AB 723 virtual staging disclosure: labeling edited listing photos in California.
California's digitally-altered-image disclosure rule (Bus. & Prof. Code § 10140.8) takes effect January 1, 2026. Here's what counts as an edited photo, how to disclose it the right way, and how we deliver media that's ready to publish compliantly.
California AB 723 updates the state's real-estate advertising rules around digitally altered images. It adds a disclosure requirement for edited listing imagery (Business & Professions Code § 10140.8) and takes effect January 1, 2026.
In plain English: when a listing photo has been meaningfully edited — furniture digitally added, a grey sky swapped for blue, a daytime exterior turned to dusk — the buyer should be told. The point isn't to discourage editing; it's to make sure the photos don't misrepresent the actual condition or features of the property.
The rule sits alongside your MLS's existing image policies (for example CRMLS and SDMLS altered-image labeling rules) and longstanding C.A.R. guidance on truthful advertising. Where they overlap, the most specific and most protective rule governs.
Which edits count as "digitally altered"
Not every edit triggers disclosure — basic color, exposure, and lens corrections that simply make a true photo look its best are generally fine. Disclosure becomes important when an edit changes what a buyer would believe about the property. The common ones in real-estate marketing:
Virtual staging — digitally added furniture or décor in an empty room.
Virtual twilight — a daytime exterior converted to a dusk or golden-hour look.
Sky replacement and heavy color/exposure changes that alter the scene, not just clean it up.
Removal of objects, clutter, fixtures, or temporary items from the frame.
Property-line / boundary overlays and amenity drop-pins added to aerial shots.
The simplest test: if a reasonable buyer could be misled about what's actually there, treat it as a disclosable edit.
Virtual staging disclosure under AB 723
Virtual staging is the edit agents ask about most, because a furnished room that is really empty changes what a buyer expects to walk into. Under AB 723 a virtually staged photo needs two things.
A statement that the image has been digitally altered, placed on or next to the image where a reasonable person will see it.
Access to the unaltered original: either the original photo in the listing, or a link, web address, or QR code to where it can be viewed.
The simplest way to meet both is to place the empty-room original directly after the staged photo and label the staged one, for example: "Virtually staged. Original photo follows." Use the same wording on every staged image.
The disclosure travels with the photo. It applies on the MLS and the portals it feeds, on your website and your brokerage's, in social posts and ads, in email, and in print. A staged photo posted to Instagram without its label is the same altered image without its disclosure.
Staging should furnish the room, not change it. Adding a sofa is staging. Removing a wall, changing the flooring, or hiding damage alters the property itself and misleads a buyer, with or without a label.
How to disclose it correctly
Disclosure is straightforward and, done well, it builds trust rather than undercutting the listing. A few practical habits:
Label the image. A short, clear caption works — "Photo digitally staged" or "Image digitally enhanced." Use the same wording consistently across every edited image.
Keep the label with the image everywhere it travels. The disclosure should follow the photo onto the MLS, the portals (Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com), social posts, email, and print — not just live in one place.
Pair the edit with the original. When you can, publish the unedited photo alongside the staged or enhanced version. Buyers who see both trust both.
When in doubt, disclose. A visible, honest label costs you nothing and protects you, your seller, and your brokerage.
How Turnkey Media delivers compliance-ready media
We build the disclosure step into how we deliver, so your listing is ready to publish the moment it lands:
Every virtually-staged or digitally-altered image is labeled and watermarked, and delivered alongside its original, unedited version — so you always have both on hand.
We keep "real" and "virtual" clearly separated. Real twilight shot on-location during the actual golden hour is delivered as a true photo; a virtual twilight edit is labeled as an edit. Same for staging versus an empty-room original.
The recommended disclosure language and the original-image pairing are prepared for you, so meeting your MLS's labeling rules is a copy-and-paste, not a project.
The result: you get the marketing punch of edited imagery and a clean, defensible disclosure trail — without having to manage it yourself.
General information, not legal advice. Rules and MLS policies evolve and depend on your specific listing. Confirm the exact disclosure requirements with your broker, your MLS, and — for anything you're unsure about — your own counsel. See our full edited-imagery disclosure.
Quick answers
What does California AB 723 change for listing photos?
California AB 723 updates the state's real-estate advertising rules around digitally altered images. It adds a disclosure requirement for edited listing imagery (Business & Professions Code § 10140.8) and takes effect January 1, 2026.
Which edits count as digitally altered?
Not every edit triggers disclosure — basic color, exposure, and lens corrections that simply make a true photo look its best are generally fine. Disclosure becomes important when an edit changes what a buyer would believe about the property.
What does AB 723 require for virtual staging?
Virtual staging is the edit agents ask about most, because a furnished room that is really empty changes what a buyer expects to walk into. Under AB 723 a virtually staged photo needs two things.
How do I disclose an edited listing photo?
Label the image. A short, clear caption works — "Photo digitally staged" or "Image digitally enhanced." Use the same wording consistently across every edited image.
