Which photo edits does Bright MLS allow?

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

Short answer

Plain fixes aren't named. Virtual staging is allowed if both the Private and Public Remarks say the image is virtually staged or digitally modified. Adding a view or removing power lines, water towers or roads isn't allowed at all.

  1. Disclose staging in both the Private and Public Remarks. No text on the photo: Bright bans it.
  2. Bright doesn't ask for the unstaged original.
  3. No editing in a view that isn't possible from the spot, and no removing power lines, water towers or nearby roads.

What Retouch Homes does in Bright MLS

On by default, no label
Straightening, leveling and cropping, which Bright's rules don't restrict. Exposure and color come next.
Planned
A new sky. Bright doesn't name the sky but bans adding what's outside the owner's control, so for Bright listings it stays off.
We don't do
Removing power lines, water towers or roads, which Bright bans even with a disclosure.

Edit by edit

Exposure and color in Bright MLS

No label

Not named. Bright's disclosure rule covers virtual staging, and its bans cover adding or removing what's outside the owner's control.

Source 1· our reading, no rule names it

Straightening and lens in Bright MLS

No label

Not named in Bright's rules.

Source 1· our reading, no rule names it

Cropping in Bright MLS

No label

Not named. Bright bans removing what's outside the owner's control, so don't crop to hide power lines or a road.

Source 1· our reading, no rule names it

New sky in Bright MLS

Unclear: label it

Not named. Bright bans editing in visual elements outside the owner's control, such as a view that isn't possible from the spot. Ask Bright before replacing a sky.

Label text
One or more photos are digitally modified.
Show the original?
Not required.
Where the label goes
The Private and Public Remarks.

Source 1· our reading, no rule names it

Grass and landscape in Bright MLS

Unclear: label it

Not named. Bright's permitted edits cover personal property such as furniture and plants, not the grounds. Ask Bright first.

Label text
One or more photos are digitally modified.
Show the original?
Not required.
Where the label goes
The Private and Public Remarks.

Source 1· our reading, no rule names it

Removing clutter in Bright MLS

Label

Removing existing furniture is a permitted use of virtual staging, which must be disclosed in the remarks.

Label text
One or more photos are digitally modified.
Show the original?
Not required.
Where the label goes
The Private and Public Remarks.

Source 1· our reading, no rule names it

Removing fixed features or surroundings in Bright MLS

Not allowed

Removing visual elements outside the owner's control, such as power lines, water towers or nearby roads, isn't permitted.

Source 1, 2

Virtual staging in Bright MLS

Label

Adding furniture, mirrors, art or plants to an empty room, or swapping existing furniture, is allowed with the disclosure. Bright's definition includes generative AI.

Label text
One or more photos are virtually staged.
Show the original?
Not required.
Where the label goes
The Private and Public Remarks, not on the photo.

Source 1, 2

Day to dusk in Bright MLS

Unclear: label it

Not named. A dusk sky adds something that wasn't there, close to what Bright bans. Ask Bright first.

Label text
One or more photos are digitally modified.
Show the original?
Not required.
Where the label goes
The Private and Public Remarks.

Source 1· our reading, no rule names it

AI-generated image in Bright MLS

Unclear: label it

Staged images of to-be-built or under-construction homes are allowed if disclosed in the remarks or in the photos. For an existing home, no rule covers a generated image.

Label text
Digital rendering, not a photo.
Where the label goes
The Private and Public Remarks.

Source 1· our reading, no rule names it

Label text to copy

One or more photos are digitally modified.

Bright sets no exact words, but both the Private and Public Remarks must say the image is virtually staged or digitally modified. Don't put it on the photo: added text and graphics are banned.

The rule, word for word

“…If a subscriber virtually stages an image, then the Private and Public Remarks must state that the image is virtually staged or digitally modified.…”

Bright MLS, Rules Governing Use of Bright's Services (Appendix C images, Appendix D disclosures, Appendix I fines). Our summary above isn't binding; the source is.

Questions agents ask

How do I disclose virtual staging in Bright MLS?

Say it in both the Private and Public Remarks: Bright's rule is that they must state the image is virtually staged or digitally modified. Bright sets no exact words.

Can I put a "Virtually Staged" watermark on a Bright MLS photo?

Bright's rules don't ask for one, and they bar text or graphics added to listing photos. The disclosure goes in the remarks. Staged photos of homes not yet built are the exception: they may be disclosed in the photos.

Can I remove power lines from a Bright MLS listing photo?

No. Bright says removing power lines, water towers or nearby roads isn't permitted.

What's the fine for a missing staging disclosure in Bright MLS?

Bright's fine table lists $250, without a warning, for a Public Remarks violation, a row that covers the staging disclosure. Repeat offenses are fined again, and Bright may suspend the account.

Sources

  1. Bright MLS, Rules Governing Use of Bright's Services (Appendix C images, Appendix D disclosures, Appendix I fines) · July 22, 2026 · primary source · checked November 9, 2026
  2. Bright MLS Support, Bright's Policy on Images and Documents · September 11, 2026 · primary source · checked November 9, 2026

Our reading as of November 9, 2026. Not legal advice. Rules change, so check the sources before you rely on them. See all markets.