Texas
ACTRIS / Unlock MLS: virtual staging rules
What ACTRIS / Unlock MLS (Austin; operated with the Austin Board of REALTORS) requires before a virtually staged photo goes into a listing — the disclosure rule, the edits it permits, the edits it prohibits, and what happens when a listing gets it wrong.
Disclosure rule
We could not retrieve the ACTRIS rulebook. Secondary sources report that rendered images are allowed if the original photo is also uploaded; confirm the current rule with Unlock MLS before relying on it. Not verified.
Permitted
Not verified; confirm with Unlock MLS.
Prohibited
Not verified; confirm with Unlock MLS.
Penalty
Not verified; confirm with Unlock MLS.
Provenance: these board rules were documented as part of RELTO's Texas research, whose state entry is verified against the board or statute’s own public rulebook. No separate board-rulebook citation is indexed for this rule — confirm the current wording with the board directly. Full legal context, penalties, and sources for Texas: Texas virtual staging rules.
Disclosure language you can copy
RELTO's recommended wording — always confirm the exact format ACTRIS / Unlock MLS requires (photo label, caption, or public remarks) before publishing.
- On the photo
- Virtually Staged
- In public remarks
- One or more photo(s) was virtually staged.
- Extended disclaimer
- Images have been virtually staged to illustrate the property's potential. Furniture and decor shown are digitally rendered and are not included with the property. Please refer to the original photographs for an accurate representation of the property's current condition.
Sources
- HRIS — Rules and Regulations, Multiple Listing Service (HAR MLS Rules, revision dated 6/08/2026) — Texas
- TREC — TREC's Advertising Rules: What You Need to Know (Rules 535.154 / 535.155) — Texas
- TREC Rules (index) — Texas
- TREC — Complying With Our Social Media Rules — Texas
- NTREIS — MLS Rules and Regulations (approved as amended August 27, 2025) — Texas
Stage compliantly on ACTRIS / Unlock MLS
RELTO's free tier watermarks every image automatically, and MLS-ready downloads on paid plans add the disclosure label. Free to start, no credit card.
Stage a photo freeInformational only — not legal advice. RELTO is a virtual-staging technology provider, not a law firm, and nothing on this page creates an attorney-client relationship. Board rules and enforcement practices change; confirm each rule with the board's current rulebook, your broker, and a licensed real-estate attorney before relying on it. Every rule above was documented as part of the state research that covers this board; verification dates and confidence tiers describe those state entries, not board-specific rulebook citations.