Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland
Bright MLS: virtual staging rules
What Bright MLS 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.
From the Bright MLS rulebook
Quoted from “Rules Governing Use of Bright’s Services”, effective July 22, 2026; read by RELTO on September 27, 2026.
Required disclosure: virtual staging · Appendix D, § 8
Virtual Staging. If a subscriber virtually stages an image, then the Private and Public Remarks must state that the image is virtually staged or digitally modified. “Virtual Staging” means using software (including Generative AI) to create or modify a photo or conceptual rendering to display what a room or property could look like if it were staged or lived in.
Virtual Staging and Other Digital Modifications to Photos/Videos · Appendix C, § 4
“Virtual Staging” means using software (including Generative AI) to create or modify a photo or conceptual rendering to display what a room or property could look like if it were staged or lived in, and must be disclosed in the Private and Public Remarks.
Prohibited modifications · Appendix C, § 4.A
Prohibited: Modifying photos or renderings to include visual elements not within a property owner’s control is prohibited. For example, editing in a view of a scene that is not physically possible from the specified location in the real world is prohibited. Modifying photos or renderings to exclude visual elements not within a property owner’s control also is prohibited. For example, removing power lines, water towers, or nearby roads is not permitted.
Permitted: furniture and other personal property · Appendix C, § 4.B.i
Modifying photos or renderings to include personal property items not conveyed with the real property is permitted. For example, it is permitted to apply digital photos of furniture, mirrors, artwork, plants, or similar items into a photo of an empty room, or to remove existing furniture from a photo and replace it with digital images of furniture, mirrors, artwork, plants, or similar items.
Permitted: To-Be-Built and Under Construction properties · Appendix C, § 4.B.ii
Virtually staged photo(s)/rendering(s) on either (a) To-Be-Built or (b) Under Construction properties are permitted for all facets of real property conveyed to a buyer in a sale, as long as they are disclosed in the Private and Public Remarks or in the photos/videos.
What listing photos and renderings may not include · Appendix C, § 3.A
Photos or renderings for a specific property may not include: i. Images of any identifiable person, whether real, animated, computer-generated, or otherwise. … iii. Contact or identifying information or any text or graphics that have been added or superimposed. … v. Signs or identifying logos.
Branded photos · Rule 1.7
No branded photos/videos may be submitted.
Removal of non-conforming images · Appendix C, § 2.D
Bright may remove any image, document, or other information that does not conform to the Rules.
Sanctions and fines: correction window and repeat offenses · Appendix I, § I
In most circumstances, subscribers have two calendar days to correct inaccurate data within the system and reply to compliance notices from Bright. These are denoted with a “Yes” in the Warning column. Some fines are issued immediately without a warning. … For repeat offenses, the same fine amount will be issued repeatedly.
Hearing after repeated sanctions · Appendix I, § C
Subscribers may receive no more than three sanctions in a calendar year before the subscriber is required to attend a hearing.
Fines that apply
- Branded Media (photos, virtual tours, documents) (1.7): $250, no warning
- Public Remarks Violation (1.8.3, Appx. D (1–9)): $250, no warning
- Required Disclosures Missing from Listing (1.6.3, 1.8.3): $250, warning first
- All Other Violations (--): $250, warning first
Where the rules apply
Bright’s Service Area includes all counties in Delaware, Maryland, and the District of Columbia, and the following counties: New Jersey — Burlington, Camden, Cumberland, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Ocean, Salem, Somerset; Pennsylvania — Adams, Berks, Bucks, Centre, Chester, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Franklin, Fulton, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Mifflin, Montgomery, Perry, Philadelphia, Schuylkill, York; Virginia — Alexandria City, Arlington, Caroline, Clarke, Culpeper, Fairfax, Fairfax City, Falls Church City, Fauquier, Frederick, Fredericksburg City, King George, Loudoun, Madison, Manassas City, Manassas Park City, Orange, Page, Prince William, Rappahannock, Shenandoah, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Warren, Winchester City; West Virginia — Berkeley, Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, Jefferson, Mineral, Morgan, Pendleton.
Bright MLS FAQ
- Does Bright MLS require virtual staging to be disclosed?
- Yes. Appendix D, § 8 of Bright’s rules says that if a subscriber virtually stages an image, “the Private and Public Remarks must state that the image is virtually staged or digitally modified.” Appendix C, § 4 repeats that virtual staging “must be disclosed in the Private and Public Remarks.” Bright defines virtual staging to include software and Generative AI used to show what a room or property could look like if it were staged or lived in.
- Does Bright MLS require a watermark or caption on virtually staged photos?
