed below.
Recommendation: export MLS photos as JPEG, 2048 × 1536 px, under 4 MB each. That fits every published size and format limit we verified across 16 MLSs (largest pixel cap 3000 × 2000; smallest file cap 4 MB at RMLS). Photo caps range from 40 (NWMLS) to 150 (Bright MLS).
Pricing: $33 per listing — staged and enhanced photos, every altered image labelled and paired with its original, disclosure page + QR, one ZIP in MLS order. No subscription.
Time Required: About 5 minutes to find your MLS's row and check its source
Most MLSs publish photo specs in scattered help articles, some of them years old, and many publish no size or format limit at all. Agents end up guessing, then hit rejected uploads, missing-photo fines, or altered-photo violations.
One table, one practical export spec that clears every published limit, and an honest “not published” wherever an MLS doesn't state a number — so you know exactly when to call your MLS help desk.
Recommendation: JPEG, 2048 × 1536 px (4:3), under 4 MB. JPEG is accepted by every MLS that publishes formats (REcolorado and Canopy accept nothing else). 2048 × 1536 meets the highest recommended minimum we found (Canopy) and stays inside the 3000 × 2000 cap on Flexmls MLSs such as CRMLS and ARMLS. 4 MB is the lowest file cap published (RMLS, 2015).
Benefit: Export once and upload to any of these MLSs without resizing.
Published caps: NWMLS 40, Canopy 48, REcolorado 50 published, CRMLS 75, Stellar 100, Bright 150; MRED and ARMLS have announced unlimited uploads. Minimums matter more for fines: HAR requires 6 unique images within 10 days; most others require at least one photo (usually an exterior) at entry or within 2–7 days.
Benefit: Plan the shoot around both the cap and the deadline.
Where the label goes varies by MLS: the photo description (CRMLS, HAR, Stellar), an MLS-applied watermark (ARMLS), a “Virtually Staged” watermark (RMLS), the public remarks (Bright, FMLS, Stellar), or a yes/no field (MRED). CRMLS, ARMLS, Canopy and HAR also require the unaltered original next to the altered image.
Benefit: Size is rarely why a listing gets cited; undisclosed edits are.
BuildMyListing turns a listing's photos into staged and enhanced images, labels every altered image and pairs it with its original, adds a hosted disclosure page with a QR code, and delivers one ZIP in MLS order. You upload to your MLS yourself — there is no direct MLS integration.
Benefit: A labelled, paired, MLS-ordered photo set from one upload.
Use the table below and open the linked source. If a cell says “Not published”, ask your MLS help desk before assuming a limit.
Recommendation: JPEG, 2048 × 1536 px, under 4 MB per file. Change it only if your MLS publishes something stricter.
Put the required exterior photo first, stay under your MLS's cap, and load the minimum number by the deadline (for example, 6 images within 10 days at HAR).
For any virtually staged or materially edited image, add the label where your MLS requires it and place the unaltered original where required.
| MLS (market) | Photos per listing (max / min) | Pixel size | Max file size | Accepted formats | Virtual staging / altered-photo rule | Primary source (checked 2026-10-10) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CRMLS (Southern California) | Max 75 (Matrix and Flexmls). Min: 1 exterior photo or rendering within 2 days of entry (Rule 11.5.1) | Max 3000 × 2000 px (Flexmls). Minimum: Not published — check MLS help desk | 15 MB (Flexmls) | .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .gif, .tif, .tiff, .bmp, .pgm, .pbm, .ppm (Flexmls) | Rule 11.5.2 (from 1/1/2026): label the altered image in its photo description (e.g., “Virtually Staged”, “Digitally Altered”); the unaltered original must appear immediately before or after it; no on-image watermark required | CRMLS Knowledge Base; CRMLS Digitally Altered Images FAQs (Feb 13, 2026) |
| Bright MLS (Mid-Atlantic) | Max 150 (help article dated 2021). Min: 1 photo at listing entry, the rest within 72 hours | 1024 × 768 px or larger recommended | Not published — check MLS help desk | .jpg | Policy on Images (Rules Appendix C): virtual staging must be disclosed in both the Private and Public Remarks; elements outside the owner's control (power lines, roads, views) may not be added or removed | Bright MLS Support: Use of Photos & Videos; Photo Requirements; Policy on Images |
