Can property agents edit listing photos in Singapore?

Our reading as of , from the sources below. Not legal advice.

Short answer

Fix the camera, not the home. Light, color, straightening and cropping need no label, unless an AI tool made them. Changing what the home looks like needs a disclaimer next to the photo, and some changes aren't allowed at all.

  1. Camera fixes are fine: exposure, color, straightening and cropping.
  2. If AI altered or enhanced a photo, say so in a disclaimer next to it. CEA has acted against agents who didn't.
  3. Don't remove nearby buildings or add greenery, and label any photo that shows the unit in a condition it isn't in.

What Retouch Homes does in Singapore

On by default, no label
Straightening, leveling and cropping, done with fixed math rather than AI, so no disclaimer is needed. Exposure and color come next, made the same way.
Planned
A new sky. When it ships it stays off until you turn it on, and then the photo gets a disclaimer and we keep the original.
We don't do
Removing fixed features or nearby buildings, or adding greenery.

Edit by edit

Exposure and color in Singapore

No label

Fine while the photo still shows the property as it is. If an AI tool made the change, add a disclaimer.

If an AI tool makes this edit: Label

Label text
Photo enhanced with AI.

Source 1, 2

Straightening and lens in Singapore

No label

Fixes the camera, not the home. If an AI tool did it, add a disclaimer.

If an AI tool makes this edit: Label

Label text
Photo enhanced with AI.

Source 1, 2

Cropping in Singapore

No label

Crop for framing, not to hide something a buyer would want to see.

Source 1· our reading, no rule names it

New sky in Singapore

Label

A new sky changes the scene, and finding the sky takes an AI model. Add a disclaimer.

Label text
Photo enhanced with AI: sky replaced.

Source 1, 2· our reading, no rule names it

Grass and landscape in Singapore

Not allowed

CEA's guidance bars adding open green space that isn't there, even in an artist's impression.

Source 3

Removing clutter in Singapore

Label

CEA doesn't name clutter. Removing it takes an AI tool, so add a disclaimer.

Label text
Photo edited with AI: clutter removed.

Source 2· our reading, no rule names it

Removing fixed features or surroundings in Singapore

Not allowed

CEA bars leaving out nearby buildings, and photos may not misrepresent the property.

Source 1, 3

Virtual staging in Singapore

Label

Allowed as an illustration, with a qualifier next to the photo. Say that AI was used.

Label text
Virtually staged with AI. Furniture not included.
Show the original?
Not required.
Where the label goes
Next to the photo. On PropertyGuru, in the caption.

Source 1, 2

Day to dusk in Singapore

Label

A dusk sky and lit windows change how the home looks. Label it.

Label text
Photo enhanced with AI: daytime photo shown at dusk.

Source 1, 2· our reading, no rule names it

AI-generated image in Singapore

Label

Only as a labeled illustration, never presented as a photo of the unit or of another unit.

Label text
AI-generated illustration.

Source 1

Retouch Homes makes these edits with fixed math, not AI, so its own edits keep the first verdict.

Label text to copy

Photo enhanced with AI.

CEA sets no exact wording. Put the disclaimer next to the photo. PropertyGuru doesn't allow text on photos, so use the caption there.

Portal and MLS rules

PropertyGuru
Its Quality Photos Guide doesn't allow text, logos or people overlaid on photos, and its AI checker hides photos that break the guide. Put labels in the caption, not on the photo. We found no PropertyGuru rule on editing or staging. Source 4

The rule, word for word

“…must not alter or enhance the photographs in any way that would misrepresent…”

CEA, Practice Guidelines on Ethical Advertising (PG 2/2011), version 2.0. Our summary above isn't binding; the source is.

Questions agents ask

Do I need to label AI-enhanced property photos in Singapore?

Yes. In February 2026 the government said agents should give sufficient disclaimers when AI is used to alter or enhance images, and that CEA has acted against agents who didn't. Edits made without AI, such as standard straightening and exposure, don't need one.

Is virtual staging allowed on PropertyGuru listings?

CEA allows illustration photos with a qualifier next to them and expects a disclaimer when AI is used. We found no PropertyGuru rule on staging, but PropertyGuru doesn't allow text on photos, so put the label in the caption.

What do CEA's advertising guidelines say about photos?

Photos must not be altered or enhanced in a way that misrepresents the property. They must show the actual property in its actual condition, and illustration photos need a qualifier next to them.

Can I replace a gray sky in a Singapore listing photo?

CEA doesn't name the sky. A new sky changes the scene and is usually done with AI, so add a disclaimer next to the photo.

What happens if a Singapore agent doesn't disclose AI edits?

CEA has already taken enforcement action against agents who didn't, according to the government's February 2026 reply. CEA is also reviewing its rules to give more guidance on AI.

Sources

  1. CEA, Practice Guidelines on Ethical Advertising (PG 2/2011), version 2.0 · December 10, 2020 · primary source · checked November 6, 2026
  2. Ministry of Trade and Industry, written reply on advertisements that make false claims using AI-generated images · February 25, 2026 · primary source · checked November 6, 2026
  3. CEA, Professional Service Manual, paragraph 3.2.7 · January 1, 2014 · primary source · checked November 6, 2026
  4. PropertyGuru, Understanding PropertyGuru Quality Photos Guide · primary source · checked November 6, 2026

Our reading as of November 6, 2026. Not legal advice. Rules change, so check the sources before you rely on them. See all markets.