The three required elements
- Label the image as one of: "digitally enhanced," "digitally altered," or "virtually staged" in the photo description text field within the listing add/edit module.
- Parallel original image: the original unaltered version must appear in the listing immediately before or after the digitally enhanced image.
- Watermark recommended (CRMLS-approved AI tools auto-watermark; CRMLS treats that as best practice).
Categorical prohibitions
Under CRMLS Rules 11.5(c) and 12.10, certain alterations are prohibited even with proper disclosure:
- Cannot alter actual property elements: wall color, flooring, cabinets, wall dimensions, fixtures.
- AI-generated landscaping is flatly banned: "AI-generated landscaping images are not permitted in the MLS."
Why this matters
If a virtual staging vendor offers to swap wall colors or add a pool to your CRMLS listing photo, you are out of compliance even if you disclose the alteration. The categorical bans pre-empt the disclosure safe harbor.
Enforcement today
CRMLS enforcement of Rule 11.5.2 is currently corrective rather than punitive: "Users will be contacted by CRMLS Compliance to correct the issue." No fixed fines are in place as of 2026 Q2, but the CRMLS Rules Committee has signaled it will "revisit the matter of fines in 2026," with paid penalties likely in late 2026 or early 2027.
Compliance posture for SofaBrain users in California
- Every render ships with the disclosure phrase burned in, satisfying both the AB 723 textual disclosure and the CRMLS watermark best-practice.
- Originals are bundled in the download for the parallel-image requirement.
- SofaBrain refuses to render structural changes (paint, flooring, fixtures) when the listing is identified as California — pre-empting the categorical prohibitions.