| Stellar MLS (Central Florida, incl. Orlando) | Max 100. Min: 1 front exterior (or aerial/water view) photo before the listing goes Active (Art. 04.05) | 1600 × 1200 px recommended (listing handout); 1024 × 768 px cited for reciprocal listings | Not published — check MLS help desk | .jpg (or a .zip for reciprocal submissions) | Article 04.04: photo description must say “Virtually staged”, the virtual-staging box must be checked, and public remarks must begin “One or more photo(s) was virtually staged.”; personal property only | Stellar MLS Rules (Art. 04.04, 04.05); Stellar MLS listing handouts |
| HAR / HRIS (Houston) | Upload maximum: Not published — check MLS help desk. Min: 6 unique images within 10 days of the list date (§1.25.1(a)); $100 fine for too few | Not published — check MLS help desk (the only pixel rule: the altered-image disclaimer must be at least 1024 × 89 px) | Not published — check MLS help desk | Not published — check MLS help desk | §1.25.1 (rev. 6/8/2026): staging limited to furnishings and wall décor, stated in the Photo Description; images altering real property need the watermark “Image does not represent actual property as is”, cannot be the primary photo, and need an adjacent unaltered image of the same view | HAR MLS Rules and Regulations (rev. 6/8/2026) |
| NTREIS (Dallas–Fort Worth) | Up to 25 per a 2015 Matrix manual (likely outdated — confirm). Min: Not published — check MLS help desk | At least 1024 × 768 px recommended (same 2015 manual) | Not published — check MLS help desk | Not published — check MLS help desk | Rule 7.30: photos must show true current condition with no digitally enhanced modifications that misrepresent it; no separate virtual-staging procedure in the published rules | NTREIS MLS Rules (MetroTex); NTREIS Matrix manual (2015) |
| MRED (Chicago area) | Unlimited (2017 connectMLS notice). Min: a primary exterior photo within 7 days of entry (§6.1.1) | Not published — check MLS help desk | Not published — check MLS help desk | Not published — check MLS help desk | §§6.2.1–6.2.3: personal property only; disclose in the “Are Any Property Photos Virtually Staged?” field; removing elements outside the owner's control is prohibited | MRED Rules and Regulations (rev. 5/14/2026) |
| ARMLS (Phoenix) | Unlimited (2021 Flexmls notice). Min: 1 exterior front-elevation photo within 4 days (§8.24) | Max 3000 × 2000 px (published as “2000 x 3000”). Minimum: Not published — check MLS help desk | 15 MB | JPG, JPEG, GIF, PNG, TIF, TIFF, BMP, PGM, PBM, PPM (HEIC accepted from iPhone uploads) | §8.23(f), (n) (rev. 5/28/2026): altered media must carry the ARMLS system-provided watermark and sit directly before or after the unaltered original | ARMLS Rules and Regulations; armls.com/media |
| NWMLS (Washington) | Max 40 (NWMLS suggests 20–30). Min: Not published — check MLS help desk | Upload minimum: Not published — check MLS help desk (NWMLS's public site displays photos at 1600 × 1200 px) | Not published — check MLS help desk | Not published — check MLS help desk | Rules text is members-only. NWMLS public guidance: do not manipulate images to misrepresent the property; no superimposed text. A trade-journal report (secondary) says Rule 105(d) requires a “virtually staged” label | NWMLS Real Estate Photography 101; Washington Journal of Real Estate (secondary) |
| RMLS (Portland, Oregon) | Max 32 per a 2015 notice (confirm current). Min: 1 exterior photo; the first photo must be an exterior view | Not published — check MLS help desk | 4 MB per a 2015 notice (larger files are shrunk by the system) | Not published — check MLS help desk | Rule 3.8 (eff. 3/13/2023): virtual staging must be disclosed on the photo with a “Virtually Staged” watermark | RMLS Central rules roundups (2015, 2020, 2023) |
| REcolorado (Denver) | Publish up to 50 (Media Bridge loads up to 80). Min: 1 photo within 3 business days (Policy §1.20) | At least 1600 × 1200 px (2015 Matrix guide) | 5 MB (2019 REcolorado blog, archived) | JPG / JPEG only (2019 REcolorado blog, archived) | Policy §1.20 (rev. Nov 2025): virtual staging is allowed; manipulating the property's true appearance is not; the policy text sets no label requirement | REcolorado MLS Policy; REcolorado photo FAQ |
