Virtual staging MLS rules & disclosure

1. NAR Code of Ethics: a “true picture”

The National Association of REALTORS® does not publish a single nationwide “virtual staging” label in the 2026 Code of Ethics. What it does require is honesty in advertising and images:

• Article 2 · avoid exaggeration, misrepresentation or concealment of pertinent facts about the property.
• Article 12 · be honest and truthful, present a true picture in advertising, marketing and other representations.
• Standard of Practice 12-10 · the true-picture duty covers Internet content and images, and prohibits otherwise misleading consumers, including use of misleading images.

Source: 2026 NAR Code of Ethics & Standards of Practice (Articles 2 and 12. Standard of Practice 12-10).

MLS boards and states often add concrete disclosure formats on top of that ethical baseline.

2. California AB 723 / Business & Professions Code § 10140.8

California Assembly Bill 723 added Business and Professions Code section 10140.8, effective 1 January 2026. In summary (from the enrolled bill text and MLS guidance that implements it):

• If a broker or salesperson (or someone acting for them) uses a digitally altered image in advertising or promotional material for a property sale, they must include a reasonably conspicuous statement that the image was altered, on or adjacent to the image, plus a way for the public to reach the original, unaltered image (link, URL or QR code, depending on the medium).
• “Digitally altered image” includes changes made with photo editing software or AI that add, remove or change elements · examples in the statute include furniture, fixtures, flooring, walls, paint color, landscape and views through windows.
• Ordinary lighting, sharpening, white balance, color correction, cropping, straightening and similar edits that do not change how the property is represented are excluded from that definition.

Primary sources:

• AB-723 bill text (California Legislature)
• Codified as Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 10140.8 (official code display, may require a normal browser)

3. CRMLS (California) digitally altered image rules

CRMLS guidance implementing AB 723 / Rule 11.5.2 (as published in their knowledge base) requires, when a digitally enhanced image is added to the MLS:

• The original, unaltered version must appear in the listing immediately before or after the enhanced image.
• A clear label in the photo description text field (for example “digitally enhanced,” “digitally altered,” or “virtually staged”).
• Under truth-in-advertising rules cited by CRMLS (Rules 11.5(c) and 12.10), subscribers may not alter photos to change or remove elements such as walls, fixtures, or unsightly off-site elements (utility poles, wires). Photos must accurately represent the property and its condition as of the sale date.
• CRMLS FAQ: users cannot add, remove or modify real parts of a property such as wall color, flooring, cabinets, wall dimensions or landscaping for MLS photos, even with a disclosure watermark.

Source: CRMLS · Digitally Altered Image Guidance & FAQs (updated through 2026 on that page).

4. Canopy MLS · on-image disclosure + original photo

Canopy MLS (Carolinas) defines virtual staging as using editing software or AI to show what a room or property could look like if staged. Key verified points:

• Prohibited: changing room dimensions, adding amenities or structural features that do not exist (pools, fireplaces, additional rooms), editing views that are not physically possible, removing power lines, water towers, highways, hiding material defects.
• Permitted (with disclosure): adding or replacing personal property (furniture, art, plants), limited cosmetic décor changes that do not imply structural changes.
• Disclosure: clear, readily visible disclosure directly on the image or within the virtual tour · captions or agent remarks alone are not enough.
• A non-staged (original) image must be included immediately before or after the staged photo (or be easily accessible with a virtual tour).

Source: Canopy MLS · Digital, Virtually Staged, and AI-enhanced Images.

5. MLS Now · structural features off-limits

MLS Now Rules § 3.3 (effective 3 August 2026 per their support article) is explicit:

• Permitted with disclosure: virtual staging limited to movable personal property, minor cosmetic photo edits, sky replacement that does not materially change views.
• Prohibited: adding, removing or modifying permanent or structural features · including walls, windows, doors, ceilings, floors, cabinets, fireplaces, fixtures, decks, pools, fences · and changing views, neighboring structures, power lines, topography, or concealing material defects.
• Every altered/staged/rendered image needs an on-image label (“Virtually Staged,” “Digitally Altered,” or “Rendering/AI-Generated” as applicable), repeated in captions, participants must retain originals for verification.
• The primary listing image must be an unaltered current photo (with a limited new-construction exception).

