What the tool changes, and what it never touches
Changes (movable things only)
- Adds furniture, rugs, art and decor to an empty room
- Removes furniture, clutter and personal items you brush over
- Up to 20 staged versions per photo, in 8 styles
Keeps as photographed
- Walls, floors, ceilings, windows and doors
- Fixtures, built-ins, trim and lighting
- The view out of the window, and any wear or damage
That line — movable furniture yes, the house itself no — is the line the boards below draw. Check each render before posting it, the way you would any edited listing photo.
What each MLS requires, board by board
Fifteen US boards whose rules we read at the source. Where a board publishes no staging rule, or keeps its rulebook behind a member login, the row says so rather than guessing. If yours is not here, your MLS rulebook decides — and the NAR Code of Ethics ("a true picture") applies everywhere.
| MLS | Where | How to disclose | Original photo beside it? | Removing furniture | Penalty | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CRMLS | California | Label in the photo description: "virtually staged" or "digitally altered" | Yes — immediately before or after | Allowed; counts as digitally altered | Warning, then $250 | Rule 11.5.2 (from Jan 1, 2026) |
| Bright MLS | DE, DC, MD, NJ, PA, VA, WV | In both Private and Public remarks | No | Allowed | Bright fine schedule | Bright support: Virtual Staging |
| Stellar MLS | Florida | "Virtually staged" in the photo description, the checkbox, and public remarks that begin "One or more photo(s) was virtually staged." | No | Allowed (removal and replacement) | Level I automatic fine | Article 04.04 (not on pre- or under-construction listings) |
| ARMLS | Arizona | The Flexmls "Digitally Altered" watermark on the photo | Yes — directly before or after | Allowed; decluttering counts as digitally altered | $200 from Dec 2026 | Rule 8.23 (from May 28, 2026) |
| Canopy MLS | Charlotte NC / SC | On the image itself — a caption or remark alone is not acceptable | Yes — immediately before or after | Allowed (remove and replace) | Category II process | Section 1.18.1 |
| NorthstarMLS | Minnesota / western Wisconsin | Photo caption or filename, or on the photo | Yes — a "before" of every staged room | Personal property only (add or remove) | Guidelines (July 2026) | Virtual staging guidelines |
| REcolorado | Colorado | None stated for staging (renderings must be disclosed) | No | Not addressed; permanent objects cannot be removed | — | Photo FAQ (Oct 2023) |
| HAR MLS | Houston, TX | In the Photo Description of each staged photo. Edits to the property itself also need the watermark "Image does not represent actual property as is" | Only if real property is altered — then an unaltered photo of the same view beside it | Not addressed (staging is defined as adding furnishings) | General fine schedule | Rule 1.25.1 (rules dated June 8, 2026) |
| NTREIS | Dallas–Fort Worth / North Texas | No staging disclosure rule; no contact info or branding on photos | Not stated | Not addressed; no edit that misrepresents the property | Rules sections 11–12 process | Rule 7.30 (as amended Oct 16, 2024) |
| Unlock MLS | Austin / Central Texas | No label rule — overlaid text on a photo may be removed | Yes — a non-staged image of the same view | Not addressed (staging is defined as adding furnishings) | Board fine process | Rule 2.15 (September 2026 rules) |
| MRED | Chicagoland / northern Illinois | The "Are Any Property Photos Virtually Staged?" field (Y/N) | Not stated | Allowed when replaced with staged furniture | No staging-specific fine | Section 6.2 (rules revised May 14, 2026) |
| OneKey MLS | Long Island, Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, Westchester, Hudson Valley | No staging rule — images must "accurately reflect" the listed property | Not stated | Not stated | Automatic fine; staff remove the photo | Rule 307 (Rules & Procedures v2026C) |
| Upstate NY MLSs (NYSAMLSs) | Upstate New York, incl. Buffalo (WNYREIS) | A "Virtually Staged" text overlay on the photo — caption or remarks alone is not acceptable | Yes — directly before the staged photo | Not addressed (staging is defined as adding furnishings) | MLS may remove the photo and/or fine | Listing Procedures, item 3 (from Sep 1, 2026) |
| MLS PIN | Massachusetts, Rhode Island, much of NH | No staging rule — photos must show "objective information" about the property | Not stated | Not stated | Photo policy fines | Rule 1.0(f) |
| NWMLS | Washington State | Rulebook is members-only. Public guidance: photos with added text, logos or watermarks are not accepted | Not public | Not public; no edits that misrepresent (e.g. removing power lines or defects) | Not public | Photo policy (members-only) |
Full detail, plus Ontario, Alberta, PEI, Quebec and BC: virtual staging MLS rules by board · state by state: US disclosure rules by state · Canada: virtual staging laws for every province.
