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For a CRMLS listing, keep the untouched original for every qualifying digitally altered photo, display that original immediately before or after its edited version, and label the edited photo in its photo-description field. CRMLS says its Rule 11.5.2 guidance applies from January 1, 2026. This is a CRMLS workflow, not a universal U.S. rule: check the governing MLS and advertising requirements for the property and each place you publish the images.
What counts as a digitally altered photo under the CRMLS rule?
CRMLS Rule 11.5.2 defines a digitally altered image as one changed with photo-editing software or AI to add, remove, or change image elements related to furniture or appliances. Its guidance covers virtually staged or cleared rooms. Do not assume this local definition applies to every MLS or state.
CRMLS distinguishes scene changes from ordinary photographic adjustments. Lighting, sharpening, white balance, color correction, straightening, cropping, and exposure adjustments are outside this rule when they do not change the property’s representation. The practical test is not simply whether software or AI was used: ask whether the edit changes what a viewer is being shown about the property or its surroundings.
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Do I have to keep the original photo if I use AI virtual staging?
For a qualifying altered image submitted to CRMLS, yes. Rule 11.5.2 requires the subscriber to submit the original, unaltered version as well as the edited image. Keep the source file intact rather than saving the edited export over it.
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CRMLS’s placement rule is specific: the original must appear in the listing immediately before or after the altered image. Uploading the original elsewhere in the photo set, or merely retaining it in your office files, does not meet that placement instruction.
Where should the original photo appear next to an edited listing photo?
In the CRMLS listing photo sequence, put the untouched image directly before or directly after its altered counterpart. Keep the two together when arranging the gallery, and check their order in the live listing after upload. For a listing with several altered photos, pair each original with its corresponding edited image so the relationship is clear.
Do I need an AI watermark, or is a label in the photo description enough?
CRMLS requires a label in the text field for the altered photo in the add/edit module. Its Rule 11.5.2 lists “Photo Modified,” “Virtually Staged,” “Digitally Altered,” and “AI Altered,” or another accurate, substantially similar term. Choose wording that accurately describes the image; do not label an edit as virtual staging if that is not what was done.
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Does fixing lighting or color count as digitally altered?
Under CRMLS guidance, common adjustments such as correcting lighting or color, sharpening, straightening, cropping, and exposure are outside Rule 11.5.2 when they do not change the property’s representation. If an adjustment changes the apparent condition or features—for example, by making a surface or fixture appear different—do not rely on the edit’s name as proof that it is harmless. Compare the export with the original and assess what a prospective buyer would understand from the image.
Can AI change the landscaping or remove a utility pole from a listing photo?
CRMLS says subscribers may not add, remove, or modify real-property features or visible surrounding elements under the stated rule. Its examples include flooring, walls, windows, structural elements, cabinetry, paint color, hardscape, landscaping, a façade, fixtures, floor plans, streetlights, utility poles, window views, and neighboring properties. It also says AI-generated landscaping images are not permitted in the MLS where they may misrepresent the actual property.
There is a specific improvement exception: a depicted property improvement may be allowed when it will match the image at closing as part of the listed price. Do not treat that as a general license to digitally show planned work; confirm the listing meets the exception and the applicable MLS requirements before using the image.
How to keep a useful photo-compliance record
CRMLS’s paired-original and labeling requirements, together with NAR guidance on publication authority, support a simple file-by-file record. These sources do not specify a universal retention period or require a particular storage system.
- Preserve the source. Save an untouched original for each photo and keep it separate from any edited export. Use distinct filenames or folders so the original cannot be mistaken for the version intended for publication.
- Record each edit. Maintain an edit log with the image filename or ID, date, person or tool responsible, concise description of the change, review decision, disclosure label, and publication locations.
- Check what changed. Compare the export with the original. Note whether the edit is only a photographic adjustment or adds, removes, or changes an element of the room, property, or visible surroundings.
- Apply the local MLS requirements. For a qualifying CRMLS image, add the accurate label in the altered photo’s description field and place its unaltered original immediately before or after it in the listing.
- Confirm the published result. Review the live listing after upload to check that the label is present and each original is adjacent to the correct edited image.
- Keep publication-rights records. Retain the photographer’s license, contract terms, or other evidence that the listing broker has authority to publish the original and any derivative image.
Organized digital storage with a backup can help keep originals, exports, rights documents, and logs together. The governing MLS and cited professional guidance do not require a specific device or storage product.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Confirm image rights and advertising standards
NAR’s MLS photograph policy says a listing broker should own or have authority to publish photos submitted to the MLS; copyright considerations can depend on who took the photos. Keep the photographer’s terms or license with the image files, and make sure the permission covers the publication and edited derivative you intend to use. NAR’s listing-content resource also addresses managing contractual and intellectual-property rights, including chain of ownership.
NAR’s 2026 Code of Ethics says the duty to present a true picture in public representations includes REALTOR® website content. Standard of Practice 12-10 prohibits misleading consumers, including through misleading images. This is professional ethics context; it does not replace the applicable MLS rule or state advertising law.
Check rules beyond CRMLS before publishing elsewhere
The CRMLS instructions above are not a nationwide standard. For a different MLS, state, or advertising channel, verify the applicable photo, disclosure, and advertising requirements before relying on this workflow. CRMLS associates its guidance with California AB 723, but the statutory text and its scope are not established here; rely on the applicable official law and MLS guidance for legal requirements rather than extending CRMLS’s explanation to other situations.
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