Have a client who wants their listing photos kept private? Starting August 12, you’ll have more control over media visibility in Flexmls!
• Public – Visible in Flexmls and public display
• Private – Only visible within Flexmls, regardless of listing status
• Private While Off-Market – Publicly visible while active but automatically switches to private once the listing is off-market
With new media visibility options, you can mark photos as “Private While Off-Market” to automatically remove them from public sites once a listing is off-market, while keeping them available in the MLS. This improves CMA reports, preserves historical listing data for appraisers and addresses seller privacy concerns by keeping off-market photos from appearing on public websites. It’s a win for all involved.
How to Make Listing Media Private
To modify the visibility of your listing photos and floor plans:
- Edit your active or incomplete listing
- Select Photos or Floor Plans under Media
- Select the checkbox in the upper right corner of each photo you want to modify
- At the top, select either Mark Public, Mark Private or Mark Private While Off Market
Note: Primary photos must remain Public and cannot be marked as Private While Off-Market or Private.
To modify the visibility of your listing Videos or Virtual Tours:
- Edit your active or incomplete listing
- Select your Videos and Virtual Tours under Media
- Select the three dots to the right of which video or virtual tour you want to modify
- Click Edit
- Select the radio button for either Public, Private or Private While Off-Market
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the purpose of Private photos?
Photo privacy options allow you to remove photos from public view without removing them permanently from a listing.
Can other Metro MLS Members (Agents) view private photos on listings?
Yes, private photos are available only to MLS members who are viewing listings in Flexmls. For users who can view them, private photos are indicated with a red Private tag.
Can Contacts view Private photos via their Subscriptions/Portals?
No, private photos cannot be viewed via the consumer portal, subscription emails, shared links, or public versions of reports.
Can agents control which photo(s) are always private from the public and not have it apply to ALL photos on a listing?
Yes, to make a photo always private, regardless of listing status, select the photo(s) and click the Mark Private The photo will not be available to the public.
Can agents control which photo(s) are marked private to the public once the listing goes to an Off-Market status?
Yes, to change photo privacy automatically when the associated listing goes on or off the market, select the photo and click the Mark Private While Off-Market The photo will automatically be made private when the listing is in an off-market status. If the listing returns to an on-market status, the photo will automatically be made public again. Off-market statuses include Delayed, Pending, Withdrawn, Sold, and Expired.
Can a Primary Photo be marked Private?
No, photo marked as Primary must be visible to public.
Can agents change their listing photo(s) settings to be public again after marking as one of the Private settings?
Yes, to remove privacy restrictions from a photo, click the checkbox in the upper right corner of the photo, then click the Mark Public
Can agents set specific photos to be Private Always, Private While Off-Market, and Public on a listing at the same time?
Yes, these settings are on a per-listing basis.
If an agent copies a listing that had photos marked as Private, will that setting carry over to the copied listing?
No, private photos can be copied, but they will not automatically be marked private on the destination listing.
Does the Privacy setting apply to Videos and Tours as well?
Yes, this applies to media of Photos, Videos, and Tours.
How do third-party sites display Private photos, if at all?
As long as it is through an API feed, the third-party sites will honor the private tag.