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MLS-safe virtual staging for Stellar MLS agents
A plain-English guide to Stellar MLS's virtual staging rules (Article 04.04), and how ListingAce builds every staged photo to follow them. For agents in Tampa Bay and across Stellar MLS's Florida coverage area.
Rule text last checked against Stellar MLS Article 04.04 (last updated Sep 27, 2026) on October 19, 2026.
Short version: label each staged photo “Virtually staged” in its photo description field, check the virtually staged box, start your public remarks with One or more photo(s) was virtually staged., and only add or replace furniture and décor. Never change fixtures, hide defects, stage exteriors, add views, or put words on MLS photos.
What Stellar MLS Article 04.04 says
Stellar MLS publishes its virtual staging rules in Article 04.04, Virtually Staged Photos (updated September 27, 2026 at the time of writing). Here is a summary. Always check the current rule text, since MLS rules change.
Allowed
- Adding furniture, mirrors, art, plants and other personal property
- Replacing existing furniture with digital furniture
- Twilight photos, if lighting isn't added where none exists and the sunset or sunrise is true to the home's orientation
Not allowed
- Virtual staging on pre-construction or under-construction listings
- Staging exteriors (except unattached furniture or décor)
- Adding, removing or altering permanent fixtures
- Adding views or elements outside the owner's control, like a fake water view
- Removing negative elements such as holes in walls, exposed wiring or damaged floors
- Any branding, people or words on photos
- Furniture scaled to make a room look larger
Required disclosure
- Each virtually staged photo: the words Virtually staged in the photo description field, plus the virtually staged checkbox.
- Public remarks must begin with the exact words One or more photo(s) was virtually staged.
Penalty
Article 04.04: failure to comply results in the virtually staged photos being removed from the MLS and an automatic fine as outlined in Stellar's Automatic Fine Schedule, Level I (Article 11, Section 4.3).
How ListingAce follows each rule
- Fixtures stay real. We map the floor and the room's fixtures (windows, doors, fans, lights, outlets, baseboards) before staging. Furniture can only go in the open floor area, and every pixel outside it is restored from your original photo.
- Same frame. Staged photos keep your photo's exact size and framing, with no re-crop or widening.
- No invented text. Every image is screened for text, logos or watermarks the AI may have added, and nothing of ours goes on your MLS photos.
- Defects stay visible. Decluttering covers personal items only. We don't remove or cover damage.
- Interiors only. We don't stage exteriors, and we don't add views.
- Realistic scale. Reviewers reject furniture that looks undersized or makes a room feel bigger than it is.
- Disclosure included. Every kit includes paste-ready photo descriptions and remarks that start with the required sentence.
- A human signs off. Automated checks catch most problems. A person still reviews every image before it ships.
See it on your own listing. We'll stage up to 3 rooms and write the disclosure text for free. Get a free sample listing kit.
Examples
Beyond the MLS: advertising and disclosure
The NAR Code of Ethics, Article 12, requires a “true picture” in all advertising, including images. NAR's guidance suggests labeling virtually staged or AI-enhanced images clearly and pairing them with an unaltered photo (NAR, “When does enhancing listing photos go too far?”). NAR reported on October 12, 2026 on research by Coraly, which analyzed about 40,000 primary listing photos on leading U.S. portals: about 11% had been digitally altered, and more than 90% of those carried no visible disclosure (NAR).
That's why every ListingAce kit includes labeled copies of staged photos for your website and social posts, and keeps your originals alongside them. If you list outside Florida, check local rules too. For example, California's AB 723 requires a conspicuous disclosure and access to the original image.
Agent checklist for virtually staged listings
- Confirm the listing isn't pre-construction or under construction.
- Stage interiors only, and only with furniture and décor.
- Compare each staged photo with the original: same windows, doors, fixtures, flooring and defects.
- Type “Virtually staged” in each staged photo's description field and check the box.
- Start the public remarks with “One or more photo(s) was virtually staged.”
- Keep flyers, logos and text graphics out of MLS photo slots.
- Consider including the unstaged original photo too.
Related guides and services
- Stellar MLS listing photo and remarks rules: a pre-launch checklist
- Virtual staging for Tampa Bay listings
- Price-Cut Relaunch Kit for listings that are sitting
Related guides
- How to label virtually staged photos on social media, flyers and your website
- Which listing photos to virtually stage (and which to skip)
- Twilight, sky and photo edits on Stellar MLS: what’s allowed
Common questions
Can I use virtual staging on Stellar MLS?
Yes. Stellar MLS Article 04.04 allows virtually staged photos when each one is disclosed and the edits stay within the rules: furniture and personal property may be added or replaced, but permanent fixtures, defects, exteriors and views may not be changed.
What exact wording does Stellar MLS require?
Put “Virtually staged” in the photo description field of each staged photo and check the virtually staged box. The public remarks must begin with: “One or more photo(s) was virtually staged.”
Can I put “Virtually staged” text on the photo itself?
Not in the MLS. Stellar prohibits branding, people or words on photos, so the label goes in the photo description field. For social media and your website, a caption on or below the image is a good practice, and ListingAce supplies labeled copies for that.
Can I virtually stage a new-construction listing?
Not on Stellar MLS. Article 04.04 prohibits virtual staging on pre-construction or under-construction listings.
Are twilight photos allowed?
Yes, if lighting isn't added where it doesn't exist and the sunset or sunrise reflects where the sun really rises and sets for that home.
Do I have to include the unstaged original photo?
Article 04.04 doesn't require it. NAR's guidance suggests pairing virtually staged images with an unaltered photo, and every ListingAce kit includes your originals so you can do that.
Can I virtually stage a patio or pool area?
Only with unattached furniture or décor. Article 04.04 prohibits virtually staging the exterior of the property except for unattached furniture or décor. ListingAce stages interiors only.
What happens if staged photos break the rules?
Under Article 04.04, failure to comply results in the virtually staged photos being removed from the MLS and an automatic fine under Stellar's Automatic Fine Schedule, Level I (Article 11, Section 4.3).
This page is a plain-English summary for convenience, not legal advice, and ListingAce is not affiliated with Stellar MLS. Rules change, so check the current Article 04.04 and your broker's policies. Agents and brokers remain responsible for MLS compliance.