Source: MLS Now Rules: Section 3 - Images, Media & Virtual Staging.

6. CVR MLS · “VIRTUALLY STAGED” on the photo

Central Virginia Regional MLS § 5.8.2 defines virtual staging as digitally adding, removing or replacing furniture and other nonpermanent personal property. Any virtually staged photo must:

• Be clearly and conspicuously labeled “VIRTUALLY STAGED” (or similar) on the photograph.
• Be disclosed in the REMARKS field, and
• Include an unaltered photograph of substantially the same view.

Altered photos may not conceal a material defect, materially misrepresent dimensions, depict a physically impossible condition, or change elements outside the owner’s control (including off-site structures or actual views). Routine brightness/contrast/crop edits are not treated as virtual staging if they do not materially change the representation.

Source: CVR MLS Section 5.8.2 Virtual Staging.

7. Patterns agents can rely on (where verified)

1. Disclose staging · often on the image itself, not only in fine-print captions (Canopy, MLS Now, CVR).
2. Keep the original · many boards require the unaltered photo next to the staged one (CRMLS, Canopy, CVR. California law for advertising).
3. Do not rewrite the building · walls, windows, doors, floors, fireplaces and similar permanent features are commonly prohibited alterations (MLS Now, CRMLS truth-in-advertising guidance, Canopy structural bans).
4. Do not hide defects or invent views · repeatedly banned in the MLS pages cited above.
5. Check your own MLS · wording and placement (on-image vs description field) differ. What passes in one board can fail in another.

8. Why StagingBench measures framing and architecture drift

Our automatic checks exist because MLS and ethics rules care about whether the photo still shows the real property:

• Framing · whether the tool cropped, zoomed or shifted the room so the delivered file is not the same view agents uploaded.
• Architecture drift · after aligning the output to the original frame, how much wall, window and door structure changed. Lower is better. Full method: methodology § alignment.

Those checks are proxies, not a substitute for reading your MLS rules. They help agents spot tools that are more likely to move permanent features before a listing photo goes live.

9. Real finding from our tests: bay-window steps (Room 05)

On our Room 05 photo (raised bay window, fireplace, radiator), we recorded this in each tool’s room notes in results.json:

• Collov AI · framing passed and architecture drift was low (21.4), but the two steps up to the bay window were removed (floor made flat). The automatic mask looks at the top 65% of the frame by default, so floor-level changes can be under-scored. We flagged a misrepresentation risk.
• Pedra · framing passed. Pedra kept the steps (drift 22.5 on that room).

Compare: Pedra vs Collov AI · Room 05 images on each tool page. Under MLS policies that ban modifying permanent features (for example MLS Now’s list including floors, and CRMLS guidance against changing real parts of the property), removing built-in steps is the kind of change agents should catch before upload · disclosure of “virtually staged” furniture does not make structural edits compliant.

10. Practical checklist before you upload

• Label the image the way your MLS requires (on-image vs description field).
• Upload the unaltered original in the required position.
• Flick between original and staged: did any wall, window, door, floor step, fireplace or exterior view change?
• If you use AI staging, prefer tools with lower architecture drift and still eyeball every photo · see our October 2026 tested ranking.
• When in doubt, ask MLS compliance before the listing goes active.

Sources cited

1. NAR 2026 Code of Ethics & Standards of Practice · Articles 2 & 12. SOP 12-10 (true picture / misleading images).
2. California AB-723 bill text · digitally altered image disclosure in advertising.
3. Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 10140.8 · codified AB 723.
4. CRMLS digitally altered image guidance · original beside altered, no changing walls/fixtures for truth in advertising.
5. Canopy MLS virtual staging rules · on-image disclosure, structural and defect bans.
6. MLS Now § 3 Images / Virtual Staging · walls/windows/doors prohibited, on-image labels.
7. CVR MLS § 5.8.2 · “VIRTUALLY STAGED” on photo, remarks, unaltered companion photo.
8. StagingBench results.json · Collov vs Pedra Room 05 bay-window steps.

Last checked 2026-10-19. Not legal advice. We omitted claims we could not verify against a primary MLS, statute or NAR page. Rules change · re-check the links above before relying on this summary.