# Maryland Agents: MREC + Bright MLS + Consumer Protection Act

Maryland has no dedicated virtual-staging statute — but MREC's advertising checklist asks whether an ad is "factual and true" and avoids "any misstatement or exaggeration of fact," and the Maryland Consumer Protection Act covers undisclosed misrepresentations with a private right of action.

- State: Maryland (MD)
- Risk level: moderate
- Last verified: 2026-10-11
- Confidence tier: verified_public_rulebook — verified against the board or statute’s own public rulebook
- Canonical page: https://relto.app/mls-compliance/maryland

## Summary

Maryland has no virtual-staging-specific statute, but the Maryland Real Estate Commission (MREC) publishes specific advertising rules and an advertising checklist. Licensees who sell or lease property for their own account must disclose their licensure in advertising. The MREC advertising checklist asks whether an ad includes the identified telephone number of the broker or branch office manager. MREC may impose a civil penalty of up to $5,000 per violation (Bus. Occ. & Prof. § 17-322(c)); advertising in a misleading or untruthful manner is a ground for discipline (§ 17-322(b)(19)). A broker must exercise reasonable and adequate supervision over the brokerage services provided by other individuals (§ 17-320). Bright MLS is the primary MLS in Maryland.

## Virtual staging laws in Maryland

### Maryland Real Estate Commission advertising standards

The MREC advertising checklist asks whether an ad is factual and true and avoids any misstatement or exaggeration of fact. A real estate broker must exercise reasonable and adequate supervision over the provision of brokerage services by other individuals, and the MREC checklist says ads should be submitted to the broker, branch office manager, or designee for compliance review before release (guidance, not a rule).

### Maryland Consumer Protection Act (Md. Code, Com. Law § 13-101 et seq.)

Prohibits unfair, abusive, or deceptive trade practices (§ 13-303). Under § 13-408 a person may sue to recover for injury or loss sustained, and reasonable attorney's fees are available if damages are awarded.

## What Maryland MLS boards require for virtual staging

### Bright MLS (100,000+ subscribers)

- Disclosure rule: Bright MLS rules require that when a subscriber virtually stages an image, the Private and Public Remarks must state that the image is virtually staged or digitally modified (Appendix D § 8). The rules do not require an unedited original photo. Appendix C § 3.A bars readable text, graphics, and any text or graphics added or superimposed on listing photos, so an on-image stamp is likely non-conforming for Bright listings.
- Permitted: Adding digital furniture, mirrors, artwork, plants, or similar items to an empty room, or removing existing furniture and replacing it with digital furniture (Appendix C § 4.B.i). Virtually staged photos or renderings of To-Be-Built or Under Construction properties, disclosed in the remarks or in the photos (Appendix C § 4.B.ii).
- Prohibited: Adding or removing visual elements not within the owner's control — for example, a view that is not physically possible from the location, or removing power lines, water towers, or nearby roads (Appendix C § 4.A). Listing photos may not show any identifiable person, including computer-generated ones, and branded photos are barred (Appendix C § 3.A, Rule 1.7).
- Penalty: Bright fine schedule (Appendix I): a Public Remarks violation (Appendix D items 1-9) is $250 with no warning; Required Disclosures Missing is $250 with two calendar days to correct; branded media is $250 with no warning. The virtual staging remark is an Appendix D item, so a missing remark most plausibly falls under the no-warning Public Remarks line, but Bright has no fine line specific to virtual staging and this mapping is unconfirmed. Repeat offenses draw the same fine again, and Bright may remove non-conforming images.

## What happens if you skip disclosure in Maryland

- License Discipline (regulatory): MREC can discipline licenses for misrepresentation or false advertising
- Consumer Protection Act (civil): Maryland CPA § 13-408 allows a private action for injury or loss sustained, with reasonable attorney's fees if damages are awarded
- MLS Enforcement (mls): Bright MLS enforcement per listing rules

## What you need to know

- Bright MLS reports 100,000+ subscribers across parts of six states and DC
- Bright does not require the unedited original photo alongside a staged one, and it bars added or superimposed text and graphics on photos; it also prohibits adding or removing elements outside the owner’s control
- Maryland brokers must exercise reasonable and adequate supervision over brokerage services provided by others (Bus. Occ. & Prof. § 17-320); MREC can impose a penalty of up to $5,000 per violation (§ 17-322(c))

## How to disclose properly

- State in the Private and Public Remarks that the image is virtually staged or digitally modified (Bright MLS rules, Appendix D § 8)
- Recommended practice (not a Bright or MREC rule): keep the unaltered originals on file
- MREC checklist (guidance): submit ads to the broker, branch office manager, or designee for compliance review before release

## Broker warning

Bright MLS lets you swap furniture in and out digitally, but it will not tolerate you editing out a power line or adding a view the property doesn't have. And Maryland law requires brokers to supervise the brokerage services of others, so a team member's mistake can reach the supervising broker, not just the listing agent.

## Questions Maryland agents ask about virtual staging

### What are the Bright MLS rules on virtual staging?

Bright requires every virtually staged image to be disclosed in the Private and Public Remarks, which must state that the image is virtually staged or digitally modified. It prohibits modifying images to include or exclude visual elements not within the owner's control, such as an impossible view or removing power lines, water towers, or nearby roads. Adding digital furniture to an empty room, or replacing existing furniture with digital furniture, is permitted. Bright has no fine line specific to virtual staging; Appendix I lists a Public Remarks violation at $250 with no warning and Required Disclosures Missing at $250 with a warning. Added or superimposed text and graphics on listing photos are barred (Appendix C § 3.A), so do not rely on an on-image stamp.

### Who is liable if a Maryland agent on my team skips the disclosure?

Maryland law requires a real estate broker to exercise reasonable and adequate supervision over the brokerage services provided by other individuals (Bus. Occ. & Prof. § 17-320). The MREC advertising checklist adds that ads should be reviewed by the broker, branch office manager, or designee before release. Compliance failures can land on the brokerage, not just the individual agent.

## Sources

- Primary source: https://www.dllr.state.md.us/license/law/mreclaw.shtml
- MREC — Law and Regulations (Maryland Department of Labor): https://www.dllr.state.md.us/license/law/mreclaw.shtml
- MREC — Use of Statutory Licensing Categories in Advertising: https://www.dllr.state.md.us/license/mrec/mrecadvice.shtml
- MREC — Advertising Checklist (PDF): https://labor.maryland.gov/forms/mrecadchecklist.pdf
- Bright MLS — Rules Governing Use of Bright’s Services (effective July 22, 2026): https://www.brightmls.com/rules

## Not legal advice

This page is for general information only and is not legal advice. RELTO is a virtual-staging technology provider, not a law firm. Statutes, MLS rules, and enforcement practices change.

This entry is verified against the board or statute’s own public rulebook. Before you act, confirm the current rule with the statute or MLS rulebook itself, your broker of record, and a licensed Maryland real-estate attorney.