How to post a staged photo without it being rejected
- Stage or clear the room. Upload the listing photo, pick a style, get the staged photo back in about 15 seconds. For removal, brush over what should go.
- Check it against the room. Nothing permanent moved, no defect covered, the room reads at its real size.
- Disclose it your board's way. Description, remarks, a label on the image, or the original beside it — see the table. The disclosure generator writes the wording.
- Keep the original. Six of the boards above want it in the listing, and HAR wants it whenever the property itself was edited. Your original stays in your gallery beside every render.
Claims about MLS staging rules that the rulebooks do not support
These are repeated online and in AI answers. Each one was checked against the board's own rulebook on September 19 and 23, 2026.
- "MRED requires a watermark." MRED's Section 6.2 requires the disclosure in a listing field — "Are Any Property Photos Virtually Staged?" — not on the photo.
- "HAR wants it in the marketing remarks." HAR Rule 1.25.1 puts it in the Photo Description of each staged image. HAR's watermark is only for edits to the property itself.
- "NWMLS requires a Virtually Staged watermark." NWMLS's own public guidance says it will not accept photos with superimposed graphics or text. Its full photo policy is members-only.
- "OneKey and MLS PIN require a staging label in the caption." Neither rulebook mentions virtual staging. Both only require photos to show the property accurately.
- "NTREIS requires a watermark and the vacant photo first." NTREIS Rule 7.30 bans edits that misrepresent the property and says nothing about either. NTREIS can remove photos with added text.
The pattern: a strict board's rule (usually California's or Arizona's) gets copied onto every other board's name. Your board's own rule is usually one paragraph — read that one.
Why most rejected staged photos get rejected
Not because they were staged. In every rule above, the problem is either a missing disclosure or an image that no longer shows the property — a changed floor, a hidden crack, a new view, a room that looks bigger than it is. Staging that only adds or removes furniture, disclosed the way the board asks, is what every board allows.
Pay per photo, no subscription
$35 for 8 photos ($4.38 each), down to $999 for 400 ($2.50 each). Up to 20 versions per photo, furniture removal on the same credits, and credits never expire.
See the packsQuestions agents ask
Is virtual staging allowed on the MLS?
Yes — no MLS rulebook we have read bans it, as long as the photo still shows the property as it is. Boards differ on how you disclose it: a label in the photo description (CRMLS, Stellar, HAR), the remarks (Bright), a listing field (MRED), a label on the image itself (ARMLS, Canopy, upstate New York), or the original unstaged photo beside the staged one. Some large boards — OneKey and MLS PIN — publish no staging rule at all; their general accuracy rule applies.
Should I put a "Virtually Staged" watermark on the photo?
Only if your board wants it there. ARMLS, Canopy and the upstate New York MLSs require the label on the image. NWMLS in Washington says it will not accept photos with added text, logos or watermarks, and NTREIS and Unlock MLS in Texas may remove photos with overlaid text. On those boards, disclose the way the rulebook asks instead.
What makes virtual staging MLS-compliant?
Two things. The image: only movable furniture and decor are added or removed — walls, floors, windows, fixtures, views and any defects stay exactly as photographed. And the listing: you disclose it the way your board asks (description, remarks, watermark, or the original photo beside it). The tool handles the first; your MLS rule decides the second.
Does VirtuallyStage change walls, floors or windows?
No. Staging adds furniture and decor to the room in the photo, and furniture removal takes furniture out — the walls, floor, windows, trim and light are the ones in the original photo. Check every render before you post it, the same way you would check any edited listing photo.
Can I remove furniture from MLS listing photos?
Yes on every US board in the table above that addresses it. MRED, Bright, Stellar and Canopy name removing existing furniture as permitted; CRMLS and ARMLS treat removal and decluttering as a digitally altered image, so the same disclosure and original-photo rule applies. HAR, Unlock MLS and the upstate New York MLSs define staging as adding furniture and do not mention removal. What you cannot do anywhere is remove something permanent — a fixture, a built-in, damage, power lines, or a view.
Do I have to show the original photo next to the staged one?
Only where your board says so. CRMLS, ARMLS, Canopy, NorthstarMLS, Unlock MLS (Austin) and the upstate New York MLSs ask for the original (or a before) next to the staged photo; HAR asks for it only when the property itself was edited. Bright, Stellar, REcolorado, MRED, NTREIS, OneKey and MLS PIN do not state one. Keep every original either way — VirtuallyStage keeps the original in your gallery beside every render.
How much does MLS-compliant virtual staging cost?
VirtuallyStage is pay per photo with no subscription: $35 for 8 photos ($4.38 each) down to $999 for 400 ($2.50 each). Each photo includes up to 20 staged versions, and credits never expire.
Board rules checked September 19 and 23, 2026; page updated September 23, 2026. This is a summary of each board's published rule, not legal advice — your MLS rulebook is the final word.