The layered answer — state law, your MLS's rules, and the REALTOR® Code of Ethics — with every rule dated and linked to its source. Reviewed October 10, 2026.
Last reviewed against the published sources listed below.
In California, yes: since January 1, 2026, Bus. & Prof. Code § 10140.8 requires a disclosure on or next to each virtually staged listing image plus a link to the original. Wisconsin's starts January 1, 2027. Elsewhere, most large MLSs require a label, and NAR Article 12 bars misleading images.
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 check which layers apply to your listing
The honest answer depends on three things at once: the state the property is in, the MLS you list in, and whether you're a REALTOR®. Each layer asks for something different — a field, a watermark, a remarks sentence, a link to the original — and they change often.
This page lays out each layer separately, says where the rules are settled and where they are not, and gives one defensible practice that satisfies the strictest version of all of them.
California's Bus. & Prof. Code § 10140.8 has been in force since January 1, 2026 and covers virtual staging because it names added or removed furniture. Wisconsin's § 452.136(1m) takes effect January 1, 2027. New York's A11635 is a pending bill. We found no other enacted state statute as of October 10, 2026.
Benefit: Know whether a statute — not just a rule — applies.
Most large MLSs now regulate virtual staging, but the mechanics differ: a photo-description label (CRMLS, HAR, Stellar), an on-image watermark (ARMLS, RMLS, Las Vegas, Canopy), a remarks statement (Bright, FMLS, Beaches, Stellar), or a yes/no field (MRED). Some require the unaltered original beside the staged image.
Benefit: Follow the exact mechanism your MLS checks.
Article 12 requires REALTORS® to present “a true picture” in advertising, and Standard of Practice 12-10 bars “misleading images”. It sets no label format, but an undisclosed staged photo invites an ethics complaint in any state.
Benefit: A floor that applies to NAR members in every state.
Every image BuildMyListing alters is labelled and paired with its original, and each listing gets a hosted disclosure page with a QR code. California agents can also use the free AB 723 disclosure tool at /tools/ab723-disclosure/.
Benefit: The original stays accessible without extra work.
Note the property's state, the MLS you list in, and whether you are a REALTOR®. Find each in the table below.
Save the unaltered photo for every staged or materially edited image. California, CRMLS, SDMLS, ARMLS, Canopy and (for altered real property) HAR all depend on it.
Put the disclosure where your MLS requires it — field, description, remarks or watermark. Note that SDMLS forbids embedding it in the photo, while RMLS, Las Vegas, ARMLS and Canopy require it on the image.
California's statute covers all advertising and promotional material for a sale, not just the MLS: flyers, social posts and your own website need the label and a link or QR code to the original.
| Jurisdiction / MLS | Rule type | What's required for virtually staged or altered photos | Effective / revised | Source (checked 2026-10-10) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | State statute — Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 10140.8 (AB 723, Stats. 2025, ch. 497) | A broker or salesperson (or someone acting for them) who uses a digitally altered image — including added, removed or changed furniture — in advertising for the sale of real property must place a reasonably conspicuous statement on or next to the image that it was altered, plus a link, URL or QR code to the clearly identified original. Licensee-controlled websites must include the original (or a link that clearly identifies it). Lighting, white balance, color correction, sharpening, cropping, straightening, angle and exposure adjustments that don't change the property's representation are excluded. | In force since January 1, 2026 | CalMatters Digital Democracy (bill status); CRMLS Digitally Altered Images FAQs |
| Wisconsin | State statute — Wis. Stat. § 452.136(1m) (2025 Wisconsin Act 69) | A licensee must disclose in all advertising if it was altered or modified using technology, including AI, to add, remove or change elements of the property in a way that creates a false or misleading impression of the property. | Enacted December 9, 2025; takes effect January 1, 2027 | Wisconsin Legislature, 2025 Wisconsin Act 69 |
| New York | Pending bill — Assembly A11635 | Would add Real Property Law § 443-b requiring disclosure of digitally altered images in advertising for the sale or lease of real property, with the unaltered version posted. Not law. | Introduced and referred to the Housing Committee July 29, 2026 | New York State Assembly |
| REALTORS® (NAR members, all states) | Ethics code — NAR Code of Ethics Article 12; Standard of Practice 12-10 | Article 12: present “a true picture” in advertising and other representations. SoP 12-10 extends this to Internet content and images and bars “misleading images”. No specific label format is prescribed. | 2026 Code (Article 12 amended 1/08; SoP 12-10 amended 1/18) | National Association of REALTORS® |
| CRMLS (Southern California) | MLS rule — Rule 11.5.2 | Label the altered image in its photo description (e.g., “Virtually Staged”, “Digitally Altered”, “AI Altered”); the unaltered original must appear immediately before or after it. No on-image watermark required. | Effective January 1, 2026 (FAQ updated Feb 13, 2026) | CRMLS Digitally Altered Images FAQs |
| SDMLS / Sandicor (San Diego) | MLS rule — §§7.4.2–7.4.4 | Apply the “Digitally Altered” label (the broker may not watermark or embed the disclosure in the photo), upload the unaltered original, and paste the original's public URL into the altered image's description. | Effective January 2026 | SDMLS Rules and Policy Change Summary (January 2026) |
