Short answer: on Stellar MLS, a twilight version is allowed if you don't add light where none exists and the sunset or sunrise matches the real direction the house faces. Routine fixes like exposure, white balance, straightening and cropping don't change what the property is. Edits that do change it are banned: adding or removing permanent fixtures, adding a view the property doesn't have, and erasing defects. Every MLS photo has to stay free of text, logos and people, and has to present a "true picture" of the property.
Plain-English summary for Florida agents, not legal advice. ListingAce isn't affiliated with Stellar MLS. Always check the current rule text and your broker's policies.
The rule that covers most edits
Stellar's photo-editing limits sit in Article 04.04, the virtual staging article, and in Article 04.05, which covers listing content. Article 04.04 closes with a sentence that applies to every photo: "All photos must represent a true and accurate picture of all property features and surroundings."
A simple test follows from that: would a buyer standing in the same spot see the same thing? If the answer is yes, apart from furniture you've disclosed as virtually staged, the edit is on safe ground.
Edit by edit
| Edit | Stellar MLS | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Exposure, white balance, straightening, cropping | Generally fine | Doesn't change any property feature. Stellar doesn't list these as banned. |
| Twilight conversion | Allowed, with limits | 04.04(C): no lighting added "where it does not exist," and the sunset or sunrise must be "a true reflection of where the sun rises and sets." |
| Sky replacement (gray to blue) | Not named in the rules | Use judgment. Don't add a sunset over a view the lot doesn't have, and don't hide storm damage or overhead lines. |
| Greener lawn, new landscaping | Avoid | Exterior staging is banned except unattached furniture or décor (04.04(A)). |
| Removing power lines, cell towers, a neighbor's wall | Banned | Elements outside the owner's control can't be changed (04.04(C)), and photos must show the "surroundings" truthfully. |
| Adding a water or skyline view | Banned | 04.04(C) uses "editing in a view of the gulf/ocean" as its example. |
| Hiding cracks, stains, damaged floors | Banned | 04.04(D) bans excluding "negative visual elements." |
| Changing fixtures, counters, cabinets, paint as a "preview" | Banned in the MLS | 04.04(B): no permanent fixtures attached, removed, altered or added. |
| Removing a yard sign with contact info | Required, in effect | 04.05(C): broker, builder or seller signage with contact info may not be visible in the front exterior photo. |
| Adding "New price" or your logo | Banned on MLS photos | 04.05(D) bans text, logos, branding and graphics of any kind, except the Stellar watermark. |
| Removing people | Required, in effect | 04.04(E) and 04.05(F): no people in MLS photos. |
Twilight done right
Stellar allows twilight photos. Two details trip agents up:
- Lights that don't exist. If the porch has no fixture, a glowing porch light is "lighting added where it does not exist." The same goes for pool lights or landscape lights the house doesn't have.
- The wrong sky. A west-facing front exterior can show a sunset. An east-facing one can't, honestly, unless it's a sunrise. Check the compass before you pick the sky.
What's changing outside Florida
NAR's August 2026 article on photo enhancement reports that California now requires agents to disclose digitally altered images and give access to the original. It says California's law excludes routine adjustments such as lighting, sharpening, white balance, color correction and cropping, as long as they don't change how the property is represented. NorthstarMLS in Minnesota told subscribers that AI-enhanced and virtually staged images must be clearly identified and accompanied by an unaltered image (NAR, Aug 17, 2026). Neither applies in Florida, but both point the same way as Stellar's "true picture" rule.
The same article cites NAR's Code of Ethics: Article 2 asks REALTORS® to "refrain from exaggerating, misrepresenting or concealing pertinent facts," and Article 12 requires a "true picture" in advertising. Those apply to your social posts and flyers too, not just the MLS. Florida's advertising rule adds that no licensee ad may be "fraudulent, false, deceptive or misleading" (Fla. Admin. Code R. 61J2-10.025; see also Fla. Stat. 475.25(1)(c)).
AI editing tools
AI tools make heavy edits fast, and they don't know Stellar's rules. NAR's article describes requests to remove wall cracks, fix tile imperfections and erase power lines from a yard view, and a photographer who turned the power-line job down as misrepresentation. If you use an AI tool, compare every output with the original before upload, and look for fixtures, outlets, windows or trim that changed without being asked.
Pre-upload check for edited photos
- Front exterior in slot 1 (or slot 2 behind an aerial or water view), no collage in slot 1
- No text, logos, contact info or graphics on any photo
- No people, and no yard sign with contact info in the front exterior
- No added lights, views, landscaping or fixtures
- No defects removed
- Twilight sky matches the direction the house faces
- Any virtually staged photo labeled in the description field, box checked, remarks begin with the required sentence
Common questions
Is a twilight photo considered virtual staging on Stellar?
Stellar lists twilight photos under Article 04.04's permitted uses, with two conditions: no lighting added where none exists, and a true sunset or sunrise direction.
Can I replace a gray sky with a blue one?
Stellar's rules don't mention sky replacement by name. A plain blue sky that doesn't hide anything is a judgment call. Don't use it to hide damage, and don't add a dramatic sunset the lot can't have. Ask your broker or Stellar Compliance if you're unsure.
Can I remove a car from the driveway?
Stellar doesn't address cars directly. A car isn't part of the property, but don't use the edit to hide a cracked or stained driveway, which would be removing a negative element.
Can I add "New price" to the first photo?
No. Article 04.05(D) bans text and graphics on MLS photos. Use it on social posts and flyers, as covered in our [New price guide](/blog/new-price-not-just-listed-stellar-mls).
Want a second set of eyes before upload? The ListingAce Launch Kit ($89) includes a listing error check against Stellar's photo and remarks rules, plus staging, photo cleanup, video, a flyer and social graphics. Listing Essentials ($49) covers staging and cleanup on up to 5 photos. Either way, our cleanup sticks to edits that keep a true picture: brightness and color, never fixtures, views or defects, and a person reviews every image. Get a free sample kit →
Related
- Stellar MLS listing checklist (primary CTA)
- Stellar MLS virtual staging rules
- Pricing
- Which listing photos to virtually stage
- Virtual staging disclosure on social media and flyers
Sources checked Oct 19, 2026: Stellar MLS Rules & Regulations PDF (last updated Oct 15, 2026), Articles 04.04 and 04.05; NAR (Aug 17, 2026); Fla. Admin. Code R. 61J2-10.025; Fla. Stat. 475.25(1)(c).