- The July 22, 2026 rules place the disclosure in the Private and Public Remarks and do not mention a watermark, caption, or photo-description label. The only rule that names the photos themselves as a place to disclose is Appendix C, § 4.B.ii, for To-Be-Built or Under Construction properties, which may be disclosed “in the Private and Public Remarks or in the photos/videos.” Separately, Appendix C, § 3.A says listing photos may not include “any text or graphics that have been added or superimposed.” The rules do not say whether a disclosure label counts, so confirm with Bright before adding text to a listing photo.
- Does Bright MLS require the original, unedited photo alongside a staged one?
- The July 22, 2026 rules do not require an unaltered original photo. Bright’s requirement for virtually staged images is the statement in the Private and Public Remarks (Appendix D, § 8).
- What edits does Bright MLS prohibit?
- Adding or removing visual elements that are not within the property owner’s control. Bright’s examples: editing in a view that is not physically possible from that location, and removing power lines, water towers, or nearby roads (Appendix C, § 4.A).
- What virtual staging does Bright MLS permit?
- Adding personal property that does not convey with the real property — digital furniture, mirrors, artwork, plants, or similar items in an empty room — and replacing existing furniture with digital furniture (Appendix C, § 4.B.i). For To-Be-Built or Under Construction properties, virtually staged photos or renderings are permitted for all facets of the real property conveyed to a buyer, as long as they are disclosed (Appendix C, § 4.B.ii).
- Can AI-staged photos on Bright MLS show people?
- No. Listing photos and renderings may not include “images of any identifiable person, whether real, animated, computer-generated, or otherwise” (Appendix C, § 3.A). That covers people an AI tool adds to a staged room.
- What is the fine for a Bright MLS virtual staging violation?
- The fine schedule has no line specific to virtual staging. Appendix D disclosures appear in two $250 lines: “Public Remarks Violation” (1.8.3, Appx. D (1–9)), issued without a warning, and “Required Disclosures Missing from Listing” (1.6.3, 1.8.3), issued with a warning. Where a warning applies, subscribers generally have two calendar days to correct the listing. Repeat offenses draw the same fine again, and a subscriber can receive no more than three sanctions in a calendar year before being required to attend a hearing. Bright may also remove any image that does not conform to the rules.
- Can a listing photo on Bright MLS carry a logo or branding?
- No. “No branded photos/videos may be submitted” (Rule 1.7), and Appendix C, § 3.A bars “signs or identifying logos” from listing photos and renderings. The fine schedule lists Branded Media at $250, issued without a warning.
State law that applies alongside the Bright MLS rules: Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland.
Disclosure language you can copy
RELTO's recommended wording. What the Bright MLS rulebook says about disclosure, including where it is silent, is quoted above.
- 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
- Rules Governing Use of Bright’s Services (effective July 22, 2026) — Bright MLS, Inc.
brightmls.com is not reachable from the environment that maintains this page, so the quotes were taken from a copy of the July 22, 2026 edition rather than fetched from this URL. The URL is where the rulebook itself says Bright publishes its rules and policies.
- 49 Pa. Code § 35.305 — Business name on advertisements — Pennsylvania
- 49 Pa. Code § 35.304 — Disclosure of licensure when advertising own real estate — Pennsylvania
- 49 Pa. Code Subchapter E — Standards of Conduct and Practice (index) — Pennsylvania
- Bright MLS — Rules Governing Use of Bright’s Services (effective July 22, 2026) — Pennsylvania
- West Penn Multi-List — Rules and Regulations, Rule 3.22 (rules effective June 29, 2026) — Pennsylvania
- 49 Pa. Code § 35.307 — Advertisements of sales volume, market position and numbers of offices — Pennsylvania
- 18VAC135-20-190 — Advertising by licensees (Virginia Law) — Virginia
- Virginia Real Estate Board — Licensing Regulations (chapter index) — Virginia
- Virginia REALTORS — New Real Estate Board Regulations Effective April 1, 2026 — Virginia
- CVR MLS — Rules and Regulations (October 2026), Rule 5.8.2 and Fine Chart — Virginia
- Bright MLS — Rules Governing Use of Bright’s Services (effective July 22, 2026) — Virginia
- MREC — Law and Regulations (Maryland Department of Labor) — Maryland
- MREC — Use of Statutory Licensing Categories in Advertising — Maryland
- MREC — Advertising Checklist (PDF) — Maryland
- Bright MLS — Rules Governing Use of Bright’s Services (effective July 22, 2026) — Maryland
Stage compliantly on Bright 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. Rule text above is quoted from the edition named with it; Bright MLS may have amended it since.