| Bright MLS (Mid-Atlantic) | MLS policy — Rules Appendix C (Policy on Images) | Disclose virtual staging in both the Private and Public Remarks. Personal property may be added or removed; elements outside the owner's control may not. | Support article dated September 11, 2026 | Bright MLS Support |
| Stellar MLS (Central Florida) | MLS rule — Article 04.04 | Photo description must include “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; no staging on pre-construction or under-construction listings. | Amended January 2021 | Stellar MLS Rules |
| Beaches MLS (Southeast Florida) | MLS rule — §3.2.2 | “Virtually staged” must appear within the first 180 characters of the Public Remarks and in each staged photo's description. | Effective September 29, 2021 (latest version found) | Beaches MLS Rules and Regulations |
| HAR / HRIS (Houston) | MLS rule — §1.25.1 | Staging limited to furnishings and wall décor, stated in the Photo Description. Images that alter 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. | Revised June 8, 2026 | HAR MLS Rules and Regulations |
| NTREIS (Dallas–Fort Worth) | MLS rule — Rule 7.30 | No virtual-staging-specific procedure. Photos must not carry digitally enhanced modifications that misrepresent the property's true condition. | Current published rules (2022 PDF; same text in June 2024 version) | NTREIS MLS Rules (MetroTex) |
| MRED (Chicago area) | MLS rule — §§6.2.1–6.2.3 | Personal property only; disclose in the “Are Any Property Photos Virtually Staged?” field. Changing elements outside the owner's control is prohibited. | Revised May 14, 2026 | MRED Rules and Regulations |
| ARMLS (Phoenix) | MLS rule — §8.23(f), (n) | Altered media must carry the ARMLS system-provided watermark and be paired directly before or after the unaltered original; must not materially misrepresent existing condition, views or neighboring structures. | Updated May 28, 2026 | ARMLS Rules and Regulations |
| Las Vegas REALTORS MLS | MLS rule — §9.7 | “Virtually Staged” on the image in a clear, reasonably sized font and in the photo description field. Interiors, plus exterior personal property only; no removing negative visual elements; no branding or people. | Rules PDF revised October 2022 | Las Vegas REALTORS MLS Rules and Regulations |
| RMLS (Portland, Oregon) | MLS rule — Rule 3.8 | Virtual staging must be disclosed on the photo with a “Virtually Staged” watermark. | Effective March 13, 2023 | RMLS Central rules roundup |
| Canopy MLS (Charlotte) | MLS rule — §1.18.1 | Clear, readily visible disclosure directly on the image or within the virtual tour (captions or remarks alone are not acceptable); unaltered original immediately before or after. | Support article updated February 27, 2026 | Canopy MLS Support |
| FMLS (Atlanta) | MLS rule — 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. | Effective March 17, 2025 | FMLS Rules and Regulations |
| Georgia MLS (GAMLS) | MLS rule — Art. VII §20 | No staging-specific provision found; photos must accurately depict the listed property. | Rules version R08012024 | GAMLS Rules and Regulations (archived copy) |
| REcolorado (Denver) | MLS policy — §1.20 | Virtual staging is allowed; manipulating the property's true appearance is not. The policy sets no label requirement. | Revised November 2025 | REcolorado MLS Policy |
| NorthstarMLS (Minnesota) | MLS guidance | Virtual staging allowed; disclosure is described as a best practice. Proposed guidelines would require a label and a “before” image — not adopted as of this review. | Proposed guidelines published July 10, 2026 | NorthstarMLS Insights |
| NWMLS (Washington) | MLS rule — Rule 105(d) (reported) | Reported to require a “virtually staged” label on the image or in the photo description. NWMLS rules are members-only; we could not open the rule text. | Reported February 2026 | Washington Journal of Real Estate (secondary) |
| TRREB / PropTx (Toronto) | MLS rule — Rule 5.01(a) | Prohibits AI-altered or digitally staged images that do not accurately depict the property. No labelling procedure published. | Rules effective December 2, 2024 | PropTx MLS Rules (archived copy) |
| Zillow, Realtor.com | Portal policy | Not verified — we could not open a published virtual-staging policy for either portal. Don't rely on a portal to add your disclosure. | — | — |
Scenario: An empty living room is virtually furnished for a listing in CRMLS territory.
Process: Keep the original, label the staged image “Virtually Staged” in its CRMLS photo description, and place the original immediately before or after it. On flyers and social posts, add a visible statement next to the image and a link or QR code to the original.
Compliance: Satisfies CRMLS Rule 11.5.2 and the disclosure-plus-original structure of Bus. & Prof. Code § 10140.8. In San Diego, follow SDMLS's field-and-URL method instead of an on-photo label.
Scenario: A vacant home in Orlando or Houston is virtually staged.
Process: In Stellar MLS: add “Virtually staged” to each photo description, check the virtual-staging box, and begin public remarks with “One or more photo(s) was virtually staged.” In HAR: state it in the Photo Description; if real property was altered, add HAR's watermark and an adjacent original.
Compliance: No Florida or Texas statute specific to staged photos was found, but the MLS rule is enforceable by the MLS and Article 12 applies to REALTORS®.
Scenario: A Wisconsin agent stages photos in late 2026 for a listing that may still be marketed in 2027.
Process: Disclose now. From January 1, 2027, § 452.136(1m) requires disclosure in all advertising altered with technology in a way that creates a false or misleading impression of the property.
Compliance: Whether ordinary furniture staging meets Wisconsin's “false or misleading impression” test is not yet settled. BuildMyListing provides compliance documentation tools, not legal advice. Consult a licensed real estate attorney in your state for advice on a specific listing.
Primary sources checked on the dates shown below. Rules and statutes can change; confirm the current text before publishing.
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