Virtual staging disclosure: a practical agent checklist

Virtual staging can help illustrate how an empty room might be furnished. It also changes what a viewer sees. Treat disclosure and source preservation as part of creating the image, rather than a note added after publication.

Check the rules that apply to this listing

The NAR Code of Ethics requires truthful advertising by REALTORS® and addresses misleading online images. It does not replace your state’s requirements, your broker’s policy, or your MLS’s media rules. See the 2026 Code and obtain the current rules for your own market.

Before commissioning staging, ask your broker or MLS about permitted alterations, required wording, placement of the original image, image labels, and public-remarks disclosures. Record the answer and the date. A label acceptable on a social post may not satisfy the requirements for an MLS upload.

Separate furniture ideas from property changes

Adding an illustrative sofa is different from changing a window, concealing damage, or enlarging a room. Compare the staged image with the original for the position and appearance of permanent features. Do not publish a misleading result simply because it carries an AI label.

ReeltyPro’s staging workflow is designed for a compact Modern sofa and low coffee table in an empty living room. Paint a roomy, connected area for both pieces and their shadows, leaving doors, windows and permanent features clear. The complete arrangement may be slightly reduced or moved together to fit inside your selection, keeping its proportions. The room background comes from your original photograph, with local darkening for natural shadows. Pixels outside the furniture and shadow area stay unchanged. Automated checks and your before-and-after approval are required before download. Inspect doors, windows, fixtures, flooring, furniture edges, scale and floor contact, and reject inaccurate results.

Prepare a disclosure that travels with the image

Use clear wording such as “Virtually staged” where appropriate under your local rules. Keep it legible at the size buyers will see. Explain in accompanying copy that the furnishings are illustrative and refer buyers to the original photograph. This is a suggested workflow, not a universal compliance formula.

If the staged image becomes part of a video, preserve its disclosure there too. A disclosure confined to a source filename will disappear when the image is exported, shared, or screenshotted.

Keep a small approval record

• The original photo and your rights to use it.
• The staged version and a note of what was altered.
• The disclosure text and where it appears.
• The person who reviewed the property details and the date of approval.
• The destinations where the final asset was published.

When an image fails review, use the original or request a corrected result. Continue with choosing furniture styles that suit the room.

This is general educational information. Confirm advertising, licensing, disclosure, and media requirements with your broker and local MLS; seek qualified legal advice for your circumstances.