Tennessee
East Tennessee REALTORS: virtual staging rules
What East Tennessee REALTORS (formerly Knoxville Area AR, KAAR) 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
The 2026 MLS Rules require the listing to clearly disclose that media has been digitally altered, for example as "Virtually Staged," in MLS public remarks or another MLS-approved method, and the original photo before any enhancements must be uploaded before the digitally altered version.
Permitted
Virtual staging where no walls, rooms, or structural elements are added, moved, or removed.
Prohibited
Adding, moving, or removing walls, rooms, or structural elements; removing power lines or neighboring buildings, eliminating defects, creating or enhancing views, and any person or figure, including AI-generated persons.
Penalty
Not confirmed; check the East Tennessee REALTORS fine schedule.
Provenance: these board rules were documented as part of RELTO's Tennessee research, whose state entry is verified against secondary public guidance (MLS advisory, regulator memo, or REALTOR association PDF). 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 Tennessee: Tennessee virtual staging rules.
Disclosure language you can copy
RELTO's recommended wording — always confirm the exact format East Tennessee REALTORS 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
- Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1260-02-.12 — Advertising (Cornell LII) — Tennessee
- TREC Rules of Conduct — Chapter 1260-02 (April 2021 revised PDF) — Tennessee
- Realtracs Rules (last revised July 28, 2026), Rule 2.19 — Tennessee
- Memphis Area Association of REALTORS — MLS Rules (February 7, 2024 edition) — Tennessee
- East Tennessee REALTORS — Final 2026 MLS Rules & Policies — Tennessee
Stage compliantly on East Tennessee REALTORS
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.