| Canopy MLS (Charlotte) | Max 48. Min: 1 photo when Active; at least one must be an exterior | 2048 × 1536 px recommended minimum; 3000 × 3000 px maximum | 6 MB | .jpg / .jpeg only | §1.18.1: disclosure must be on the image (captions or remarks alone are not acceptable); the original must appear immediately before or after | Canopy MLS Support KB articles 104 and 125 |
| FMLS (Atlanta) | Max: Not published — check MLS help desk. Min: 1 photo within 72 hours of going Active (Rule 20.1(d)) | Not published — check MLS help desk | Not published — check MLS help desk | Not published — check MLS help desk | Rule 20.1(e): staged images allowed if not deceptive and must be designated in the public remarks; elements outside the owner's control may not be removed | FMLS Rules and Regulations (eff. 3/17/2025) |
| Georgia MLS (GAMLS) | No number published — rules require “a reasonable number of photographs” (Art. VII §20) | Not published — check MLS help desk | Not published — check MLS help desk | Not published — check MLS help desk | No staging-specific provision in rules version R08012024; photos must accurately depict the listed property | GAMLS Rules and Regulations (archived copy) |
| MIBOR BLC (Indianapolis) | Max: Not published — check MLS help desk. Min: 2 photos for Pre-Market status; no Active-listing minimum in the Jan 30, 2026 rules | Not published — check MLS help desk | Not published — check MLS help desk | Not published — check MLS help desk | No photo-alteration provision in the Jan 30, 2026 BLC rules — ask MIBOR before uploading staged images | MIBOR BLC Rules and Regulations (Jan 30, 2026) |
| TRREB / PropTx (Toronto) | Up to 50 for interboard submissions (an older TRREB guide says 40). Min: 1 image (PropTx Rule 3.07(c)) | Not published — check MLS help desk | Not published — check MLS help desk | Not published — check MLS help desk | Rule 5.01(a): prohibits AI-altered or digitally staged images that do not accurately depict the property; no labelling procedure published | PropTx MLS Rules (archived copy); TRREB interboard guide |
| NorthstarMLS (Minneapolis–St. Paul) | Max: Not published — check MLS help desk (photo-rules page not publicly accessible). Min: 1 photo within 2 business days (Rule 3.2, Sept 2025 rules) | Not published — check MLS help desk | Not published — check MLS help desk | Not published — check MLS help desk | Virtual staging allowed; disclosure is a best practice. Proposed guidelines (July 10, 2026) would add labels and “before” images — not adopted as of this review | NorthstarMLS Rules; NorthstarMLS Insights |
Scenario: An agent lists in both Stellar MLS and another Florida MLS and wants one export.
Process: Export JPEG at 2048 × 1536 px under 4 MB, keep the set under the smaller photo cap, and put a front exterior in slot 1 (Stellar Art. 04.05).
Compliance: Apply each MLS's own staging rule separately: Stellar requires the photo-description label, the checkbox and the opening sentence in public remarks.
Scenario: Photos are loaded in the MLS but HAR.com still shows old or missing images.
Process: HAR does not publish a troubleshooting page we could open. Agent answers on HAR's own Q&A (secondary) describe a delay between Matrix and HAR.com. If photos are still missing after the sync, contact HAR MLS support; and confirm you have loaded at least 6 unique images within 10 days.
Compliance: HAR §1.25.1 also bars contact information in images and photo descriptions — an image can be removed for that reason.
Scenario: CRMLS and ARMLS both run Flexmls with the same 15 MB / 3000 × 2000 px limits.
Process: Size rules match, but disclosure does not: CRMLS wants the label in the photo description and no watermark is required; ARMLS requires its system watermark on the altered image.
Compliance: Pair each altered image with its unaltered original immediately before or after it — both MLSs require this.
Primary sources checked on the dates shown below. Rules and statutes can change; confirm the current text before publishing.
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