Metro MLS is introducing a new transparency-focused photo policy that requires agents to disclose and document any digitally altered listing photos.
- Require uploading original, unaltered photo, immediately followed by the watermarked altered photo.
- Listings with altered images must include the phrase “Photos are Digitally Altered” in the Public Remarks.
What is Considered Digitally Altered
An image is digitally altered when software or AI is used to add, remove or materially change its content. Photos can be adjusted for clarity but not altered for reality. This includes:
- Virtual staging
- Modifying structures or landscaping
- Changing views, including but not limited to removing permanent obstructions
Not digitally altered: Standard adjustments such as brightness, contrast, color, cropping or sharpening because they do not change the substance of the image.
Under 2025 Wisconsin Act 69, agents must disclose when technology is used to modify listing photos in a way that could mislead consumers. Beginning Jan. 1, 2027, failure to provide this disclosure may constitute a statutory violation.
How to Add a Watermark
- An additional button will appear to add the watermark.
- The watermark will appear in the top-left corner of the photo. Once you add the watermark, you cannot remove it.
- You can only add the watermark to individual photos. You can’t apply it to multiple photos at once
Here is a look at the button you will need to select to add the watermark to photos that are digitally altered.
Common Q&As
Do I have to add a watermark to a photo if I add a fire to the fireplace as digitally altered?
For fireplaces, you are welcome to add a fire and not mark the photo as digitally altered as long as the fireplace is functional.
Do I have to add a watermark to a photo if I change the color of the sky?
No, you do not need to add the watermark to a photo where you adjusted the sky as long as the results remain realistic.
Do I have to add a watermark to a photo if I removed a yard sign, decluttered a room or removed photos off the wall?
No, you don’t have to mark those as digitally altered because you are not changing the true and current condition of the physical house.